Gritty drama of three interweaving stories of three women of various backgrounds and ages whose marriages are complicated by spouse-abuse by their husbands.
Acting
Karen Grassle's fragile ferocity anchors every scene she's in.
Direction
Peter Werner's restrained hand lets horror breathe in kitchens, not shadows.
Writing
Interwoven structure refuses easy victims or simple villains.
Director
Peter Werner
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Aired on ABC in 1978 during peak 'movie of the week' social issue era, when networks competed for Emmy bait through progressive shock value.
LeVar Burton filmed this between Roots and Reading Rainbow, deliberately choosing roles that challenged his 'nice guy' image; his character's moral ambiguity was reportedly his own suggestion.
US
