Lethal Vows (1999)

Directed by: Paul Schneider
Written by: Michele Samit, Eric Edson, John Carlen, Dennis Nemec
Starring: John Ritter, Marg Helgenberger, Megan Gallagher
Braun Entertainment Group, Inc.

Some people say John Ritter can't do drama. Seriously, I've heard them say it. I won’t point them out to you because I know you’ll want to slug ‘em. What a shame it is for these people because Ritter was pretty good at being bad. The first performance that comes to mind is as Ted on Buffy the Vampire Slayer. He played a menacing cyborg and dude was scary. He usually avoided over-the-top duplicity, but still managed to be quietly menacing in a few interesting roles. One great film that featured John as the man to hate was Lethal Vows. Here he plays Dr. David Farris, who is divorced from Ellen (Marg Helgenberger). David remains on good terms with his ex, who seems to be a bit of a hypochondriac. She is often tired and unfocused and although David is attentive towards her, it is obvious he is only partially amusing the former missus and her so-called sickness. David's new wife Lorraine (Megan Gallagher) and Ellen get along well and share in each other's lives. So very modern, you see...

Then Lorraine begins to fall ill herself, and eventually succumbs to a mysterious disease. Ellen starts to put two and two together and finds out that it equals... murder!

Lethal Vows is based on a true story and covers most the bases in this odd case of a successful sociopath who thought he could get away with anything (for a more in depth look read Final Affair by Frank McAdams & Tim Carney). Marg Helgenberger completely immerses herself in the role of Ellen. She plays extremely timid woman trying to find the strength to prove that not only is she right about the state of her deteriorating health but also that her respected ex-husband is a murderer. A bit off topic, but her wardrobe - Dios Mio! It's so frumpy that it almost upstages her. At one point she is wearing a long flowing dress… with sneakers! She and the rest of the cast are uniformly great, but this is definitely Ritter’s movie. His poker faced performance is extremely menacing. If Lethal Vows portrays the real killer correctly, he was a total egomaniac who thought nothing of human life, only of status.

CBS released Lethal Vows in 1999, towards the end of a decade famous for its disease-of-the-week and true-crime television films. They did a nifty job at combining both genres and Lethal Vows has since become a mainstay on Lifetime. I think I've caught it at least twice in the last few months. If it’s on, I’ll usually sit down and watch it, proving that its longevity on the network is warranted. I will always love John Ritter best for being Jack Tripper on the awesome show Three's Company (something else I never tire of watching), but will always fear him in Lethal Vows. Now that’s a legacy.

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