The story of Alex Kelly is one of the most interesting, the most socially important of our time. Kelly, a high-school student in an upper-class family in suburban Connecticut was accused in 1987 of raping and threatening girl classmates. As the trial approached, with fear of prison hanging over him, Kelly fled the country. He stayed at large some ten years with the assistance of his parents before being apprehended and returned to the US (not coincidental to the time of his passport's expiration).
After one hung jury, he was convicted on retrial and sentenced to sixteen years in prison.
This tale is told from the perspective of rape victim #1, Carrie, the focus being her unresolved fears and torments throughout the period of Kelly's flight. Unfortunately, this angle only provides more fodder for a sanguine, soapy tale.
There is little information of Kelly's troubled upbringing, which by some accounts included drug addiction, and rehab, as well as burglary of neighborhood residences. It does splash a bit of light on the drug and alcohol addicted sibling of Alex Kelly, who took his own life via drug overdose while Kelly was in flight. But unfortunately, little time is spent on the Kelly parents-their dysfunction and denial. I will give the producers a thumbs up for the nice job type-casting the inherently pathetic Margot Kidder as Alex's mom.
Check A&E Investigative Reports for their version. It provides a more direct, uncluttered account.
Pass.
