7/10
Fatal Attraction meets Psycho meets The Stepford Wives
28 September 2006
Warning: Spoilers
First before I start with my comment I have to say I oddly have NEVER seen Angie Harmon (who plays the mother/wife Eve Goode) act. but WOW, I WAS IMPRESSED and will look for her in future.

Looking amazingly like Ali MacGraw in Love Story she was beautiful yet calculating, creepy and just plain deranged. A perfect female villain ala Fatal Attraction meets Psycho meets The Stepford Wives. Things begin innocently enough with a mysterious disappearance of a little boy, the son of seemingly loving parents but before long we sense not all is right with this mother. Lets just say she loves her cleaning supplies!

We next meet two children who have apparently just lost their parents and (although a little unclear in the plot) are Fostered by the mourning parents "the Goodes" (clever title juxtaposition). Before long Eves evil ways start to show (the dish washing scene is particularly disturbing) the Teenage girl clashes with the tight "house rules" and as her little brother begins to mysteriously get sick the rebellious protective sister's suspicion begins.

WARNING ****PROBABLY CONTAINS BIG SPOILERS*****

Based on characters created by Wesley Strick (who wrote the screenplay for "Cape Fear" and "Arachnophobia") I was intrigued to research Munchausen's Syndrome or Munchausen's Syndrome by Proxy. the disease we find the creepy lead character "may" have.

Background on the disease: From 1972 to 1985, all 9 children of Marybeth Tinning of Schenectady, N.Y. died in infancy. At first, friends and physicians assumed they were victims of "crib death" or an inexplicable genetic flaw. As the deaths continued, suspicion mounted against the mother, who was always alone when her babies were stricken. It's oddly more common than people are aware. basically Munchausen's Syndrome by Proxy is where women kill their own children for the attention they receive.

This was a pretty good film but i have to say a few things frustrated me - number 1 - why would hubby played by the handsome Joel Gretsch go along and seemingly "cover" his wife's psychotic behavior as if he was almost an accomplice and 2, why the Caseworker (played by a very likable Tasha Smith) did not pick up the fact apparently "several" kids have died or gone missing under the care of this couple.

Enjoyable enough it will be worth watching as a Movie of the Week on Television someday. 7 out of 10 stars.
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