Blick in den Abgrund

After playing TV-movie victims for years, Farrah Fawcett is terrifically good (almost surprisingly so) cast as real-life child-killer Diane Downs, who tried to convince the police she and her kids were victims one night of a car-jacker with a gun. One is tempted to go on and on about Fawcett's multi-layered portrayal of a sociopath, yet this is a long movie--four hours with commercials--and Farrah has the burden of it resting on her performance (she carries it off with gusto). Ryan O'Neal is very strong, too, playing the lover who doesn't return her affections. A sad, violent story, but told with an intense, focused energy which makes it completely absorbing and ultimately moving. Farrah does Emmy-worthy work.

I watched Small Sacrifices again just recently after many years. Farrah Fawcett should have got an Emmy for that portrayal of Diane Downs. Her performance in this mini-series is incredible and the fact that the mini-series follows the book closely. Ann Rule's book of this horrible crime leaves you wanting more. So much that I reread the book again. Farrah should be honored for such a fabulous performance. Just watch her in the Burning Bed as a battered wife. Farrah Fawcett headlines Small Sacrifices but everybody else in the film including John Shea who plays the District Attorney and her then real-life lover, Ryan O'Neal, plays Diane Down's married lover who does not want children and would help the police convict his former lover. Ryan, John, and even Gordon Clapp are all wonderful and memorable in their roles. They do not make television mini-series like they used to anymore with cable making the movies for television. If this film was released in the cinema, Farrah would have been nominated for an Oscar for this role. She probably would have won the award!

... and that's not to say that the rest of the production and cast are not top notch.

The film starts with Diane Downs (Farrah Fawcett) arriving at the hospital with a bullet in her arm and her three children seriously wounded. The fact is that the middle child is already dead, but that is not known at this point. Diane tells a tale of a "bushy haired stranger" who came up to her while she was parked on a lonely road, said he wanted to steal her car, and then just shot her and her children. The police are called in to begin investigating as well as one ADA Frank Joziak (John Shea). But as the investigation continues there are inconsistencies in Diane's story and suspicion begins to fall more on her. Her two surviving children, have injuries that will last a lifetime. Robby, 3, will be permanently paralyzed from the waist down. The oldest daughter, Karen, 8, is old enough to say what happened, but she has had a stroke from blood loss and cannot speak. This may or may not resolve with time. When Diane comes to her bedside and speaks to the unconscious sedated girl, her pulse and blood pressure rise dramatically, indicating she is fearful. Why?

All of the performances were good here, especially the child actress playing Karen, whose account of what happened that night is of key importance. But Farrah Fawcett is extraordinary portraying the complex sociopath Diane Downs who wants what she wants when she wants it. She is clingy, rather scary when told No, and lies like a carpet to the point I think that she believed her lies. For example, she says she gave up medical school for her married ex-lover when she is in fact a high school dropout who couldn't concentrate long enough to get through night school.

The earliest thing I remember seeing Farrah Fawcett doing was "Murder on Flight 502" in 1975, and she wasn't very good in it. Or more precisely, she just had no presence. 14 years later her performance makes this film.

I had read the book, and have to say the movie, for the most part, is very similar and is just done very well. Everything from the acting, to the directing etc etc, is superb. This movie is, sadly, a true story. It stands at 4 hours or so but it always keeps your interest. Farrah Fawcett loses herself in her character, and I have to say, I don't see how this movie can be watched, without the watcher coming away with a very healthy respect for Ms. Fawcett.This true life story is so disturbing, the thought has to flash through your mind whether you can sit through a 4 hour drama about it, and although of coarse some scenes are extremely difficult to watch, as you'd expect them to be, this movie is not something you can turn away from once it's on and is both shocking and horrifying.

It is directed and acted on a level as good as major big screen releases and the character development is great as well. There isn't one bad piece of acting in the movie and this Is the best I've ever seen Fawcett.

Just when you think Farrah can play an incredibly sympathetic passive victim (the Burning Bed) or a victim turned enraged avenger (extremities) here comes a sociopathic monster you'd like to strangle for her arrogance and cruelty This is the best characterization I've ever seen from a once pretty face who turned heads with her beauty and serious ability to act. We miss her since we lost her far too early This is based on a true story and fascinating look at the antithesis of motherhood.