Just perfect...

A movie that not only functions as a solid scarefest but a razor-sharp satire.

Strong acting helps the film overcome an uncertain premise and create characters that hold our attention absolutely.

One of the most extraordinary films you will see this year. Take that as you want.

I remember seeing this when it debuted on TV (well, the first part at least) and finally got to catch up with it again. This is an epic miniseries (a 2 nighter) about English teacher William Bradfield (Peter Coyote) who is suspected of murdering his fellow teacher/secret lover Susan Reinart (Stockard Channing) and her two children. Policemen Joe Van Nort (Peter Boyle) and Jack Holtz (Gary Cole) spend nearly 6 years trying to get info on the guy. Based on the true crime novel by former cop Joseph Wambaugh (THE NEW CENTURIONS, THE ONION FIELD), this one really packs a punch with the multiple twists and turns. Coyote is excellent as the eccentric Bradfield. One has to wonder how so many people could fall under this guy's spell in real life, but Coyote gives a performance with such conviction that you begin to see why. The supporting cast, which also includes Treat Williams and Robert Loggia, is great with Gary Cole giving a really good performance.

Just happened to see this web site. I was the Lynn Reinert that was featured in the film. My then husband, Ken Reinert, and I had been married about 2 years when all this occured. The movie is very accurate. Joseph Wambaugh sat down with me for a month and interviewed me for the book. It was a nightmare and is still hard to believe that it happened to us at all. If anyone has any questions about the whole thing, I'll try to answer them. Ken died 2 years ago this June. At least now he's with his children and knows what happened to them. It was a very disturbing thing to go thru and something that I hope no one else ever has too. As I said, if anyone has any questions I'll be happy to try to answer them.

Not familiar with the actual incident this movie is based upon, so cannot comment as to the accuracy of the facts and portrayals presented, but give this movie credit for holding a viewer's attention without being overly sensationalistic. The performances are stellar, and the tone of the movie is realistic and gritty - it feels like Pennsylvania, and it could be the town where you live.I was delighted by a small inside joke. Gary Cole, who plays an investigator in this movie, is sitting in the courtroom while one of the defendants is being questioned. Reference is being made to the books the defendant owned and used as references, including the book "Fatal Vision," upon which another television movie based on fact was made. The camera swings slyly to Gary Cole, who did, in fact, play the infamous defendant, Captain Jeffrey MacDonald, in the movie "Fatal Vision." Very cute.This movie was being broadcast on Lifetime, which I normally tune to when I want to fall asleep. Unfortunately, I was drawn in far enough I never took that nap.

An truly outstanding, compulsive drama based on a true story concerning charismatic would-be poet Peter Coyote (in a career best performance) and his manipulation of just about everyone he comes into contact with, eventually leading to murder. This is a fascinating, intriguing telling of a rather bizarre murder case with not only Coyote on top form, but also matched by Robert Loggia as his exceedingly odd, certainly unhinged partner-in-crime. Just watch those final moments in the court-room as he completely loses it and incriminates himself. Wonderful stuff! There are also some very fine supporting performances, not least Peter Boyle's turn as one of the investigating detectives.This is really what made for TV movies do best and I would recommend this without hesitation. Once you begin watching, you'll be hooked!