I watched this as a young teenager back in 1990, and was impressed by it. After finally tracking it down, I gave it another watch.
A lot of ITV dramas from around this time have aged rather badly, but this TV movie holds up reasonably well. It is inspired by the real-life Hungerford shootings of 1987, but this film doesn't dwell on the violence of a mass shooting. It instead focuses on the shocked wife (played by Annabelle Apsion) of the shooter, who has to deal with the reaction of her family, the public, and the press. With her husband facing trial, she has to raise her son alone, while investigating her husband's double life and trying to piece together his possible motives.
Part of the reason it holds up is that it was directed by John Madden, would go on to direct the likes of Shakespeare in Love (1998) and The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel (2014). A decent cast helps as well, with stalwarts like Alun Armstrong (as Apsion's dad), a young David Morrissey (as the husband/shooter), and Kenneth Welsh (a gun shop owner - yes the UK had gun shops in the 1980s/early 1990s!!!).
More serious, and less exploitative than I remember from first time around. 6/10.
A lot of ITV dramas from around this time have aged rather badly, but this TV movie holds up reasonably well. It is inspired by the real-life Hungerford shootings of 1987, but this film doesn't dwell on the violence of a mass shooting. It instead focuses on the shocked wife (played by Annabelle Apsion) of the shooter, who has to deal with the reaction of her family, the public, and the press. With her husband facing trial, she has to raise her son alone, while investigating her husband's double life and trying to piece together his possible motives.
Part of the reason it holds up is that it was directed by John Madden, would go on to direct the likes of Shakespeare in Love (1998) and The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel (2014). A decent cast helps as well, with stalwarts like Alun Armstrong (as Apsion's dad), a young David Morrissey (as the husband/shooter), and Kenneth Welsh (a gun shop owner - yes the UK had gun shops in the 1980s/early 1990s!!!).
More serious, and less exploitative than I remember from first time around. 6/10.
