L'empreinte de la folie

"Killing In A Small Town" looked every bit as ordinary as a regular made for TV fare but as the story unfolds; with the first frame of Barbara Hershey as Candice Morrison defining her sense of self to a therapist; you are instantly hooked until the end credits roll. Accused of her murderous crime in a small middle American town, Candice or Candy was initially in shock and subsequent denial. But as the horror washed over the community and all evidence point toward the mousy housewife, she starts to unravel albeit in calm revelation. Barbara Hershey is definitely one of the most underrated actress of her era, her portrayal of a strong, self- controlled, stoic yet sensitive and vulnerable woman make her a character of infinite contradiction. She pulled out all the stops in her courtroom scenes on cross examination and her hypnosis session with a doctor is unforgettably chilling. When Candice was on the stand recounting the day of the murder, the scene plays out ordinarily and then take a turn for the macabre when Peggy (victim) accused Candice of having an affair with her husband. Peggy then goes back to kitchen to fetch an axe and begins to taunt Candy. The two of them had words and then a fight ensues. Candy was desperately trying to get away but finally she turns the table and hacks Peggy over 41 timesin self defense. The entire scene was riveting like your inability to look away from a car wreck. An American tragedy played with unrelenting passion by Barbara Hershey who incidentally won an Emmy and Golden Globe for her searing performance.

One of my all time favorite books and one of the best TV movies besides The Deliberate Stranger about Ted Bundy starring Mark Harmon. Very haunting murder case, a mother is brutally murdered in her laundry room while her baby cries in its crib down the hall. The small mundane Texas town was turned upside down with the swing of an ax.

I saw this movie since it's release in 1990, I've been amazed by the incredible performance by Miss Hershey, Brian Dennehy is very good too, I think Barbara Hershey is a very underrated actress, I just rented the Entity another of her mind-blowing performances, Killing in a small town, a small budget film but with great acting, I'm going to have to buy the video, 'cause I haven't seen it in video clubs. Thanks for your time

How is it a mild-mannered, small town woman can hack her best friend to death with an axe and say she's not guilty? This startling, disturbing, gripping TV-movie provides the answer in amazing fashion, thanks to Barbara Hershey's flawless acting and Stephen Gyllenhaal's taut, vivid direction (this is a director who loves molding an atmosphere for his characters, making their surroundings as perplexing and eerie as they are). The murder sequence (told well in flashback) is not sensationally presented, yet it had me glued to the screen. Hershey is further complimented by an excellent supporting cast. What an amazing job this is!

The film Evidence of Love (UK title) is contextualised within a small-town community. Within this community, their lives are prescriptive, mundane and conservative, (at least from a liberal perspective). This conservative attitude is highlighted in Evidence of Love as a destructive force as it restricts and represses natural human feelings all in the name of stability.Such conditions provide for an undercurrent of extra-marital affairs, lies, denial, and anger, culminating in a (self-defence) killing to emerge like an uncoiling spring.

As to the acting in Evidence of Love, it is a superb (some might argue stereotyped) portrayal of a mid-American suburban home - maker by Hershey. It seems that Hershey uses method acting to achieve her goal in this film. As for the directing, it comes across as very considered and intelligent. This is because the issue is handled without the histrionics that such an explosive subject matter has the potential to cause. Of course the calm direction is helped by the limited budget for the film.

The film itself exposes an interesting moot point of what is perceived as guilty. It seems in Evidence of Love that there is some confusion in the court as what constitutes 'murder'. Self defence using a gun is not considered murder, but an axe that is wielded 41 times to slay an attacker is a matter of contention is this particular murder charge.

For this moot point alone as to what constitutes self defence in a killing Evidence of Love is worth watching.