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The Perfect Husband: The Laci Peterson Story

  • TV Movie
  • 2004
  • PG-13
  • 1h 24m
IMDb RATING
5.5/10
1.4K
YOUR RATING
The Perfect Husband: The Laci Peterson Story (2004)
DramaMysteryThriller

As the police search for a missing pregnant woman, new evidence emerges that throws suspicion on her seemingly devoted husband.As the police search for a missing pregnant woman, new evidence emerges that throws suspicion on her seemingly devoted husband.As the police search for a missing pregnant woman, new evidence emerges that throws suspicion on her seemingly devoted husband.

  • Director
    • Roger Young
  • Writer
    • Dave Erickson
  • Stars
    • Dean Cain
    • Sarah Joy Brown
    • G.W. Bailey
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • IMDb RATING
    5.5/10
    1.4K
    YOUR RATING
    • Director
      • Roger Young
    • Writer
      • Dave Erickson
    • Stars
      • Dean Cain
      • Sarah Joy Brown
      • G.W. Bailey
    • 24User reviews
    • 1Critic review
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • Photos8

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    Top cast41

    Edit
    Dean Cain
    Dean Cain
    • Scott Peterson
    Sarah Joy Brown
    Sarah Joy Brown
    • Kate Vignatti
    G.W. Bailey
    G.W. Bailey
    • Det. Gates
    Cindy Hogan
    Cindy Hogan
    • Kim Peterson
    Palmer Davis
    Palmer Davis
    • Angela Panati
    Heidi Marnhout
    Heidi Marnhout
    • Donna Taylor
    Louise Gallagher
    • Jackie Peterson
    Joe Howard
    Joe Howard
    • Lee Peterson
    Tina Molina
    Tina Molina
    • Amy Rocha
    Dan Cashman
    Dan Cashman
    • Mr. Whitman
    Jackson Jarvis
    • Sammy Vignatti
    Erin McKinley
    • Babysitter
    David E. Willis
    David E. Willis
    • Modesto News Anchor
    Marnie Crossen
    • Elderly Woman
    Roark Critchlow
    Roark Critchlow
    • Todd Dewey
    Annie Hinton
    Annie Hinton
    • Dog Handler
    Paul D. Roberts
    Paul D. Roberts
    • First Reporter
    Suzanne Whang
    Suzanne Whang
    • Second Reporter
    • Director
      • Roger Young
    • Writer
      • Dave Erickson
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

    User reviews24

    5.51.3K
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    Featured reviews

    charmedgirl81

    Can't Hollywood leave anything alone?

    For crying out loud, this has got to be the most ridiculous, insensitive thing I have ever seen! (Well I haven't seen the movie but just the fact that there is one made)...can't Hollywood leave anything alone anymore? Why is it that every real-life tragedy has to be turned into some MADE FOR T.V. MOVIE? I guess producers can't come up with anything else more original and as if they don't have enough money already they need to bring in old soap actors (Sarah Brown as Laci Peterson???)into this just so their careers don't fade away completely!

    Seriously Hollywood, stop feeding off of the families' pain and come up with your OWN stories instead of trying to re-enact real life tragedies and leave well enough alone!
    8JUDYCHRIS

    good movie but no end

    Overall, I liked the movie. Especially, I liked the acting of Dean Cain. He did a great job. Also, the filming is great. But I am still not sure if the husband is guilty or not. I didn't like about this movie that it comes with an open end and you are made to think how the story ends. Some of my friends say there is evidence that the husband is guilt of killing his wife. I think, the true murderer was his friend Tom. I had the feeling he knows something he hadn't told us. He believed so sternly in his friend Scott until the end. Too bad, that Scott never got the chance to confess to his girlfriend who the true murderer was...

    Summary: If you want to see good acting watch the movie. f you prefer to have happy endings this one is not the right movie for you.
    5tcdarkness

    Average TV-movie on a notorious case

    The Perfect Husband: The Laci Peterson Story is a TV-movie starring Dean Cain as Scott Peterson, the man accused of killing his 8-month-pregnant wife Laci (Meredith Lieber) and who'd had an affair with Amber Frey (Tracy Middendorf) in 2002.

    The movie was filmed before the murder case against Scott had even began, so of course the movie has to be rather ambivalent in its treatment of him. That is one of the major flaws of the movie. Without a settled case, the movie really beats around the bush as to whether or not Scott did the murder or if he was just a man with a bad secret who was wrongfully accused.

    For his part, Dean Cain plays the role well with hints of guilt, but the part was scripted as such it seems and he is not an endearing character. He could have been more convincing early in the script, before the revelation that he was a suspect, then shown as more conniving. From the get-go, his character just shows too many guilt signs and ever action of his says "look at me, this is a warning sign" instead of being more subliminal early.

    In all, there is a complete lack of a true central character. Laci is non-existent as a character in the movie, mostly just referred to in the past tense. The parents, rightfully so, share a large portion of the screen time and most of the sympathy of the viewer. But there are a lot of useless actors with bit roles (investigators, for instance) in the script to keep it true to the real-life people instead of amalgamated into a few more meaningful, dramatized characters.

    Overall, a lackluster effort and a movie made too soon with no real connection to the murdered individual. It just seems like the TV movie that it is instead of something more. 5/10
    ungasg

    Real life movie or fiction?

    To present a real happening as in a movie is unique and always interesting to watch. However, smooth as the story line may be, the ending is rather cynical, without the 'real' presentation of the real case, if any otherwise it was only based on presumption. It is 'presumed' that Dean Cain MURDERED his wife but without court verdict nor findings. I don't know much about the real life story behind, or if the case has been closed or still an open end case or was it just the conclusion of the police and if so, why then made a movie based on real life story that has not ended with a finding?. Is Hollywood expecting us to judge as like in a fiction movie?.
    rydelpinklady

    MOVIE-FLOP

    Disappointment IN MOVIE-MAKING. The over-all movie lacked substance and what did go on was the trash we've already read in the tabloids. I don't know who wrote the film, but I feel like I could have done better myself being I've been following this case/trial since it started.

    Just because I'm anal about these types of things, I noticed the fact that the leaves on the trees outside of the courthouse were orange which indicates it was fall when in the movie, it was supposed to be Winter. Also, being from the Bay Area, it was funny because all those news channels do not exist in the Bay Area. (I told you I'm anal about those types of things.)

    It would be nice to see a movie made once the trial is completed and a verdict is reached (even though I'm almost 100% sure who's to blame). I'd like to see a film made with all the facts and details. This made for TV movie, had the worst ending I've ever seen. I kept waiting for something more to happen, but no, it concludes with Scott in jail.

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    Related interests

    Mahershala Ali and Alex R. Hibbert in Moonlight (2016)
    Drama
    Jack Nicholson and Faye Dunaway in Chinatown (1974)
    Mystery
    Cho Yeo-jeong in Parasite (2019)
    Thriller

    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      Dean Cain said in interviews that since Peterson had not yet gone to trial when the movie was being filmed, he tried to play him as if he were innocent.
    • Goofs
      The court house depicted shortly after Scott is taking in for questioning is the Regional East County Court House in El Cajon, CA which is more then 438 miles away from Modesto.
    • Connections
      Featured in Murder Has Two Faces: Motherhood Interrupted (2025)

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    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • February 13, 2004 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • The Perfect Husband
    • Filming locations
      • Modesto, California, USA
    • Production companies
      • Sony Pictures Television
      • Stu Segall Productions
      • The Sokolow Company
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Tech specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      • 1h 24m(84 min)
    • Color
      • Color

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