Rating: - As good as the book!
Movies based upon books are usually not much good, but "Small Sacrifices" is the exception to the rule. Farrah Fawcett delivers a stellar performance as Diane Downs, an Oregon mother who was convicted in mid 1984 for the May 1983 slaying of one of her children and the attempted murders of the other two, all because she was trying to win back the affections of her married lover, who had broken off their affair because he didn't want to be a daddy. Fawcett absolutely excels as Diane Downs because she brings to life Downs's coldness, self absorption, disregard for her children, and psychopathology in an extremely compelling and realistic fashion. John Shea is also commanding as the intense prosecutor, who, convinced of Downs's guilt from the very beginning, relentlessly seeks justice, and not because he feels he has only a legal obligation to do so. Joyce Eliason based her fabulous screenplay on Ann's Rule's bestselling book of the same name. This is an emotional movie, vey tough to watch, and will leave you drained at the end, simply because it is such a hard hitting, spellbinding story about the awful crime committed by a cold blooded woman who never should have been blessed with the gift of children.
Rating: - Blood For Love
Small Sacrifices, a novel-turned-television-movie, is based on an incredibly true story about a women who tries to kill her three children to keep her lover. My first reaction to this movie was a sick feeling in my stomach that any mother could do such a thing. What also struck me was how convincingly Farrah Fawcett portrayed the cold Diane Downs. I was pleasantly stunned at the intensity each character showed and found that there were no lags or boring lulls in the story line. The devastating story prompted me to read the book by Ann Rule, and I fell in love with the story all over again. I wholeheartedly recommend this movie to anyone who is as fascinated by true crime as I am.
Rating: - STUNNING PERFORMANCE!
Farrah Fawcett's interpretation of child killer Diane Downs stays with you forever. A multi-faceted banquet of film-making brilliance, this made-for-Tv adaptation of a real life event is haunting, seductive, and lacrimate. Chameleon-like Diane Downs is "Hungry Like The Wolf", and doesn't want any "kinks" in her social life. Her kids are the "kinks" that prevent her from pursuing a relationship with a clearly confused married man who up and moved hundreds of miles in a futile attempt to hide from the classique femme fatale. heartless maximus.
Rating: - Proves once again that Farrah is top-rate and underrated
Farrah Fawcett proves here that her performance in "The Burning Bed" wasn't just a fluke. This is a gritty, shocking story with a great supporting cast. Fawcett should have won an Emmy for her role. The high ratings of this movie prove that the film offers much to the viewer.
- As good as the book!
- Blood For Love