Conflitos de Paixões

Though "Betrayed: A Story of Three Women" has its faults — it's VERY much to the Lifetime formula (just read the synopsis in TV Guide and you could practically write the script yourself), starting with a hot soft-core porn scene between the illicit lovers and at times getting so melodramatic I wondered if I should turn it off and watch something a little more understated, like "Il Trovatore" — I'm posting here because I really resent some of the sexist attacks on the movie. I'm a man and men ARE like the philandering husband in the movie, or at least enough men are to make the broad outlines of the story believable. (And if you'll look at the credits again you'll notice that the director and writer were both male.) I liked the film — it wasn't a world-beater and I found the ending WAY too optimistic, but it was well-crafted and did what it set out to do. Also, decent roles for middle-aged actresses are rare enough one can see why Meredith Baxter and Swooosie Kurtz wanted to do this one; they tore into their cat-fight scenes like starving tigers descending on a piece of raw meat.

Sometimes you have to approach a story in the spirit it is offered. This film makes no grand claims, and although it purports to be about three women, it is actually about two,Amanda Nelson,played by Meredith Baxter and Joan Bixler, played by Swoosie Kurtz.At 106 minutes the running time is a quarter of an hour longer than the classic 90 which permits plot anomalies in the interests of pace. Nonetheless the double hander that the two women frequently play works.

Amanda's stereotypical upper middle class world and family is an unambitious setting, understandably she is not impressed when her best friend, Joan's, daughter beds her husband.However there is a chemistry and dynamic which works between the two of them "Cagney and Lacey" style.The third woman, Joan's daughter Dana, has a curiously underwritten part much of which i suspect was left on the cutting room floor. Amanda's two sons have some cleverly written cameo roles and the erring husband Paul Nelson has almost a walk on part.

So what makes this film work? Its not about marital infidelity, it is about the loyalty between two women as friends.the message that friendship is important and that sometimes people let you down resonates throughout the tale.There are some fairly corny set pieces, but the film always lifts when Amanda and Joan are on screen together. there is even an elegiac moment in the "kitchen scene" at the end when Joan implores Amanda to discard the hopes and dreams of the past for the reality of today.Too few films these days are narrative driven,and this deserves praise for a solid effort in that regard.

Okay, I usually love the movies on Lifetime because they are heartwarming and emotional. This movie was neither.

A husband cheats on his wife with her best friend's daughter. Drama ensues. The best friends are at each other's throats. The acting is pretty bland throughout the entire movie.

The main problem with this movie is that it alludes that the wife will probably end up taking the husband back. WHAT??? Never, not in this lifetime (pun intended) do you take a man back who cheats. It made the wife seem desperate and pathetic.

I didn't feel anything for any of the characters in this film. They all could have died in a massive fire and it wouldn't have mattered to me.

Also, the ending of this movie was so terribly stupid I just couldn't believe it. One of the worst films I have ever seen.

As usual, I was flipping thru the channels and came across this movie. I started watching it, and being on Lifetime, I was ready with my toilet paper roll I use as kleenex.

So the movie progressed and it was getting more stupid by the minute. Meredith Baxter and Swoosie Kurtz's rolls started out to be really crappy, but when "the affair" is revealed they're at eachother's throats like some cat fight from Dynasty.

The entire movie sucked. That I know for a fact. The love story in the middle was just like watching a Carrot Top commercial, only more sickening. I was waiting for a house to be set on fire by one of the other family members. THAT would've been interesting.

Joan Bixler's, played by Swoosie Kurtz, daughter Dana (played by Clare Carrey) gets "REALLY CLOSE" to Amanda Nelson's (played by Meredith Baxter) husband Rob (played by John Terry). The movie is predictable and still crappy.

Yes, I will probably watch this movie again, but only because it's that bad and laughable. I don't know why this movie was even made, and it certainly didn't help any of the actors and actresses careers after this. Even with its predictability, there was no saving this movie. It went from "WHAT THE *** WERE THEY THINKING?" to "OH MY GOD! WHAT THE **** WAS I THINKING IN WATCHING THIS?" ...It's such a shame this movie was that bad. Then again, it was on Lifetime.

You can still watch this for yourself and for your own opinion, but you were warned! You might want to bring a bucket just in case.

I thought Meredith Baxter Birney and Swoosie Kurz were great, as well as the other actors.It is a story about two old friends and one of them has a daughter who is having an affair with the other friend's husband. A serious, but very funny scene in the parking lot after Meredith finds out about the affair between her friend's daughter and her husband. She's wheeling her grocery cart full of groceries to her car,when Swoosie spots her and wants to talk with her and resolve the situation. Swoosie takes and holds Meredith's groceries to get her attention. Meredith then tried to grab them back from her and they crash all over the ground. You have to watch it to appreciate the humor. Everyone is entitled to their opinion, and it's too bad the other people commenting didn't rate the movie very highly, but they have a right to their opinion, of course. I think it deserves a much higher rating then they gave it And it's odd that one would actually watch it again when they didn't care for the movie. The movie had some very humorous moment considering the seriousness of it. I personally thought it was a very good movie.