The Amy Fisher Story

One of three network TV adaptations of the notorious true-crime story, 'The Amy Fisher Story' shows what happens as the title character seals her fate. Amy, dubbed the "Long Island Lolita" by the press, was a rebellious, surly teenager who, upon meeting the family mechanic, Joey Buttafuoco (Anthony John Denison, 'Crime Story'), soon began a sexual affair with him. His attitude towards her cools, but she remains obsessed with him, to the point where she attempts to get his wife Mary Jo (Laurie Paton, 'The Commish') out of the way by shooting her in the head.

The news media comes in for a real drubbing as this sort of sensationalizing of true-crime stories became especially prevalent in the 1990s. This was an era where criminals could sell their stories to interested parties, and attempt to profit from what they'd done. To be sure, Amy as portrayed here by Drew Barrymore, does come off as a patently unlikable character: a spoiled brat who stops at nothing to get what she wants, and shows no genuine remorse for the events that transpire. Joey comes off as pretty sleazy himself, as this version suggests that *he* pushed her into prostitution as a means of coming up with the funds to pay for repairs after her repeated car accidents.

All in all, this is passably engrossing, sordid stuff that tries to relate events from a few perspectives, and not paint *all* of the characters in purely black & white terms. It holds a kind of "car wreck" variety of fascination as we witness human weakness (Amy's parents are portrayed as highly ineffective) and selfishness at its worst. Not that the film is all that effective; the script can be muddled. But this is still worth seeing for some good performances, especially from a very poised and confident Drew.

Co-starring Harley Jane Kozak ("Arachnophobia") as a reporter, Ken Pogue ("The 6th Day") and Linda Darlow ("The Accused") as Amy's parents, and Tom Mason ("F/X 2") as Amy's attorney. Directed by Andy Tennant, who five years later directed Drew in the feature film "EverAfter".

Six out of 10.

Amy Fisher, aka the "Long Island Lolita", was a seventeen-year-old girl who, in 1992, shot and severely wounded Mary Jo Buttafuoco, the wife of her thirty-something lover Joey Buttafuoco. Fisher was subsequently sentenced to seven years in prison. The media have always been prone to sensationalising crime stories, but this tendency seemed particularly pronounced in America during the early nineties, the age of O. J. Simpson, Lorena Bobbitt and the Menendez brothers. Amy therefore became an instant media celebrity and all three major US television networks rushed out dramatisations of her case. "The Amy Fisher Story" was ABC's contribution; the others were "Amy Fisher: My Story" (NBC) and "Casualties of Love: the Long Island Lolita Story" (CBS).

I cannot compare "The Amy Fisher Story" with "Casualties of Love", which I have never seen, and will not attempt a comparison with the NBC version (known in Britain as "Lethal Lolita") as I have not seen it since was first seen on British television about fifteen years ago. "The Amy Fisher Story" did, however, remind me of another TV movie from the early nineties, "Too Young to Die?" from three years earlier. Both films are, to some extent at least, based on true stories and both deal with a shooting carried out by a teenage girl. Both feature an outstanding performance from an up-and-coming young actress, Juliette Lewis in the earlier film and Drew Barrymore here. During their teenage years both Lewis and Barrymore seemed to specialise in "wild child" roles- Barrymore's best-known was probably in "Poison Ivy"- and in Barrymore's case there was plenty of speculation that these roles mirrored her off-screen antics. Here she is excellent as Amy- a wild, out-of-control young woman, at war with her strict parents (especially her father) and obsessed with her older lover.

Of the two films, "Too Young to Die?", which is several cuts above the average made-for-TV true crime drama, is the better. I think it gains by the decision to fictionalise the story on which it is based. It advertised itself not as the true story of the Attina Cannady case but rather as a fictional story loosely based on that case, which makes it easier for the film to raise some very pertinent questions about an important social issue, namely America's use of the death penalty. The acting is also of a higher standard in that film; apart from Barrymore's few contributions in "The Amy Fisher Story" stand out.

"The Amy Fisher Story" did, by contrast, advertise itself as a dramatisation of a true story, and like many such films, especially made-for-TV ones, is told in a drily factual style. It is not, moreover, even factually accurate in all particulars. After his wife's shooting, Joey Buttafuoco denied that there had ever been any sexual relationship between Amy and himself, claiming that she had grown desperate when he rejected her advances. The film, which was rushed out soon after the shooting, takes these denials at face value, presumably in order not to jeopardise Buttafuoco's pending trial for statutory rape, but soon afterwards he changed his plea to guilty and served several months in jail.

In many respects "The Amy Fisher Story" is no more than an average film, but I have given it an above-average mark for Barrymore's performance. 6/10

"The Amy Fisher Story" is a 1993 American television film directed by Andy Tennant with Drew Barrymore in the lead role of the teenager Amy Fisher, who had an affair with the mechanic Joey Buttafuoco (Tony Denison) in Long Island. She has a crush on Joey and decides to kill his wife, shooting Mary Jo Buttafuoco (Laurie Paton). The well-known story was released in Brazil in VHS, but the screenplay is confused. For example, the prostitution of Amy Fisher is slightly shown in the movie and is not clear that Joey Buttafuoco suggested her to prostitute to get money. Amy Fisher is depicted as a spoiled and promiscuous teenager. Drew Barrymore is the only thing worthwhile watching in this forgettable film. My vote is four.

Title (Brazil): "Amy Fisher, a Ninfeta Assassina" ("Amy Fisher, The Killer Nymphet")

Amy Fisher had her fifteen minutes of fame as the "Long Island Lolita" who shot her lover's wife. So lurid a tale was this, that all three major networks rushed a television movie into production. Two of the movies even aired on the same night. Of the three movies, this is the finest.

Drew Barrymore, after her memorable roles as a child actor, but before her recent string of movies as an angel of purity, excelled at sluttiness. And sluttiness is the key attribute necessary to portray Ms. Fisher.

The story sticks close to the headlines, is enjoyably lurid and Drew Barrymore is excellent.

I recommend this movie to all fans of Drew Barrymore and to anyone wanting to see an enjoyable dramatization of Long Island's most infamous affair.

Yesterday my friend convinced me to go to White Hen. I agreed, and I'm glad I did because if i wasn't there at the right time, I never would have purchased this film that I have been searching for years for and was very cheap. I was surprised to find this obscure movie at White Hen. This was a movie that Drew Barrymore starred in at the lowest point in her career (go to her page and you will see what I mean.)

Drew Barrymore nailed the accent of the "Long Island Lolita", Amy Fisher, the seductive and troubled teen who was sexually abused as a child and falls in love with Joseph "Joey" Buttafuoco and seduces him into a sexual relationship after meeting him by crashing her car, and crashing it over and over and over again as an excuse to see him. She becomes obsessed with him, and while she respects his wife and the fact that he has a happy family, decides to attempt and kill his wife so she can be with him.

Drew Barrymore's incredible performance makes you sympathize with Amy, and makes you wonder if she had had a normal life and hadn't felt so trapped in her house her whole life, maybe she wouldn't be so screwed up. Awesome script, awesome movie, you can tell the director and writer put a ton of work into making it perfect, and look at how kickass Amy is today!