duncmoll Review of Guilty Hearts

Guilty Hearts (2002 TV Movie)

A Thoroughbred in the Lifetime Movie Stable

[8/10 · 8 November 2009]

Watching Lifetime Movie Network is one of my secret enjoyments, and "Guilty Hearts" is, to me anyway, the shining epitome of LMN's "true/based on a true story" variety. LMN always shows it in its entirety (3 hours), so it lasts 4 hours with commercials (a veritable Godzilla of a melodrama). If you enjoy above-average acting, a storyline which draws you in, and characters who are neither all-good or all-bad, then "Guilty Hearts" is an entertaining way to spend an afternoon. Marcia Gay Harden plays Jenny Moran, church organist on Sundays, mother of 3, and wife of the sometimes surly, seemingly insensitive Matt Moran, played perfectly by Gary Basaraba (who just likes things as they are in his home). Jenny, however, is a simmering crockpot of spousal neglect and an artistic spirit who longs for a soulmate. SO, Jenny does the LMN thing: she leaves her husband and moves in with her mother, telling Matt she "just wants out!". Matt, of course, is stunned, since he hadn't really spoken with Jenny in 8 or 10 years, and takes everything badly, virtually kicking her out of their home. Now, enter Dr. Stephen Carrow, portrayed by Treat Williams. He, his wife, and Jenny attend the same church, and it isn't long until he and Jenny discover their shared appreciation for classical music concerts and holding hands in the local art museum. As Matt fumes back home, Jenny and the Doctor consummate their affair, planning to divorce their spouses and marry. Not likely. Around Christmas, someone slips into the Carrow mansion and at midnight and rather callously blows Ms. Carrow's brains out (quicker than divorce, but frought with red tape). Whodunnit? Everyone's a suspect until Carrow casually confesses. The larger problem is that the Jenny/Carrow affair becomes public news, and Jenny cracks under the strain, swallowing a fistful of pills. At this point, Matt, who realizes that he still loves the unfaithful Jenny, carries the day. He reforms himself into a more sensitive LMN husband and helps Jenny find the strength to testify against the evil, manipulative Carrow, who is found totally guilty of snuffing Ms. Carrow. At last, the Moran clan is back together, with Matt and Jenny pledging to forgive each other and to listen more actively.