The Seduction of Gina (1984 TV Movie) User Reviews

Review Written Two Days After Eddie Van Halen's Death...

[TheFearmakers · 7/10 · 11 October 2020]

It was love and marriage that prompted premiere rock god Eddie Van Halen to score this 1984 TV-movie THE SEDUCTION OF GINA starring wife Valerie Bertinelli... Only don't expect cool beachy grooves like that same years' THE WILD LIFE that he thoroughly composed...

Herein among three prerecorded instrumental tracks, his Jump-like synth-driven opener introduces Valerie's titular GINA as a flaky college student married to a serious med student, and after a beginner's luck bout of barroom horse race gambling she winds up a total addict...

Which is not only constrained by television standards, but someone as insanely cute as Valerie hitting rock bottom isn't very rocky, or bottomy...

The casino mogul (Michael Brandon) she owes and ultimately "has to" sleep with is both better looking and more aptly suited than her downer husband; and then a streetwise bookie hardly puts pressure since she gets trust fund money so easily...

But that doesn't mean this SEDUCTION doesn't have value. There's a good amount of suspense while she's actually gambling (mostly Black Jack) within the plush Tahoe casino, and one following-morning as she rushes to her apartment seconds before her husband arrives is a genuine nail-biter.

Meanwhile her best pal Dinah Manoff has potential as a quirky boy-crazy sidekick... if this were a series instead... But GINA is a simple tale about what happens when a gorgeous young lady has too much free-time that winds up costing...

If only she stuck with that polite millionaire and dropped the whiny loser... But then she'd have no problem at all, and this is -- while doing for gambling what PRETTY WOMAN does for prostitution -- an addiction melodrama that's a decent bet for passing the time.

Need more movies about gambling addiction

[phd_travel · 7/10 · 4 March 2019]

There aren't many TV movies about addiction issues besides drugs these days. Guess the casinos won't like this type of movie warning people about gambing addiction. Valerie Bertinelli does a great job as a bored San Francisco wife of a young doctor who starts taking trips to Tahoe to gamble and things get out of control. It's eye opening and fascinating. Not dated at all.

The seduction of Gina

[amberbh-50456 · 7/10 · 9 May 2024]

Valerie Bertinelli stars as a young wife who feels abandoned by her hard working husband. After going to Lake Tahoe with some friends, Gina becomes hooked on gambling. Her husband doesn't notice anything is wrong at first, but then realizes that Gina isn't staying home at night. Gina becomes so wrapped up in gambling that she inevitably gets into financial trouble. There are other seductions at play as well. Valerie Bertinelli is good as is the rest of the cast, although the film does suffer from cliches of 1980s made for television films, most notably the score, which is a little ridiculous. I did notice that Eddie Van Halen, Bertinelli's husband at the time, contributed to the score. Overall, this isn't a great film, but it isn't terrible either. I would say it's a typical 1980s made for television movie.

A movie without an ending

[LaverneandShirleysucks · 8/10 · 3 February 2021]

I came across this on Amazon for free and really enjoyed it. Watching Gina's "seduction" by gambling was hard to watch at times, especially how she kept dipping into her trust fund to chase after her next win. As stupid as she was, I still sympathized with the character and felt badly for her. It was clear to me that she was using gambling as fulfillment for the empty marriage she had to her med school husband who never had any time for her. She complains to her friend how she feels trapped in the marriage to a husband she never sees and how she "can't date". She obviously jumped into that marriage way too soon at 20 (or earlier as it's not determined the age she was when marrying, but she turns 21 in the film). It was a good film, but lacked a proper ending imo. I won't spoil anything, but I felt there should've been more to show before ending the way it did. Still, a solid 8 stars and Bertinelli is always nice to watch and the San Francisco early 80's street scenes were nice to see.

Valerie Bertinelli, very watchable

[wilderdan · 1 November 2001]

Valerie Bertinelli is young, married and bored. Her husband is working monster hours doing his medical internship, and has little time for her. On a whim, she goes up to Lake Tahoe with a couple of college friends. Finding excitement at the tables, she soon gets in over her head in gambling debts and spins lie after lie to her husband and family as she depletes her savings and trust........and in a fit of despair and hopelessness, beds a casino exec. who she befriended. This is a made for tv movie, so don't expect major character development, and yes it's a bit convenient. Overall,though it's an easy watch if you like Valerie Bertinelli. If you don't, then you probably wouldn't be watching it to begin with.

A slow motion trainwreck

[gmaileatsyourlunch · 8/10 · 18 September 2022]

The Seduction of Gina is at its strongest in delivering a step-by-step tour of how gambling can go from an innocent betting pool win at the local bar to the complete unraveling of a life. At first, Gina (Valerie Bertinelli) lands on her feet, occasionally narrowly avoiding disaster. There's often a sense of relief, like "Well, that wasn't good, but she can recover." Eventually the small losses turn into big losses, and big losses need big lies to keep quiet.

Gina's problems didn't start in the casino. She's spontaneous, endearing, bubbly, and maybe a tad impulsive. As such, while everyone loves having her around no one takes her particularly seriously. Her father and brother talk about the stock market and leave her out, and when she asks, it elicits eyerolls and a casual dismissal. Her husband quickly shoots down any plans she makes for them to spend time together because his medical internship is too important and necessitates very long hours. Her one main college friend is too busy chasing guys and studying to hang out more. It seems everyone around Gina is "going somewhere" and she's just the plucky sidekick or supportive wife.

Her husband, in fact, has his own addiction in the form of his work. It's obvious his medical internship is very demanding, yet it's also his ready-made excuse to get out of anything. Gina repeatedly attempts to make plans for them and asks if he can schedule a day off, but he doesn't really try. Work is just more important to him. It's easy to blame Gina for their marriage falling apart - she's an addict, a degenerate. On the other hand, he's pursuing the noble path of becoming a doctor.

Some may be hoping for a grittier rock bottom, like Gina ending up on the streets as a prostitute or something equally tragic, but it stops short of going full-on exploitation. I'm glad it didn't go there because it keeps her more relatable. Sometimes films like this want to revel in the grime, and the viewer assuages themself with the thought that, "Well, I'm not waking up face down in the gutter, so I don't have a problem." Gina is able to contain most of the desperation and despair beneath a mostly composed veneer, even as her world is crashing down all around her - a reminder that some addictions can't be seen at just a glance.

This film is probably more relevant today than when it was made given that gambling is now more available than ever. Gina wouldn't even need to drive three hours up highway 50 from San Francisco to South Lake Tahoe to get her fix. She could be in a card room in less than an hour these days. She could just go online.

There's two more quick things to say about this great little film. The first is an awesome synth soundtrack by Eddie Van Halen (who Bertinelli was dating at the time), and the second is all the early-1980s scenes of San Francisco, with old icons like Enrico's Coffee, Union Square and Chinatown.

Excellent example of how compulsive gambling begins.

[bobjcharj · 9 June 2002]

This film provides an excellent example of how the addiction of compulsive/pathological gambling begins. The film provided true to life situations that are common and could lead a person to become addicted to gambling. The story line provided true to life consequences of compulsive gambling. This film went beyond entertainment. A good choice for those who want to learn about the disease of compulsive gambling. What the film did not address was how to treat the problem of compulsive gambling.

A little gem from the good old days!

[stevecomisar · 10/10 · 8 February 2022]

When Eddie Van Halen came to visit his then young bride on set (1985) I knew I was lucky to get cast in this movie. One of my scenes was shot at the old Sagebrush Cantina in Culver City. A crowded gambling bar where Valerie's character spirals deeper into her gambling addiction. In the later years this TV movie was used to educate real gamblers on the perils of addiction. How time flies.