Million Dollar Murder (2005)
"Murder in the Hamptons" (original title)

After multi-millionaire Ted Ammon is found bludgeoned to death at his East Hampton estate, the fingers point to his estranged wife, Generosa Rand, and her lover, an electrician named Danny Pelosi.

Director:

Jerry Ciccoritti

Writers:

Robert L. Freedman (teleplay), Michael Shnayerson (article)

Stars:

Poppy Montgomery, David Sutcliffe, Peter Outerbridge

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Poppy Montgomery	...	Generosa Rand
David Sutcliffe	...	Ted Ammon
Peter Outerbridge	...	Gordon Wintrob
Donna Goodhand	...	Kay
Helene Joy	...	Grace (as Hélène Joy)
Gabriel Hogan	...	Matt
Jacob Tierney	...	Generosa's R.E. Coworker
Carl Marotte	...	Suffolk County Police Detective
Richard Chevolleau	...	Suffolk County Police Detective
Alberta Watson	...	Ted's Lawyer
Tara Rosling	...	Carrie Wilder
Aislinn Paul	...	Alexa Ammon
Munro Chambers	...	Greg Ammon
Shawn Christian	...	Danny Pelosi
Michael A. Miranda	...	Artie Rubino

Storyline

Wall Street golden boy Ted Ammon falls madly in love with sassy saleswoman Generosa Rand, marries her and wants to start a family. After, not being able to conceive, the couple try other methods to bear a child. After, those methods fail, they adopt twins. A boy and a girl. Ted, realizes she has a mental illness, which he wants her to seek help for. She refuses to do so. She thinks Ted is saying she is crazy, like her mother.. During a bitter divorce procedure, she spends millions just to spite him, however accommodating he swallows absurd terms, and still tries to turn both kids against Ted, while cheating on him with dodgy contractor Danny Pelosi, who has a criminal record. After Ted dies in suspicious circumstances, Generosa turns against Danny, just as meanly, in favor of an English nanny/nurse once Generosa is diagnosed with terminal cancer.

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Plot Keywords:

divorce | cancer | deranged woman | father figure | long island new york | 

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Genres:

Drama | Mystery

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Details

Official Sites:

Lifetime TV

Country:

Canada

Language:

English

Release Date:

11 July 2005 (USA)

Also Known As:

L'héritage de la passion

Filming Locations:

Oakville, Ontario, Canada

Company Credits

Production Co:

Muse Entertainment Enterprises

Technical Specs

Runtime:

120 min 120 min 88 min

Color:

Color

Did You Know?

Soundtracks

"Memories"
Written by Dominic Paterson, Francois Paterson and Christelle Pechin
Performed by Soma Sonic
Courtesy of Subsonic Recordings

User Reviews

First impressions matter

"Generosa."

The very name of the villain in this tale is like a sarcastic rebuke. Filthy-rich Ted Ammon thought he was getting a lovely, giving wife. What he actually received was the worst in human grasping and acquisitiveness.

This film seems a morality tale on the dangers of ignoring first impressions and psychology in general.

Gen comes off as angry and vengeful almost from the start. What was Ted, anyway -- blinded or lobotomized by lust? This archetypal good catch, who could have dated anyone, selects a totally unhinged bitch-on-wheels. Maybe he was masochistic, or had a death wish...

Poppy Montgomery is chillingly scary as the unsuccessful artist/real estate broker who stumbles into fabulous wealth and can only rip it to shreds. Ted, played adequately by David Sutcliffe, may have been written less well, or maybe he actually did suffer from the world's worst case of denial. Actor Shawn Christian is way handsomer than the real Danny Pelosi, and he doesn't come across nearly as crudely, but his performance works OK here.

This is a tragic and complicated story, with a decent man brutally bludgeoned in his bed, and two innocent, adopted children yanked around as pawns. But the movie manages to pull it all together rather convincingly.

The main problem with this production is its superficial conclusion. Generosa's callous discarding of Danny once he returns from his DWI rap is consistent with her character, but a little more dialog between the odd bedfellows would have been appreciated.

Worse, Danny's trial for murder isn't dramatized at all (didn't he wind up testifying on his own behalf?). That would have made for great theater, but we get none of it. It's as if the filmmaker had run out of time and just slapped on an epilogue. And the viewer be damned!

In all, here's further proof for Shakespeare's dictum that all that glitters isn't gold. When will we ever learn?