Typical but affecting TV-pic dealing with the attack and aftermath of beautiful New York model Marla Hanson in 1986. Pounding the pavement looking for print and TV work, while slinging drinks at a Grand Central Station bar, she goes through the pre-requisite pains of the Big Apple after arriving. Living on a friends couch, getting chummy with a photographer, and snapping up minor modeling jobs here and there. The wrinkle thrown in is obsessive make-up artist Steve Roth, who for whatever reason, can't get over Hanson's rejection of him. Problem is, he owns the building she lives in, and makes himself to home once too often.
Hanson, finally having had enough and bent on moving out, results in Roth enlisting two childhood cronies to corner her in an alley and....well, if you don't know the case, I'll let you see for yourself. The result is a graphically painful change to her life and career, at times leaving her the perpetrator and he the victim. We're for once treated to detailed courtroom scenes to one of these cause-celebres, though much is still left out dealing with the real-life racism and character attacks that Hanson endured off-screen.
Strong supporting cast for a TV flick, including journeyman Midkiff, and Stephen Tobolowsky, nailing his role as your prototypical scumbag defense lawyer. Most notably though is Baltz as the unhinged obsesser. He perfectly portrays how superficial Roth's "love" for Hanson was, which he could no more define than "You're beautiful". Pollak is somewhat understated as Hanson, but livens up after the attack occurs.
At times the film falls into usual TV-movie traps in terms of overdone music and soap opera-ish romantic situations. Biggest botch comes from the very beginning, revealing Hanson's ordeal first, and then flashing back to events prior. It not only ruins the story for a first-time observer, but creates an awkward tone to the film, segwaying from early brutality to schmaltzy music over a montatge. But for a decent retelling of Hanson's shocking tragedy, it brings the goods. Though a difficult film to find that rarely airs on television anymore.
