(1993 tv mini-series; originally aired 5/16/1993 and 5/17/1993 on NBC)

Tatum O'Neal headlines this docu-drama based on an autobiography by Lawrencia Bembenek on how she was wrongly convicted of the murder of her husband's first wife. Bruce Greenwood co-stars as her policeman husband, Fred Schultz - a real person now living in Florida - who may have set her up for the murder or more likely, simply allowed her to be convicted by a police frame-up.

It's a large, meaty part, and Greenwood gobbles up his role as the complex, unexplained husband who probably did love his wife but didn't hesitate to implicate her when the investigation got too close to himself. The ambiguities in this admittedly one-sided version of the crime work in Greenwood's favor as he's given room to create a chilling study of morals in denial combined with an absolutely charming and disarming attractiveness that does a lot to explain Bembenek's trust in him. He also has several effective and totally natural scenes with his two young sons, who were Fred's probable motive. A four-hour mini-series broadcast over two nights, Greenwood's storyline is primarily in the first two hour segment that covers their meeting, marriage, the murder and trial. The second two hours covers the end of the trial, her jail years, the break with Fred and her escape to Canada with a new boyfriend. The brilliance of Bruce Greenwood's performance is fully evident in his final scene with his wife; it's enormously uncomfortable, so ensconced are we in the dubious character Greenwood has created.

Filmed and produced in Toronto as a Canadian project financed with American money, it received considerable publicity and was even shown at the Montreal Film Festival.

Available on video in two formats, the superior quality of the three-volume edition in SP speed makes it preferable to the one-volume edition in EP.

Alliance Communications Corp. in association with NBC

SOUND WAVS FROM
WOMAN ON THE RUN

		Fred meets Laurie	1 min 24 secs
		Talking Laurie out of a case	14 secs
		Fred pleads the 5th	14 secs
		Fred visits Laurie in jail	49 secs
		A TV statement	10 secs