Widow on the Hill

This ended up being a better than average Lifetime movie. Totally captivating in a I'm hungover and can't get off the couch sort of way. Good cast and an intriguing story that I was never entirely sure how it was going to play out, including a surprising ending -which lets face it, doesn't usually happen with made for TV dramas.

The story starts out just before the trial and has been based on real events, following an ambitious young hospice nurse who is hired by a wealthy man to care for his wife during her final days.'Linda' "cares" a lot for 'Hank' as well (flirts) and soon after the death of his wife they marry, much to the suspicion of Hank's youngest daughter. Before long, Hank himself falls seriously ill and dies, leaving Linda one of the richest women in Virginia and arousing suspicions that she not only knocked off Hank, but his first wife as well.

This was heavy breathing melodrama. I really enjoyed James Brolin who was surprisingly sexy here with some very good love scenes (yeah I said it) but he also suffered from dumb man thinking with the wrong head (yeah I said that too). Natasha Henstridges is suitable sexy, wears nice underwear and wow, some of the stunts she pulls sleeping around with several men. Nice shock value there.

The daughter was excellent, although I'm not sure why they kept referring to her as "the alcoholic" she was sober for the entire movie. I guess to cast doubt to her credibility. Beautiful cinematography on the horse ranch and an interesting secondary cast, containing all the elements for great Lifetime television; sex, murder, family drama and mystery. 1/22/15

In Widow on the Hill, Natasha Henstridge plays a former nurse, Linda Dupree, who captures the affections of a recent widower (James Brolin as Hank Cavanaugh) and quickly becomes his new wife. Both parts are well acted, although often upstaged by Hank's grown daughter, Jenny (Jewel Staite). Jenny appears at first glance to be a troubled girl trying to overcome her mother's death while trying to stay sober. The audience quickly realizes that Jenny is much stronger and smarter than most of her family and friends give her credit for. Jewel Staite creates a 3-dimensional character out of what could have been a cardboard cliché. The story tends to fall flat at points, but overall this movie boasts a quality cast that make it worth seeing at least once.

Natasha Henstridge doesn't stray too far from the role that made her famous in this Lifetime based-on-a-true-story thriller. Once again she's stopping at nothing to get what she wants. This is an attempt to find the real-life subject guilty in the court of audience opinion. It makes the most of Natasha and James Brolin's sex appeal. (Even if Brolin didn't have a dime, he could still land a hot blond.) And it definitely makes a great case for prenuptial agreements. There's nothing out of the ordinary, but it's watchable for what it is. And did I mention that James Brolin puts the SEX back in sexagenarian? There's also a hot younger man too, for those who tune in for more obvious aesthetics. Grade: B-

Stunning blonde Natasha Henstridge is the young, not-so-grieving widow in the mansion on the hill, telling her story to a TV reporter in Monroeville, Virginia. And among the community's well-heeled horsey-set, she's suspected of involvement in the death of her older husband. That's James Brolin, trusting as a babe-in-arms. Flashback teledrama made in Canada, based on an article that appeared in Vanity Fair magazine. It must be true! Whatever, it's far more romance than mystery, and a very familiar tale. Leggy Species star Henstridge as a gold-digging hospice nurse? It could happen, I guess. And it's good to see Brolin in a sizeable role after his titchy turn in Antwone Fisher, even if he doesn't make it to the end of the picture. The end of the picture? He doesn't even make it to the beginning of the picture. Which is why flashbacks were invented, of course.

Hank Cavanaugh (James Brolin) is a wealthy horse farm owner. His trophy wife Linda Dupree Cavanaugh (Natasha Henstridge) is accused of his murder by his daughter Jenny Cavanaugh (Jewel Staite). Linda has a sketchy past and started out as Jenny's dying mother's nurse.

This is a Lifetime movie. It follows Linda and is definitely painting her as the black widow. I don't know about the real story. The closing text leaves a lot undecided. This movie has definitely decided right from the beginning. Hank is too dumb to save himself at a certain point. I can maybe accept his point of view before then, but he's not being smart after that. This movie could work better if it is more of a mystery.