The Perfect Wife (TV 2001)

A doctor fails to help the young victim of a car accident whose sister decides to seek revenge.

Director:

Don E. FauntLeRoy

Writers:

George Saunders (screenplay), Richard Dana Smith (screenplay),

Stars:

Perry King, Shannon Sturges, Lesley-Anne Down

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Perry King	...	Dr. Robert Steward
Shannon Sturges	...	Leah Tyman / Liza Steward
Lesley-Anne Down	...	Helen Coburn
William R. Moses	...	Dr. Brad Steward
Michele Greene	...	Felicia Laurel
Max Gail	...	Ted Vance
Michael Fairman	...	Orville Gleason
Luisa Leschin	...	Greta Molina
Sondra Currie	...	Nora Toling
Khadijah Karriem	...	Judith
Dave Cole	...	Ruben Tyman
Alexandra Fatovich	...	Maryanne Gleason (as Alex Fatovich)
Bonita Brisker	...	Head Nurse
Christopher Kriesa	...	McGovern
Jack Ong	...	Tallahassee Doctor

Storyline

Leah has been like a mother to her brother Ruben. One day Ruben was out biking when he was struck by an inebriated motorist. Later a doctor comes across them and helps them. He first checks out Ruben and tells him not to move then goes to check on the driver. But Ruben starts to move and stand up and his condition worsens and he dies. When Leah learns of this, she goes into a rage and decides to go after everyone who is responsible for her brother's death. She begins with the driver; she goes to the hospital and turns off the life support machine. She then follows the doctor to where he lives and changes her name to Liz and manages to get him to marry her. She then begins her plan by killing his office manager and taking over. She then alters patients medications and when they begin to die the doctor is blamed. Things were going well until the driver whom she thought died shows and blackmails her. And the doctor's former wife is suspicious of her.

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Plot Keywords:

doctor | revenge | murderess | female psychopath | female killer | 

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Genres:

Drama | Thriller

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Certificate:

Unrated

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

21 May 2001 (USA)

Also Known As:

La esposa perfecta

Box Office

Budget:

$1,100,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

The Image Organization, World International Network (WIN)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

90 min

Sound Mix:

Ultra Stereo

Color:

Color

User Reviews

Spin the wheel

Sometimes I think that somewhere in the "Lifetime" Channel's office complex there is a room where the writer's hang-out, with a large wheel on the wall - sort of like the Big Six ones in casinos. The latter have a lot of spots where you win even money, and fewer for higher amounts, until there are perhaps a couple which pay bigger bucks.

But I picture the channel's wheel having about six different genres on its wheel, with two of them, appearing the most, labeled "The Psychotic Neighbor," or "The Spouse with a Hidden Past or Secret or Both." "Lifetime" movies have a few repetitive story lines, and these two seem to be the most ubiquitous.

The "Spouse..." category can have a spouse of long-standing, but some person appears, or an event occurs, exposing that the good wife was once a hooker, one of the couple was involved in some nefarious act long ago, or that something else in one of the background in different than presumed -- etc., etc., or, as in this flick, one of them has entered the marriage with the most nefarious of aims.

One constant, in all of their genres is that the husband or other males are usually clueless, vacuous, and slow to have any idea what in the hell is going until the climax, or at best, very late in the proceedings (unless the male is the miscreant). Not the case here.

Whether the referenced miscreant might be the "neighbor," or as in this offering, "the wife," it is always fascinating how easily, successfully and effortlessly they proceed with their dastardly deeds. They manipulate many of the others, whack them as necessary, assume various poses, and juggle more deceptions than you can count - with unfailing success until just before the end.

The lead actor here, like many in this channel's movies, is an old hand. I noticed that another film in which he starred was titled "The Perfect Neighbor."

Finally, the vengeful "perfect wife" in this flick dispatches those in her path with more expertise and ease than the most experienced and competent "button man" in Don Corleone's family could muster. And I couldn't help but imagine that Jack Nocholson's Melvin Udall character fro "As Good As It Gets," with his massive OCD affliction, could provide counsel to the anti-heroine to assist in dealing with he obsession which was the basis of this opus.