HER COSTLY AFFAIR
US, 1996, 90 minutes, Colour.
Bonnie Bedelia, Brian Austin Green, Roma Maffia, Joe Spano.
Directed by John Patterson.
Her Costly Affair is telemovie material, a romantic melodrama as well as a very cautionary tale.
It shows a professor (Bonnie Bedelia) who becomes infatuated with one of her students. We know that he is mad, a stalker with violent tendencies. This she discovers. The film is a warning about the consequences of casual affairs.
Bonnie Bedelia is convincing as the professor while Brian Austin Green is somewhat odd as the student.
The film shows the expected action, the seduction, the stalking, the fear and confrontation – especially when the student dates the professor’s daughter.
1. Popular television material? A cautionary tale?
2. The university settings, home, the countryside? Authentic? Musical score?
3. The title and its indication of theme and moral tone?
4. The introduction to Jeff, his murdering the professor? His appearance in class, reaction to Diane, his ignorance of Shakespeare, his talking about emotions? His inviting her out, the picnic, the target practice? The affair, the infatuation? His reaction to her wanting to break it off, phone calls, hanging up, stalking her? In class? His being hurt, violent reactions? Her wanting to break it off, the irony of his dating her daughter, turning up for the lunch? As the waiter and the dropped glass? The build-up to the confrontation, the violence, his arrest?
5. Diane, the brittleness of the marriage, her clashes with her daughter, the reaction to her husband? Classes, her course, her meeting with Jeff, the infatuation, going out with him? The affair? The target practice, the dropping of the drink at the social? Her discussions with the professor, wanting to change Jeff’s tutorials…? Her becoming bewildered, calling it off, her reaction to Jeff coming to dinner? Her trying to persuade him to counselling? Her discussions with Sally, advice? The violence, on the roof, being pursued? Telling her husband? The family reunion?
6. The husband, his patience with his wife, love for her, the reaction to the truth? His liking Jeff, rescuing his wife? The daughter, her cantankerous attitude towards her parents, her dating Jeff, bringing him home? The truth?
7. Sally, listening, advice? The professor, his admiration for Diane and her writing, her courses, his being upset about Jeff and the tutorials?
8. Popular ingredients, credible characters – or not? This kind of film as a warning and cautionary tale for the wide television audience?
