The Burning Bed (1984)

An abused battered wife has had enough of husband beating up on her. Everywhere she turns for help, there's not much anyone will do. After he rapes her one night, she sets the bed on fire with him in it asleep.

Director:

Robert Greenwald

Writers:

Rose Leiman Goldemberg (teleplay), Faith McNulty (book)

Stars:

Farrah Fawcett, Paul Le Mat, Richard Masur

Won 1 Golden Globe. Another 2 wins & 17 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Farrah Fawcett	...	Francine Hughes
Paul Le Mat	...	Mickey Hughes (as Paul LeMat)
Richard Masur	...	Aryon Greydanus
Grace Zabriskie	...	Flossie Hughes
Penelope Milford	...	Gaby
Christa Denton	...	Christy age 12
James T. Callahan	...	Berlin Hughes (as James Callahan)
Gary Grubbs	...	District Attorney
David Friedman	...	Jimmy age 10
David Andrews	...	Wimpy Hughes
James Hampton	...	Police Witness
Virgil Frye	...	Virg
Dixie K. Wade	...	Hazel Moran
Heather Rich	...	Christy age 6
Justin Gocke	...	Jimmy Age 4

Storyline

After years of beatings and terror, Francine Hughes set fire to her abuser's bed while he slept. Her confession and subsequent murder trial held the nation enthralled. A dramatic story of a woman pushed over the edge.

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Plot Keywords:

marital rape | marital abuse | fire | court | lawyer | 

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Taglines:

She was trapped 12 years in a brutal, violent marriage. Until the night she struck back.

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Genres:

Crime | Drama

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Certificate:

Not Rated

Did You Know?

Trivia

Francine Hughes, born Francine Moran on 17 August 1947, in Stockbridge, Michigan, died 22 March 2017 in Sheffield, Alabama. She was known as Francine Hughes Wilson, having wed Robert Wilson in 1980. He died in 2015.

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Goofs

The real Francine Hughes had four children, not three as depicted in the movie.

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Quotes

Hazel Moran: If you make a hard bed, you have to lay in it.

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Connections

Referenced in Private Practice: Georgia on My Mind (2012)

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Soundtracks

Tell Him
Written by Bert Berns
Performed by The Exciters (uncredited)

User Reviews

Farrah Fawcett at her best playing a woman savagely battered by her husband for 13 years

I have seen this film dozens of times and consider it a remarkable powerful film. Farrah Fawcett is so easy to look at for hours on end, especially in these 70's housewife clothes. She is at her peak in this film and others of a similar nature, Small Sacrifices and Extremities. This is the best of the three, however. I am stunned each time I watch it at the truth of the story. There really are women and children who must endure this kind of brutality and abuse. Farrah is so good at showing Francine's slowly crumbling self-esteem and sanity. The other performances are top- notch. In particular, Grace Zabriskie seems to me as authentic as possible as a fiercely stubborn, family-centered overbearing mother in denial. The scene where the wife-beater's parents throw their bodies between those of their son and the arresting officers while moments earlier allowing the same son to attempt to kill his wife is mind-boggling. Well done. It makes me want to read the book now that I realize there is one!

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

8 October 1984 (USA)

Also Known As:

The Burning Bed

Filming Locations:

Lansing, Michigan, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Tisch/Avnet Productions Inc.

Technical Specs

Runtime:

101 min (DVD)

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1