Men Don't Tell

OK, so this is a made-for-TV movie, so don't go expecting Ocar-winning performances..... Adopt that outlook and this film will have you blown over!! For such an unusual subject matter as a beaten husband, it takes a very good actor to play that role convincingly. The character must be portrayed not as a cowering weakling, nor an angry, affronted paragon of masculinity... But as a normal, real man. There is only ever one REAL man in the movie industry and he's right here in the lead role - Peter Strauss.

By Real Man, I do mean that he responds as most real men would when suddenly battered by the one person they love beyond all else... Out of love. People who love stay with their beloved, as long as they can and you can feel every moment of angst in Strauss's performance. Even at the very end, you can tell he has nothing but absolute love for his wife and what he does is done because of that love.

This is my first film with Judith Light and several other cast members. Light's performance as a loving yet unhinged wife did come across as slightly over-the-top, but that just makes it necessarily dramatic and hammers home effectively the years of abuse in the 95 minutes such a production is limited to.

The supporting cast too deliver their roles well, but as with all such acting styles that find their way into TV movies, you have to watch closely to see the best of it as, just like in real life, it is very subtle.

For some reason, this film attracted a lot of negativity from certain womens groups. Perhaps because, like most people, they don't believe such a thing could ever be true and are just as shocked when they discover it is far more prevalent than anyone could imagine.

Conclusion: Another ABSOLUTE must see from the Strauss repertoire!!

I've worked with battered men for over 10 years and know that this is a significant problem, but there is an even worse one. Violent mothers account for 55% of fatal child abuse, even when custody and time spent with the children are taken into consideration, according to the US Justice Dept. study, "Murder in Families." Fathers account for 8%, stepmothers/girlfriends for 9%, and stepfathers/boyfriends for 10%. We are working on building a shelter for fathers and children in Kansas City, but it is a slow process, but one is needed. Studies on domestic violence against women show that 39% of the victims are men, but you only find that out by looking at the charts that come with the studies. The summaries don't mention this, preferring to only address violence against women.

I love to watch violence just like anyone else who is a desentized freak of my generation. I thought this movie was going to like any other domestic abuse shocker, cept it was about a GUY!, i realized after the first half hour that this was as a real concern as female abuse and that it was real, it broke some mental barriers and also showed how even after the struggle and shocking abuse this man(a 9-5er)can also heal.

It was able to show reality, sadness and pain. It was a real heart tugger

I was wondering if anyone knew where i could purchase this video. I've looked around and still cant find a store that carries it. I live in New York. I've checked blockbuster, family video, F.Y.E in and around geneva and rochester NY and have had no luck. I have also checked Amazon.com and found nothing. I eventually found it on this site which is the 1993 movie with Peter Strauss. But there was no way to purchase it from this site that I'm aware of. This is a movie that shows the other side of spousal abuse that is apparently rarely reported. I would greatly appreciate a response in my efforts to locate this film. It is a major interest of mine to investigate this topic further.

In this heroic effort to show another side of domestic violence, Judith Light, who plays the main character, found herself learning about a situation she'd never dreamed was possible. Yet it is true--there are violent women, and just as the character played by Peter Strauss finds, there is no help for male victims. Light and Strauss give honest portrayals of people caught in an ugly situation.

Although it was fairly accurate for the time regarding police involvement and other details,laws have changed since this movie was made, rendering many details obsolete. Still, it is the *only* movie of its kind, daring to recognize a hidden, albeit politically incorrect reality.