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Dancing In The Dark
1995
Anna Forbes' life is perfect until her father-in-law tries to rape her. Her husband, Mark, decides that his wife is lying and as a result Anna is referred for psychiatric help. Her life becomes a living hell until Mark begins to realise his mistake... Based on a true story. Read more
| Starring | Victoria Principal, Nicholas Campbell, Dawn Greenhalgh |
|---|---|
| Director | Bill Corcoran |
| Genres | Drama |
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Dancing In The Dark
Anna Forbes' life is perfect until her father-in-law tries to rape her. Her husband, Mark, decides that his wife is lying and as a result Anna is referred for psychiatric help. Her life becomes a living hell until Mark begins to realise his mistake... Based on a true story.
| Starring | Victoria Principal, Nicholas Campbell, Dawn Greenhalgh |
|---|---|
| Director | Bill Corcoran |
| Studio | BOULEVARD ENTERTAIMENT |
| Run time | DVD: 1 hr 28 mins |
| Certificate | |
| Genres | Drama |
| Language | DVD: English |
| Released | DVD: 10 Jan 2005 Production year: 1995 |
| Format | DVD |
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Critics' reviews (2)
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Not the 1949 William Powell musical, but a TV movie that gives Victoria Principal the chance to suffer in ways that Joan Crawford could only have dreamed of. Where do the producers of American teleplays find these true-life tales? Perhaps they just claim the films are based on actual events because they know no one would otherwise accept such melodramatic excess. Here, Principal is committed to an asylum by her husband, who refuses to believe that she is being sexually harassed by his father. Robert Vaughn is loathsome as the lecherous in-law, but there's little else to recommend in this excessive drama.
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Virtually a monologue, well performed by Henry, of a woman who thoughtlessly follows a conventional life with a conventional husband and begins to wonder why it is so unfulfilling; the theme has been worked so often that its appeal has begun to pall.
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Most helpful member's review
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A near miss!
This promised more than was finally delivered. It fell into the trap of trying to describe 2 emotionally powerful events and missed both.
The first is the story of a wife, played by Victoria Principal, who attracted the wrong sort of attention from her father-in-law, played by Robery Vaughn. Her husband, an aspiring lawyer tried to help what he imagined to be her psychological problems while protecting his father.
This led to the second event, her experience in a psychiatric hospital where she was abused to take advantage of medical insurance. This was built up to a potentially powerful climax and than allowed to lapse into an unexplained background while the wife's recovery and final confrontation with her father-in-law took centre stage again. However, it turned out to be more of an anticlimax.
The film was not helped by clichéd scenes and acting which was unconvincing at best and often worse.
I was reminded of the film 'Frances' which similarly portrayed a woman being abused by psychiatric professionals. Only Frances was so much more powerful.
In the end, 'Dancing in the Dark' was frustrating if only because it could have been so much more. -
Most recent members' review
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A near miss!
This promised more than was finally delivered. It fell into the trap of trying to describe 2 emotionally powerful events and missed both.
The first is the story of a wife, played by Victoria Principal, who attracted the wrong sort of attention from her father-in-law, played by Robery Vaughn. Her husband, an aspiring lawyer tried to help what he imagined to be her psychological problems while protecting his father.
This led to the second event, her experience in a psychiatric hospital where she was abused to take advantage of medical insurance. This was built up to a potentially powerful climax and than allowed to lapse into an unexplained background while the wife's recovery and final confrontation with her father-in-law took centre stage again. However, it turned out to be more of an anticlimax.
The film was not helped by clichéd scenes and acting which was unconvincing at best and often worse.
I was reminded of the film 'Frances' which similarly portrayed a woman being abused by psychiatric professionals. Only Frances was so much more powerful.
In the end, 'Dancing in the Dark' was frustrating if only because it could have been so much more. -
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Dancing In The Dark
Anna Forbes' life is perfect until her father-in-law tries to rape her. Her husband, Mark, decides that his wife is lying and as a result Anna is referred for psychiatric help. Her life becomes a living hell until Mark begins to realise his mistake... Based on a true story....
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