The Familiar Stranger

At the end of this movie, I commented that the acting was excellent. I felt that I had watched a real family in action.

Margaret Colin was new to me, but I see she has numerous credits. That is understandable. She is exceptionally lovely, and her expressions come across as quite genuine.

The plot develops with all the intrigue of a mystery story, yet the melodrama is not overplayed.

This is one of those movies I just happened upon one evening on TV, and I am glad I did.

Certainly I will remain on the lookout for other Margaret Colin movies.

Really enjoyed this film on prime. I thinks it's early 2000, big it gave me all the 90s movie feels. The actress is great, so convincing. I loved their early lives, it all felt so quintessentially American and idyllic with their sons. Before things went start to go south. The story was really intriguing and enjoyed the actors. I need to watch more movies like this!

I thought this was an interesting true story. Margaret Colin did an excellent job of "evolving" with the character. The husband sure was an S.O.B!! How someone could put their family through such torture is hard to understand. I hope he got his in the end in the real story.

My TV guide said that was a thriller, now at the end i just knew it could not be a thriller. It isn't; it's drama. TV guide was wrong. ;-). Now at the end they said that this was based on a real story, with some dramatic and added fiction. My first thought was: What was a real and what was not? The way the man faked his death? The way he felt sorry for his family? The way she, the wife was afraid of bonding? I don't know. I liked the movie, it's a nice TV-movie. But it starts slow, you see how close the family is to a certain point and then he is gone. The children suddenly grow up and then dad turns out to be alive. OK, nice! Why did the judge or social security not found out that he was already married or so? That's the only thing that kinda bite me.

For overall this movie is a 6 out of 10. Not perfect, not bad but just nice.

Also known as "The Familiar Stranger."

Lifetimes type movie starring Margaret Colin.

A woman's husband commits suicide. Some years later, social Security wants $56,000 in survivor payments paid out to her children returned. That's because he's alive.

The wife soon learns he is living in another state under another name, and is very well liked and respected in his community. Needless to say, she is not too happy about this and is determined to find and confront him.

This is a very derivative story with some excellent acting. I saw Margaret Colin on stage - she has made several Lifetime movies, and I think she deserves better.