THE LADY FORGETS
US, 1989, 97 minutes, Colour.
Donna Mills, Roy Dotrice, Andrew Robinson, Greg Evigan.
Directed by Bradford May.
The Lady Forgets is a routinely enjoyable telemovie thriller. It is a star vehicle for Donna Mills. There is an effective supporting cast led by English actor Roy Dotrice. Andrew Robinson, a villain in his earlier roles (Dirty Harry), is the husband; Greg Evigan is the lover.
The film, obviously, is a story of amnesia - of crime, forgeries in the art world, violence as well as personal puzzlement and readjusting to family. Enjoyable enough of its kind.
1.Interesting telemovie thriller? Amnesia theme? The crime? Violent confrontations and ending?
2.The glamorous world of art? Suburbs and homes, school? the mystery world of the amnesia victim? Musical score?
3.The title, the introduction to Rebecca, the purse-snatcher? Her hitting her head? Her identity? The mystery of her coming home after two years? The audience trying to fill in the past with her? Reaction of husband, of daughter? Her being pursued? The memories gradually coming back, retracing her steps? Meeting people again? Final resolution of the mystery?
4.Rebecca, her returning home, her relationship with her husband and the break-up of the marriage? Reconciliation with her daughter? Her puzzle about what had happened, going to the school, to the psychiatrist? Retracing her steps, discovering Tony? Their relationship? The art connoisseur? The police chase? The driver? The social, her realising the truth, the painting and the forgery? Her memory of witnessing the murder? The pursuit of the driver? The set-up for the killing of the family? The escape? The police turned traitor? Tony and his help? The final decisions - to stay or to go? Her future?
5.Andrew, the bewildered husband, her resentment of the two years? His new wife? Her daughter, her concern? Staying with her mother? The dangers to them?
6.The art connoisseur, suave manner, the van Gogh painting, the forgery? The murder? His suave menace? With Tony, with Rebecca? The visit to the home? The violence? Shooting the policeman? The policeman, the investigations, the pursuit, his greed, his death?
7.Tony, the artist, relationship with Rebecca? Helping her rediscover the past? His going away?
8.Thriller ingredients? The world of the characters? The plausibility of the plot? The crime genre and its final resolution?
