Million Dollar Murder (2005)

When multi-millionaire Ted Ammon is found bludgeoned to death at his East Hampton estate, suspicion falls on his estranged wife, Generosa Rand, and her lover, 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 | satin blouse | new york | ritual | 

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Taglines:

The rich are different from the rest of us. They have so much more to kill for.

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Genres:

Drama | Mystery

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Certificate:

Not Rated

Did You Know?

Trivia

This film is based on the true story of the Ted Ammon murder.

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Soundtracks

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

User Reviews

True story becomes a TV movie

I read the magazine story on which "Murder in the Hamptons" is based, but alas, when I sat down to watch this movie, I didn't recall much of it. Starring Poppy Montgomery as Generosa Rand Ammon, the movie tells the story of the Ammon family - Ted, Generosa, and their adopted twins - and the horrific murder of Ted in their palatial Hamptons home - a case that stayed open for a long time before an arrest was made.

Generosa is an attractive artist when she meets Ted Ammon and marries him. After a while, it becomes evident that she's wound a little too tightly on one hand and one sandwich short of a picnic on the other. Her paranoia becomes worse and worse as time goes on, and she and Ammon eventually separate as she becomes convinced that he's cheating on her and has an illegitimate child. Neither of which was apparently true. She soon takes up with an electrician, Daniel Pelosi, who is renovating her house. Generosa is presented as an extremely disturbed woman. She emotionally abuses her children, she brainwashes them against their father, and she keeps Ted's sister from seeing the kids. She has surveillance bugs planted in the Hampton house so she can watch all of Ted's activities on a laptop - which after the murder was never found.

Though it's a fascinating case, "Murder in the Hamptons" is the stuff of routine TV movies as it meanders through the story. Montgomery is very good, acting completely normal in her scenes - as a result of her demeanor, one then never knows when Generosa is going to totally lose it, so you're waiting for the next blow-up. The rest of the performances are okay, with the nanny giving an especially chilling performance.

Naturally there are things that were omitted, and for some reason, Pelosi is presented in a decent light. In fact he's a total waste. Also, assuming the will referenced near the end of the movie was filed in New York State - which it was - it's not possible to eliminate one's husband from a will. You can disinherit a child in your will as long as you specifically mention them by name. But no matter what your will directs, your husband is entitled to a third of the estate. So that business was a foolish plot device. Stick to the facts - they're usually more interesting.

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:

88 min 120 min

Color:

Color