Men Don't Tell

Judith Light and Peter Strauss bravely take on challenging, unflattering roles in this television drama for CBS: she as the domineering wife who verbally and physically attacks her spouse, he as the blue-collar husband and father being humiliated and abused. Issue-of-the-week family portrait from writers Selma Thompson and Jeff Andrus, its subject matter handled with a startling directness by Harry Winer. Not a pleasant watch, but effective for what it is. Fine supporting cast includes Carroll Baker, Noble Willingham, Ashley Johnson, and James Gammon. Strauss was Golden Globe-nominated for Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture Made for Television. ** from ****

OK, so this is a made-for-TV movie, so don't go expecting Ocar-winning performances..... Adopt that outlook and this film will have you blown over!! For such an unusual subject matter as a beaten husband, it takes a very good actor to play that role convincingly. The character must be portrayed not as a cowering weakling, nor an angry, affronted paragon of masculinity... But as a normal, real man. There is only ever one REAL man in the movie industry and he's right here in the lead role - Peter Strauss.

By Real Man, I do mean that he responds as most real men would when suddenly battered by the one person they love beyond all else... Out of love. People who love stay with their beloved, as long as they can and you can feel every moment of angst in Strauss's performance. Even at the very end, you can tell he has nothing but absolute love for his wife and what he does is done because of that love.

This is my first film with Judith Light and several other cast members. Light's performance as a loving yet unhinged wife did come across as slightly over-the-top, but that just makes it necessarily dramatic and hammers home effectively the years of abuse in the 95 minutes such a production is limited to.

The supporting cast too deliver their roles well, but as with all such acting styles that find their way into TV movies, you have to watch closely to see the best of it as, just like in real life, it is very subtle.

For some reason, this film attracted a lot of negativity from certain womens groups. Perhaps because, like most people, they don't believe such a thing could ever be true and are just as shocked when they discover it is far more prevalent than anyone could imagine.

Conclusion: Another ABSOLUTE must see from the Strauss repertoire!!

I love to watch violence just like anyone else who is a desentized freak of my generation. I thought this movie was going to like any other domestic abuse shocker, cept it was about a GUY!, i realized after the first half hour that this was as a real concern as female abuse and that it was real, it broke some mental barriers and also showed how even after the struggle and shocking abuse this man(a 9-5er)can also heal.

It was able to show reality, sadness and pain. It was a real heart tugger

Good film from begining to end, it shows that men can be victims of abuse too. There needs to be more movies addressing this subject and more conversations about abuse against men. The movie does a good job of showing how and why men don't tell about the abuse, because they are afraid of not being believe and being seen as weak.

I have not been able to see this movie all the way through because I never know when it's showing on TV. Also, I have to be careful not to draw attention to my search for it because I don't know how my wife would take it. The subject matter is seriously personal and there has never been any other movie addressing it, that I'm aware of. My wife has a violent temper that I did not find out about until after we were married. After 25 years of marriage she is finally mellowing out but she refuses to discuss her abusive actions nor to seek professional help. I have done all that I can to keep our children from being emotionally ruined and they are able to discuss it now that they are older.

I am looking for 2 copies of the movie on DVD. Apparently, CBS first aired it in 1993 but does not own it. So, they cannot copy it.

I'm trying to figure out who owns it and can provide copies.

I can use some help.