This movie has a few names. Its original title was 'I Can Make You Love Me: The Stalking of Laura Black', then it become 'I Can Make You Love Me', and now it's most commonly known as 'Stalking Laura'. This movie is based on real life events. Richard Farley meet Laura Black at work and began stalking her for four years. Farley eventually got fired, but not for sexual harassment or stalking, it was for poor performance. Laura eventually filled a restraining order. The day before their court herring, February 16, 1988, Farley committed a mass shooting at his former employe's office building. He murdered seven people, and severely injured several including Laura Black. It's a horrific story.
This movie condenses a lot of those four years which it kinda has to in order to fit as much as possible for its run time. This isn't a trashy or salacious account, the movie has real restraint. We clearly see, understand, and feel Laura's anxieties, despair, and frustrations when she's continually harassed with no help in sight. It's a real eye opener on how much has changed for the better, while some stuff is sadly the same. Richard Thomas is terrific, and I know it's weird to say that because he is portraying such a creep, but he's so good at it. Thomas doesn't play it over the top, he's cool, calm, and collective. He shows no empathy or sympathy in his portrayal. It's terrifying how normal this guy is, and that's the point. Brooke Shields delivers a solid performance as Laura. There's real integrity to Laura, she's more than just a victim who's distressed all the time. The mass shooting was handled with restraint, and it could've been extremely more violent, gory, or sensational, but it's still effective. Don't get me wrong it's violent for a television movie made in 1993. This film wastes no time on showing us how obsessed Farley has become. When he's starring at Laura through the window watching her at aerobics class its so unnerving and utterly creepy. This is a solid movie. The production values are good, the cast is good, and it's a time capsule for that era in made for tv-movies. They really don't make 'em like this anymore. This movie and this story is still extremely relevant in today's society.
I'm not sure when I first saw this, not when it premiered. I think it was in the mid to late nineties when I watched it on Lifetime. Back then Lifetime aired older TV movies from various networks all the time. I remember how horrid I was over what John Boy was doing. It's been so many years I can't remember when I last saw this movie, and I'd forgotten much of it. I watched this on Amazon which has the 4K restoration. I can't believe they restored this twenty eight year old television movie that aired on CBS in 4K. It looks pretty good I gotta say. Keep an eye out for small roles played by soap stars. As the World Turns' Scott Bryce, and Guiding Light's and All My Children's late great Marj Dusay.
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