Deceptions (TV 1985)

Twin sisters trade places with unexpected results.

Directors:

Robert Chenault, Melville Shavelson

Writers:

Judith Michael (based on the book by), Melville Shavelson (teleplay),

Stars:

Stefanie Powers, Barry Bostwick, Jeremy Brett

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Stefanie Powers	...	Sabrina Longworth / Stephanie Roberts
Barry Bostwick	...	Grant Roberts
Jeremy Brett	...	Bryan Foxworth
James Faulkner	...	Richard Blackwell
Sam Wanamaker	...	Jim Nolan
Fabio Testi	...	Carlo Ferraro
John Woodvine	...	Chief Inspector
Joan Sims	...	Mrs. Thirkell
Fairuza Balk	...	Penny Roberts
Brenda Vaccaro	...	Helen Adams
Gina Lollobrigida	...	Princess Alessandra
Jeremy Miller	...	Mark Richards
Christopher Rozycki	...	Dimitri Skolnikoff
Peter Woodward	...	Sergeant James
Hugh Millais

Storyline

Stephanie and Sabrina are twin sisters. Stephanie is a housewife, who doesn't seem content with her life, while Sabrina is a jetsetter who lives in London. They go to Venice for their birthday and they decide to see how the other's life is. So Sabrina goes to Stephanie's home and becomes mother to her children and wife to her husband Grant. Problem is that Stephanie is a little insecure of an attractive student who is always flaunting herself at Grant. While Stephanie enjoys Sarina's life until her sadistic boyfriend comes into the picture.

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Plot Keywords:

twin sister | sister | twins | housewife | identity swap | 

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Genres:

Drama | Mystery | Romance | Thriller

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Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

5 October 1986 (Finland)

Also Known As:

Cambio de pareja

Filming Locations:

Westminster, London, England, UK

Company Credits

Production Co:

Louis Rudolph Productions, Consolidated Productions, Columbia Pictures Television

Technical Specs

Runtime:

181 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Did You Know?

Goofs

In the ballroom scene that Stephanie and Sabrina appear in together, there is a clear mark in the film revealing how it was spliced together so they would both be in the shot.

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Quotes

Sabrina Longworth: I like you, Richard. I like you alot. And sometimes, I even get pleasure from sleeping with you. A great deal of pleasure. But you don't own me; nobody owns me.

User Reviews

a total glamorous fantasy

This happens to be one of my favorite "trash wallows" as we used to call these expensive soapers in the '80s. Unfortunately, there aren't the budgets for TV movies that there used to be. Stefanie Powers is in her prime in this dual role of a plain Jane wife of a college teacher and her glamorous jet setting twin sister. The cast includes Sherlock Holmes himself, Jeremy Brett and none other than Gina Lollabrigida. Part of the movie takes place in Venice and it's glorious!

Deceptions embodies a certain '80s decadence for me - I love the scene on the yacht where all these hedonists are dancing to the Pointer Sisters. But my favorite is the night of the twins' birthday, celebrated in an Italian villa, where they dance to "Don't Let it Stop" and the shy sister starts to really get into it, juxtaposed against some nefarious doings outside the villa. It's great fun.