TOO LATE TO SAY GOODBYE

Canada, 2009, 95 minutes, Colour.
Rob Lowe, Lauren Holly, Art Hindle, Rosemary Dunsmore.
Directed by Norma Bailey.

Too Late to Say Goodbye is a Canadian telemovie of 2009. It is based on a true story. The film is reminiscent of Who is Clark Rockefeller, a similar story of a charming man who has a past and repeats his pattern of behaviour, leading to an abuse of women – and his imprisonment.

The film begins with what looks like a suicide, Stefanie von Pfetten as a wife and mother, in distress. Her family is concerned, principally her sister Heather, played by Lauren Holly, as well as her parents, Art Hindle and Rosemary Dunsmore. Eventually her husband arrives on the scene. He is played by Rob Lowe – charming but ultimately vindictive. Michelle Hurd is strong as the detective in charge of the investigation.

The film has many flashbacks the investigation continues, into the happy marriage, the birth of the children, Jennifer Corbin and her beginning to be alienated from her husband, his setting up his dental practice and his dependence on his assistant. She also begins a communication on the internet, with a man named Chris – who turns out to be a woman named Marion who wants her to leave her husband.

The husband puts on a good face, seemingly innocent – until a previous case of a woman killing herself in similar circumstances emerges from the husband’s student days. Flashbacks to these episodes also.

Ultimately, the husband is unmasked – to the shock of the family and to his brother who looked after him. It has different effects on his two boys, one hostile, the younger dependent on him.

The film indicates at the end that the culprit is serving two life sentences.

1. The film based on a true story? The final information about Bart Corbin and his sentence?

2. A film designed for television, easy watching? Serious portrait of a dysfunctional family and marriage? Murder mystery? The combination?

3. The Atlanta, Georgia settings? The fashionable homes? The dental surgery? Police precincts? Authentic atmosphere? Musical score?

4. The opening, Jenn Corbin and her anguish, the tracking shots, the shooting, her death? The blood, the child’s shoe in the blood?

5. Audiences assuming it was suicide? The continual probing, the gradual questions, revelations, solution?

6. Rob Lowe as Bart Corbin, the flashbacks to the happy marriage, his meeting with Jenn’s family, making a good impression? His surgery, his assistant, their hard work, time together? Jenn’s suspicions? His niceness, with his sons? His going to the scene of the crime, care for his sons? (Commentators say that this is not what happened in real life.) The questioning by Detective Roach? His willingness to take tests? His staying with his brother, his brother as an alibi? His handling of the situations, going to work, the sons going to stay with their relatives? His decision about the cremation, the reaction of the family? Gradually under suspicion? His behaviour? The revelation about his past relationship with Dolly, the flashbacks, the engagement, his falling out with her, his taking her paper, bad-mouthing her, her death? The repetition with his wife – his leaving him, their not leaving him? The gradual information about the online friendship, Chris, the revelation that it was Marion? His insinuations about this? His denials, gradually being found out, his brothers disillusioned? The family’s disgust? In jail, his discussions with Heather, the plea bargain for life sentences rather than execution? In court? The speeches against him by Heather and her father? His jail time?

7. Audiences’ suspicions of Jenn, the marriage, her love for her husband? From his point of view of the alienation, the wanting a divorce? Online, the communications with Chris? The meeting and discovering it was Marion? Marion and her pressure? The visits to the family, Bart and his outburst at the table about the online relationship? Her anguish, with her sister, saying that Bart had run over her foot? The build-up to her death? In retrospect seeing it as murder rather than suicide?

8. The young boys, in the family, the older one with his mother, the blood, wary of his father? The younger son? With his father? Playing ball and their unwillingness? Adopted by their aunt?

9. Heather, her friendship, love for her sister, support of Bart? The years passing? The death, her believing Bart yet doubting about her sister’s behaviour? Her not knowing that Chris was Marion? Her gradual suspicions of Bart, to the police, the questioning by Detective Roach? Her being urged to get information and evidence? The past story?

10. Detective Roach, good at her work, persistence, the questioning, her manner with the suspects? The press conference and Bart’s negative reaction? Her assistant and his trying to get the computer open, his work with Roach?

11. Bart’s brother, genial, helping his brother, disillusioned when finding out the truth?

12. The episode with Dolly, Bart and his charm, her response? Working together on the dentistry? Her embracing another student out of friendship, Bart’s suspicions? His vindictive reactions? Her death?

13. The confession, their deal, the court case, the speeches of grief and animosity towards Bart? His jail sentence?