L'empreinte de la folie

A small town in Texas is in shock after a school teacher is found murdered in her home, whacked 41 times with an ax. Thanks to a plethora of physical evidence, the police soon suspect her friend Candy Morrison (Barbara Hershey). Candy admits she had an affair with the woman's husband (John Terry), but when it comes to trial her lawyer (Brian Dennehy) decides to plead self defense. WOW! This true crime TV movie is absolutely captivating. A big part of that is because of Hershey in the lead role. Already a lauded leading lady in theatrical features, she must have felt compelled to the juicy role in order to move to a TV movie after the success of Beaches (1988). She is absolutely stunning in the lead role (a bit where she is hypnotized by a psychologist played by Hal Holbrook is downright frightening) and she ended up winning both a Golden Globe and Emmy for this performance. Of course, the way the story unfolds is also part of the film's success as the teleplay writers peel back layer after layer. It builds perfectly to the shocking finale where we see the murder as Candy says it happened and the findings of the jury. Director Stephen Gyllenhaal (yes, father of Jake and Maggie) handles it all with the skill of a theatrical feature. A great example of his direction is one long take where the coroner describes the victims wounds while walking around the body and the camera just focuses on his hands; we never see the body in close up, but the description brings up such extreme detail in the minds of viewers.

How is it a mild-mannered, small town woman can hack her best friend to death with an axe and say she's not guilty? This startling, disturbing, gripping TV-movie provides the answer in amazing fashion, thanks to Barbara Hershey's flawless acting and Stephen Gyllenhaal's taut, vivid direction (this is a director who loves molding an atmosphere for his characters, making their surroundings as perplexing and eerie as they are). The murder sequence (told well in flashback) is not sensationally presented, yet it had me glued to the screen. Hershey is further complimented by an excellent supporting cast. What an amazing job this is!

TV movies usually suck, but this is probably the best one I've seen next to "The Deliberate Stranger". What lies beneath a typical, all-American perfect PTA neighborhood-murder, mayhem, and sin! It is very shocking and suspenseful, and the ending was one of the most unpredictable and shocking I have ever seen! What is more chilling is that this is based on a true story. Barbara Hershey gives a brilliant performance.

I saw this movie since it's release in 1990, I've been amazed by the incredible performance by Miss Hershey, Brian Dennehy is very good too, I think Barbara Hershey is a very underrated actress, I just rented the Entity another of her mind-blowing performances, Killing in a small town, a small budget film but with great acting, I'm going to have to buy the video, 'cause I haven't seen it in video clubs. Thanks for your time

One of my all time favorite books and one of the best TV movies besides The Deliberate Stranger about Ted Bundy starring Mark Harmon. Very haunting murder case, a mother is brutally murdered in her laundry room while her baby cries in its crib down the hall. The small mundane Texas town was turned upside down with the swing of an ax.