Lethal Vows

I thought John Ritter was great in this. Unfortunately, I did not see this movie until after Ritter's death but I think he would have had a career as a bad guy! Hard to believe but the lovable "Jack Tripper" can really look evil! Marg Helgenberger looks older than she does in CSI but that is because she is not made up to look like a hooker as she often does now. She was matronly and quite believable as the woman who, 14 years after her divorce, comes to suspect her friendly ex of some dastardly deeds. It was totally unbelievable, though, that the police would have believed her so quickly and acted on her information. I tried to find a book on this subject since it was based on a "true story" but was unable to find one. It would interesting to see how the events really unfolded.

I've noticed for a long time, now, that I'm seldom disappointed by a t.v. movie - the reverse is true for most of the "theatre" movies available on cable right now...I wonder if it's because pay-per view, and satellite dish companies are snapping up the good "theatre" stuff leaving us cable viewers with the rubbish?...small wonder then that my local cable company is resorting to "attack" ads on satellite dish t.v, which ads are having the effect of turning me on to dish my local cable co!

Anyway, "Lethal Vows" is a good solid suspense yarn, with believable situations, attractive characters (even the villain!)and natural-sounding dialogue. It's based on a true story, as so many of these t.v. movies are, truth being more entertaining than fiction, telling the story of a long divorced ex-wife, coming to suspect that her (still-friendly)former spouse, and father of her two daughters, is guilty of slowly poisoning her, and his present wife who is currently displaying the same symptoms that our heroine experienced during her marriage to the man - the effects of such poisoning lingering to the time-set of the movie, 14 years after the divorce.. There is no doubt of the villain, from the get-go - the charming John Ritter, who is as pleasant a madman, as he is in his usual role of good guy. The many women in the movie, are good to look upon -many familiar faces which cause my irritation at IMB's lack of a cast-list -with the minor characters also being up to snuff. Altogether, an absorbing movie.

I enjoyed Lethal Vows. It was evident that John Ritter's character was the antagonist from the start. We see and learn how dangerous and devious he was. He took advantage of the better nature of people and did away with people he had no use for anymore. John Ritter is a standout in this film and carries it well. He shows his great range and plays a dark and evil character very well. Like a light switch being turned each way, he easily alternates from doting father and good Samaritan to a dangerous figure who cannot trust.

What is shocking is this film was based on the true story. What a despicable and evil person Richard Overton was.

Here is a portion of the true story.

Boyer read the obituary in the newspaper and decided it was time she spoke up. She called the police and told them Overton had tried to poison her 15 years earlier. By that time the remains of Janet Overton had been cremated. But police ordered an analysis of her ashes, which confirmed the first wife's hunch -- traces of cyanide.

Overton, who was by this time a professor at the University of Southern California, was arrested and charged with murdering his third wife, a trustee of the Capistrano School District. The case was handled by the Orange County, Calif., District Attorney's Office, and became one of the county's most famous and twisted murder cases.

Although they had been divorced for almost 15 years, Boyer's testimony revealed the whole scheme that led up to her coffee-can poisoning. At that time, the defendant worked for an aerospace contractor and had a top-secret-level clearance. While married, he met and married another woman -- Karoline Wallace -- adopting the identity of a co-worker to legally marry the second woman. He would tell one wife he was on a business trip while he lived with the other wife. Every few weeks, one would drop him off at the airport as if he was leaving, and the other would pick him up as if he was returning. For a year and a half, his scam worked.

You can read the entire story from the link below.

http://www.govtech.com/gt/articles/96104

John Ritter, in a sinister performance, as a Ph.D person who has poisoned 2 wives.

It is hard to believe that the ex-wife and current wife could have such an excellent relationship, but the story is well-told and Ritter's performance, his subtle ways, his slow but menacing talk, are all memorable. He really showed versatility as an actor in this film.

Nice to see Madeline Zinna,"The Nanny's" youngest charge, and Jessica Bowman, who starred in "Dr. Quinn-Medicine Woman." in teenage roles.

The women who play the wives are convincing and this movie should have been highly rated and emmy nominated.