Passions

We have a totally amoral "businessman" who maintains a separate household with a young harlot and her illegitimate son, while continuing to live with his wife of a quarter century, and their daughter. This quasi oriental pasha is struck down in his arrogance by a cerebral hemourage. This leaves quite a mess around him. You might feel sorry for the legitimate daughter until you discover she plans to live in concubinage with a hippie degenerate boyfriend. Well, there is at least one character, with whom you might feel some empathy, played by Joanne Woodward. She plans to support the illegitimate child as if it were her own. Isn't there an old saying: "The sins we do by one and one, we...."?

It certainly isn't a pleasant story, but as a moral parable, it has considerable value. There is into the bargain a very competent cast giving believable performances.

This was shown on Lifetime Cable back in 1989. Just how available it may be now is doubtful, but worth looking for if only for another example of Joanne Woodward's great talent.