Since I joined Sling TV a few months ago, I am back to watching movies, TV series, and news again. After a day of work, I find a good movie at home quite relaxing. My husband and I enjoy watching movies together and we alternate who selects the movie for the evening.
Because I am a romantic at heart, I was drawn to the movie "A Good Marriage". Because it was written by Stephen King, my husband enthusiastically sat down to watch it with me. It was an excellent movie that we both enjoyed viewing, but I have to warn you, it still haunts me a bit.
Synopsis of "A Good Marriage"
This movie gets right to the heart of the story almost immediately and we were drawn into a world of suspense very quickly when the wife discovers that her husband is a serial killer.I had never really considered how the wives of serial killers react or feel, especially when they are so totally clueless to the dark side of their spouse. When she accidentally uncovered indisputable evidence that her husband was in fact the notorious killer "Beadie", she was forced to face the obvious and decide how she was going to react and respond.
Most of us sitting here would be thinking just call the police, but the story was so well written that I could easily understand the hesitance and denial, questioning how it could possibly be true that a loving and devoted husband and father could be the torturing, killing creature that was terrorizing women.
I was rather surprised by how the wife, after her initial shock wore off, logically made a plan and methodically carried it out. She certainly proved to be her husbands equal when it came to being able to "act" normally while simultaneously setting the stage for "capturing" her own mark.
Since I never believe in spoiling the show for others when I review a movie, I will stop there and reveal no more than the basic plot. Besides, this is a movie that you absolutely must see for yourself and follow the moment by moment details. I would be cheating you of the magnificence of the author by writing more myself.
The Actors in "A Good Marriage"
Joan Allen is the wife, Darcy. Anthony LaPaglia plays the role of the husband, Bob. Anthony LaPaglia is the perfect choice because he really does have that normal, nice guy appearance who anyone would trust, yet he is easily believable as a methodical serial killer. Like LaPaglia, Joan Allen looks the part and she did an exceptional job of playing a calculating wife who is capable of her own deceptions.
Together, they make me believe we can never really know our friends well and we certainly have no idea what they might be capable of given the right set of circumstances.
My Rating of the Movie, "A Good Marriage"
I have seen what the critics say about the movie and I also see the star rating on Amazon. However, I am not going to fall in line with others. I would give this movie 5 stars.
I base my rating on the fact that this was a suspense thriller that I could watch without being grossed out. Graphic images were certainly not necessary to scare me, or to make me sit on the edge of my seat. I believe that is the mark of a truly outstanding writer, as well as believable actors.
In addition to that, I appreciated the thoughtful perspective of someone who is also a victim of a serial killer, but is more often considered complicit in the crimes. I think we all want to believe the "Bundys" and "Dahmers" of the world have some "telling" personality traits that anyone close to them would easily recognize. Because we think there is no way they could not have known, we often make the family members pariahs in the community. Any movie that can cause me to evaluate my own thoughts deserves a higher rating.
I highly recommend this movie for any adult.
Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate, Ebay (EPN), Esty (Awin), and/or Zazzle Affiliate, I (we) earn from qualifying purchases.”
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