I caught this film the other night on one of the cable channels (Showtime, I think), and, though it has some bad points, it's solid overall. ***POSSIBLE SPOILERS*** The main problem with the film is Sally Kirkland, a great actress who fails to convince here in a comedic role. Her scene with Paul (Nicholas Walker) in which she calls him her "Romeo to my Juliet" and her "Marc Anthony to my Cleopatra" is poorly done. Her repeating of "douchebag b*tch" as she shoots at Dara Tomanovich is also strange. On to the okay--Tomanovich. She doesn't perform badly, but she doesn't set me on fire, either. Her scenes of supposed "outrage" (like when she learns of the $1 million insurance policy) don't convince, but her performance is serviceable. Then, we get to the good: Nicholas Walker. He isn't supposed to engender sympathy, and he sure doesn't! The scenes in which he tries (like his defending his wife after Tomanovich's desire for said wife to die) are unconvincing and turn a potentially very good performance in to a good one. The son (Vincent Berry) also is good, but he needed more emotion in his performance. And, now, on to the very good--Savage and Sheedy. Savage's portrayal is beautifully disgusting, and I'd have liked to have seen more of him, while Sheedy is convincing and sympathetic as the conned wife who finally has had enough. One thing: How does a minister get a $1 mil insurance policy? Overall, fairly well done.
