REMEMBER ME (MARY HIGGINS CLARK'S REMEMBER ME)

Canada, 1995, 90 minutes, Colour.
Kelly Mc Gillis, Cotter Smith, Shannah Reed, Michael T. Weiss, Stephen Mc Hattie, Amy Hargreaves.
Directed by Michael Switzer.

Remember Me is an adaptation of a popular thriller by Mary Higgins Clark. A number of her films were made into entertaining telemovies including While My Pretty One Sleeps, Let Me Say I Love You. Of interest, Mary Higgins Clark herself appears momentarily in Elaine’s party scene and introduces herself as Mary Clark.

The focus is on a mother whose son is killed by accident and who subsequently has a breakdown. However, she becomes pregnant again and recovers. She is also a children’s writer. Her husband is a successful lawyer. When they rent a house which her husband wanted to live in while he was growing up, strange happenings appear – including a ghost of a woman who was said to have committed suicide, falling from the roof of the house.

The film is reminiscent of so many films where somebody evil is trying to drive someone else mad. Of course, ultimately the mechanisms are revealed and the villain unmasked. Kelly Mc Gillis (Top Gun, The Accused) is the author, Cotter Smith her husband. Shannagh Reed the seemingly genial estate agent and Michael T. Weiss an accused murderer. Stephen Mc Hattie is the local police officer.

The film is conventional enough, entertaining enough. Mary Higgins Clark writes the American equivalents of Agatha Christie’s Miss Marple stories – generally suitable for most audiences.

1.The popularity of Mary Higgins Clark stories? Characters, murder mysteries, solutions?

2.The New England setting, the house, the town, the coast? The musical score – atmospheric?

3.The title, the focus on Menly – and the ghost of the dead woman?

4.The setting of the family, Menly and her son, the happy sequences, the movies, the story, the crash and the boy’s death? Menly’s grief, Adam and his trying to be supportive? Her recovery? Adam and his support?

5.Adam and Elaine, the past friendship, the renting of the house, moving in? Elaine and her support, her party, her trying to support Scott and get Adam to defend him? Her protests that he was innocent? Her being upset when Menly stopped at the level crossing, the discussion, promising not to tell Adam, but doing so? The suspicions of the chief? Elaine and her being unmasked as the blackmailer, controlling villain? Her arrest?

6.Adam, love for Menly, his work, his absences, his suspicions when Menly was seen on the balustrade? The clash with the chief? His being forced to take Scott’s case, Menly’s support? The final confrontation and being reunited with his wife?

7.Scott, accused of murder, his protests? Menly supporting him? His visiting the house, his getting the photo? His being revealed as haunting Menly, their fight, his fall?

8.Menly herself, her work, signing the books, her research, her love for the baby, for Adam, his absences? Dealing with Elaine? The fear at the level crossing? Her not being on the balustrade? Her research about the house, finding the room, the recorder, being confronted by Scott, her being vindicated? Her strong stances?

9.Amy, the baby-sitter, helping out, working with Menly?

10.Henry and his wife, the ghosts, her Alzheimer's, the visits by Menly and her finding out about the house?

11.The murder mystery, the threats to Menly, the clues being given – the credibility of the solution?