This TV movie really is more about a serial killer than an attempted seduction of his pretty, personable, teen babysitter : Michelle(Keri Russell), whom his 2 kids soon became attached to. Stephens Collins, as Bill Bartrand, murdered 2 people, and thought he had murdered 2 more, including the babysitter, who miraculously escaped death.
Did Bill really try to seduce Michelle, or was it more a case of intuitive mutual attraction. Judging from the details of their first kissing/hugging session, I would judge it to be more a case of mutual attraction, that was bound to burst out at some point, if their association lasted long enough. Michelle's mother is on screen periodically, but there is no mention of a live-in father. Hence, I suspect that Michelle's attraction to Bill is partly due to his partly filling the role of father. True, Bill told her that she was beautiful and loved by his kids, temporarily gave her the keys to his deceased wife's(Sally) new car, and approved of her wearing Sally's necklace and some of her clothes, which she took it upon herself to help herself to. It appeared that she was seriously toying with the possibility of becoming the next Mrs. Bartrand. But, this was a very risky ambition, since Bill was the prime suspect in the suspected murder of Sally. Bill kept reassuring Michelle that Sally did kill herself()with a gun to the head), despite the doubts of the detectives. But, eventually, the truth did show itself, and their romantic relationship suddenly changed to a murderous adversarial one.
It's a well-devised screenplay, and I quickly fell in love with Michelle(Keri Russell), as any man should. For more of her, check out the popular "Felicity" TV series DVDs. Stephen was also well cast as the charming, but murderous, Bill. As the film progressed, the 2 kids pretty much disappeared, as the emphasis changed to the developing romance and Bill's further murderous activities.
Several reviewers, as well as Michelle's friend Tracy and mother, expressed revulsion at the extreme age difference between the developing romantic couple. Stephen actually was 49, although probably playing more like 40. Keri was 20, presumably playing 17 or 18, as a high school senior. Still many people might label Bill as a 'dirty old man' or 'cradle robber'. Some people may think of me also in those terms, as my(one and only) wife is 21 years younger than I. In our case, it was a matter of mutual attraction, not one seducing the other. It's true that marriages between people of markedly different ages tend not to last as long as marriages between people with 5 or fewer years between them. But, sometimes, such marriages really click for the long term. We have been married for 33 years, and still going strong. You may know that Charlie Chaplin married his last, and most enduring, wife when he was 54 and she was a mere 18 : a 36 year difference, and it lasted until his death, with many children. True, I'm no Charlie Chaplin, but I was unusually young-looking and acting for my age when we married(and still am), which, I'm sure, much promoted our mutual attraction.
Did Bill really try to seduce Michelle, or was it more a case of intuitive mutual attraction. Judging from the details of their first kissing/hugging session, I would judge it to be more a case of mutual attraction, that was bound to burst out at some point, if their association lasted long enough. Michelle's mother is on screen periodically, but there is no mention of a live-in father. Hence, I suspect that Michelle's attraction to Bill is partly due to his partly filling the role of father. True, Bill told her that she was beautiful and loved by his kids, temporarily gave her the keys to his deceased wife's(Sally) new car, and approved of her wearing Sally's necklace and some of her clothes, which she took it upon herself to help herself to. It appeared that she was seriously toying with the possibility of becoming the next Mrs. Bartrand. But, this was a very risky ambition, since Bill was the prime suspect in the suspected murder of Sally. Bill kept reassuring Michelle that Sally did kill herself()with a gun to the head), despite the doubts of the detectives. But, eventually, the truth did show itself, and their romantic relationship suddenly changed to a murderous adversarial one.
It's a well-devised screenplay, and I quickly fell in love with Michelle(Keri Russell), as any man should. For more of her, check out the popular "Felicity" TV series DVDs. Stephen was also well cast as the charming, but murderous, Bill. As the film progressed, the 2 kids pretty much disappeared, as the emphasis changed to the developing romance and Bill's further murderous activities.
Several reviewers, as well as Michelle's friend Tracy and mother, expressed revulsion at the extreme age difference between the developing romantic couple. Stephen actually was 49, although probably playing more like 40. Keri was 20, presumably playing 17 or 18, as a high school senior. Still many people might label Bill as a 'dirty old man' or 'cradle robber'. Some people may think of me also in those terms, as my(one and only) wife is 21 years younger than I. In our case, it was a matter of mutual attraction, not one seducing the other. It's true that marriages between people of markedly different ages tend not to last as long as marriages between people with 5 or fewer years between them. But, sometimes, such marriages really click for the long term. We have been married for 33 years, and still going strong. You may know that Charlie Chaplin married his last, and most enduring, wife when he was 54 and she was a mere 18 : a 36 year difference, and it lasted until his death, with many children. True, I'm no Charlie Chaplin, but I was unusually young-looking and acting for my age when we married(and still am), which, I'm sure, much promoted our mutual attraction.