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Well, I shouldn’t
be surprised. Earlier this year, the USA
Network aired a film about the Laci Peterson
case. It was called “The Perfect Husband”
and starred Dean Cain of “Lois and
Clark” fame as Scott Peterson. Normally
this wouldn’t have been a problem,
considering the fact that there always seem
to be TV movies about every sensationalized
tragedy that comes down the pike. There
were movies about the O.J., the Highway
Sniper, you name it. Why not the Laci Peterson
case? The only problem I had was that the
case hadn’t even come to trial yet.
I didn’t watch “The Perfect
Husband: The Laci Peterson Story”
when it first aired, mostly because I had
already had my fill of it from watching
the news. What more could I possibly learn?
I also figured that the movie would most
likely crucify Scott Peterson, when in fact
we still had no idea if he actually committed
the murder or not. As it turns out, the
trial began a few days ago on June 1st,
so it seems somewhat timely that Sony /
Columbia Tristar is now releasing the movie
on DVD.
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I sat down to watch it a couple of days ago and
was surprised to find it was actually pretty well-made,
though obviously a bit melodramatic (after all
it was made for TV). What didn’t surprise
me was that while the film didn’t directly
accuse Peterson of killing his wife, it used as
many facts that are now public record to certainly
paint a picture of him being guilty. The movie
begins on the night of Laci’s disappearance,
Christmas Eve 2002, follows the media circus that
surrounded the investigation, and ends with Scott
Peterson’s arrest.
Throughout, we learn all about his affair and
the seemingly never ending bag of lies that he
told everyone. It even goes so far as to show
Peterson (Cain) in an orange jumpsuit as part
of the closing shot. Hmmm, sure looks guilty,
doesn’t he?
“The Perfect Husband: The Laci Peterson
Story” does fairly good job of showing us
what the families might have gone through, with
Dee Wallace Stone’s portrayal of Lacis’
mother being especially poignant. It certainly
was a horrible crime that no family should ever
have to endure. However, one must remember to
separate the fact from the fiction. There are
many people who will watch this movie and decide
right then and there that everything they are
seeing is the gospel truth, so therefore he must
be guilty in real life. Trouble is, it’s
only based on real events and in reality we still
don’t know if in fact, he is guilty.
What I’m really going to find interesting
is whether or not, after all is said and done
and the verdict read… will there be a sequel?
Directed by: Roger Young
Starring: Dean Cain, Sarah Joy Brown, David Denman,
Dee Wallace Stone, G.W. Bailey, Tracy Lynn Middendorf
Extras: None
Specifications: Widescreen (1.78:1), Dolby Surround
Studio: Sony / Columbia Tristar
Release Date: 6/8/2004
Region 1
MPAA Rating: NR
Website
We'll give The Perfect Husband: The Laci Peterson
Story a C.
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