Seduced by Madness: The Diane Borchardt Story

Ann-Margaret really got a chance to strut her stuff as an actress in this riveting TV movie about a seductive temptress/schoolteacher who convinces three or her students to murder her husband by claiming he was abusive to her when actually she was the abusive one. Ann-Margaret completely loses herself in this complex and unsympathetic character whose true story is the stuff that movies of the week are made of and Ann-Margaret pulls it off beautifully and effortlessly makes Diane the woman you love to hate. Peter Coyote, an actor who has often been overshadowed by the actresses he has worked with, manages to hold his own as Diane's victimized husband, a devoted husband and father who is completely powerless over this madwoman whose universe he is unable to escape from in time. Writer Buck Henry told a similar story in less time and to greater effect in TO DIE FOR, a theatrical film which featured an amazing performance by Nicole Kidman, but Ann-Margret did Emmy worthy work as the twisted and terrible Diane Borchardt.

Ann-Margret deserves an academy award for her performance as a manic step-mother who is concerned only with her own needs and desires. Her mood swings from normalcy to manic anger, her manipulation of her teen-age accomplices, her horrible treatment of her husband, and her favoritism for her own daughter over her two step-children...all very realistic portrayals of a manic woman obsessed with having everything her way. It was hard to watch this movie during the scenes leading up to Ruben Borchardt's murder, but they were enlightening. This movie is a must see for anyone who has known a manic person like Diane Borchardt. The post-murder investigation by the two relentless detectives was heartening, all the way up to the convictions of those involved. The classic scene comes at the end when Diane Borchardt is being processed for prison: her only concern is that her husband had a chance to "repent" before he died.

Kudos to the writers and actors who made this movie so realistic!

I'm not usually one to watch many Lifetime movies. My wife frequents the channel, though and sometimes only through boredom in it's purest form, will I watch a Lifetime movie with her.

But I must say that I thouroughly enjoyed this movie. I'm not the sentimental type by any means, but even I could not hold back tears as Ruben is shot as he's coming up the basement steps, thinking the person coming down is his son (it's actually the killers), saying, "I thought I was gonna have to drag you out of bed at this time of night."

Diane got away with the crime for about six months, then one of the boys cracks and shoots his mouth off to the wrong person, who then out of guilt, feels compelled to go to the cops, who felt that Diane was involved from the get-go.

The funeral scene is the most disturbing scene to sit through. Where Diane put's on a grief show, crying over Ruben's corpse. Then she runs out of the chapel, and into the bathroom wipes the crocodile tears, and puts on lipstick and smiles, What a b!tch!

I remember reading this story in the newspaper back in 1994 when it happened.

I like the picture so much I had to record it.

Granted Jefferson isn't the Los Angeles-type city it is shown as in the movie - 'tis merely an average small town in Wisconsin, and the Borchardt house looks nothing like it does in real-life, the movie is still a pretty good dramatic representation of what really happened, although many things have been changed. The reason I had trouble with this real-life drama, is that I lived in Fort Atkinson at the time of this murder mystery (which is Jefferson's neighboring city). Jefferson is not covered in gang symbols or palm trees, etc. etc. But the acting was well-done (Alanna Ubach gives a knockout performance as Shannon). Having seen Peter Coyote for the first time in this movie he will always remain Ruben Borchardt in my mind (of course, he was also in E.T., but I had only seen that movie when I was a youngster). Diane Borchardt was a lucky woman - while she is very unattractive bitch, Ann-Margret portrays her in this movie.

Basically the movie goes like this: Ruben Borchardt is (somewhat reluctantly) murdered by three teens, Josh, Doug and Michael, by orders of his wife (their teacher) Diane Borchardt. The rest of the movie is one big flashback that explains how Diane manipulated her students into thinking Ruben abused her (when in truth it was vice versa). One by one, Doug and his friends get pulled into the mix. Ruben's motherless children from his first marriage are forced to see their father go into a depression, while their step-sister is treated as a queen. One obvious change from the real-life events, is the relationship between Ruben and his blooming love for Ruth. But whatever. The story stays pretty true to life, and events used the real sign for "Mrs. B's shop"...(It's so weird, because I remember driving past her shop all the time!)

Knowing my cousin associated with the three teenagers, and his wife had Mrs. Borchardt as a teacher, and I went to school with relatives of the Borchardts, it makes the movie all the more real to me, but as a movie, most will just find it pure entertainment with great acting, even though it is inaccurate in certain areas.

By the way - yes they really did arrest her while she was at school.

I have lived less than 10 miles from Jefferson all my life,much of my family lives there. This story hit very close to home. I remember listening to the hearings on the radio. Also before all this happened I used to hang out with Shannon at the dance club Jefferson used to have. When I saw the movie I had to laugh at the ways they portrayed some of the settings because I knew what they were supposed to be and they looked nothing like the real thing. To think something like this could happen like this in such a small town is just unbelievable! I would like to see it again(I haven't seen it in years)just because the actors did such a good job portraying down to earth small town people.