The Stalking of Laurie Show
| The Stalking of Laurie Show | |
|---|---|
| Directed by | Norma Bailey |
| Screenplay by | Jennifer Salt |
| Produced by | Randi Richmond |
| Starring | Jennifer Finnigan Marne Patterson Rel Hunt |
| Cinematography | Adam Swica |
| Edited by | Robert Lower Carol Wenaus |
| Music by | Bruce Hanifan |
Production companies | Jaffe/Braunstein Films March Hare Entertainment The (TMN) Movie Network Pearson Television International Pebble Hut Lifetime Pebblehut Productions SuperChannel |
| Distributed by | USA Network |
Release date |
|
Running time | 100 minutes |
| Countries | United States Canada |
| Language | English |
The Stalking of Laurie Show is an American 2000 crime drama televison film directed by Norma Bailey and starring Jennifer Finnigan, Marnette Patterson, and Rel Hunt. The film is a true story based on the real life stalking and murder of teenager Laurie Show which later inspired anti-stalking laws to be created in the state of Pennsylvania. Supporting roles are portrayed by Mary-Margaret Humes, Jessica Greco, Joanne Vannicola, Sandra Caldwell, and Richard Fitzpatrick.
It was produced by Jaffe/Braunstein Films and distributed by USA Network. The majority of filming took place in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The film's two taglines are "Teenage Jealousy Can Have Deadly Consequences" and "They Were The Best Of Friends Before They Became The Deadliest Of Rivals.
Outside of the United States of America, the film's working title is Rivals.
Plot
Divorcée Hazel Show and her teenage daughter Laurie, move to the small, Amish country town of Lancaster, Pennsylvania. One night, Laurie attends the senior prom with yearbook editor, Samantha "Sam" Gardner to take photographs and videotape footage for the school yearbook. There, they meet the beautiful and popular Michelle Lambert whom Laurie is enchanted by. Michelle and her boyfriend Butch Yunkin are thereupon elected Prom King & Queen where the two are awarded a spotlight dance. Afterwards, Butch approaches Laurie claiming Michelle has granted him the liberty of dancing with any girl of his choice--and he chose Laurie. Laurie's reluctant to do so at first, but upon Michelle's reassurance, she uneasily dances with Butch.
From that point on, Michelle and Laurie become the best of friends. Later on, Michelle gives Laurie a makeover and shows her off at the Bowl-O-Rama, a local bowling alley. Michelle identifies Laurie's appearance to Butch who casually percieves Laurie's more pulchritudinous than Michelle, which enrages her. Michelle, then accuses Butch of posessing a sexual intent in Laurie, though Laurie tries to convince the disillusioned Michelle her assumption is false.
At the community pool, Michelle notices Butch flirting with Laurie and attempts to invoke jealousy in him by making out with a boy named Craig Haber. Butch appears to be irked somewhat, but brushes it off and follows Laurie into the girl's dressing room to assist her in putting on her swimsuit. Michelle apprehends them and suggests to Laurie she should start a relationship with Butch now that he and she are no longer an item anymore. Laurie approaches Michelle at her home to persuade her into reuniting with Butch, but Michelle emphasizes she has no interest in him anymore, and would rather hang with Craig. She fully asserts to Laurie there's no hard feelings if Laurie does, in fact, decide to date Butch.
That evening, Butch phones Laurie feeling suicidal over his breakup with Michelle. Laurie invites him over to her home where she convinces Butch he and Michelle are just going through a hardship and will soon reconcile. This confiding talk brings Laurie and Butch closer to each other. Sam invites Laurie to a party. At the party, Butch expresses in pursuing a relationship with Laurie. Laurie's initially hesitant at first in fear Butch remains in a relationship with Michelle though he promises he isn't. The two share their first kiss which is seen by Michelle's friends who immediately call Michelle to notify her. An irate Michelle suffers a mental breakdown, she flies into a psychopathic rage, ransacking her bedroom before she sends several messages onto Laurie's answering machine claiming she knows where she is and what she is doing. Meanwhile, Butch leads Laurie into a nearby barn where he attempts to have sexual intercourse with her, though Laurie feels they are going too fast. Butch assumes she just needs some encourgement and forcefully rapes Laurie. Michelle finds them, where she informs Laurie that Butch also raped her the first time they had a sexual encounter together. A panicked Laurie races to her car, crying hysterically. Michelle creates a scene in front of the partygoers announcing she is pregnant with Butch's child. The next morning, Laurie informs her mother of the rape, but would rather forget about it instead of pressing charges believing this would infuriate Butch and Michelle who resume their relationship.
Michelle begins to suffer from the delusion Laurie is purposefully trying to steal Butch away from her and begins to repeatedly call the Show residence insulting both Hazel and Laurie. Pretty soon, Michelle's terror escalates, she watches the Show home, turns the entire school against Laurie, stalks Laurie in public establishments, and eventually befriends Sam. Sam warns Laurie that Michelle could possibly try to kill her, and to lock her doors and shut her blinds. One evening, Laurie is cornered by Butch and Michelle while walking through a parking lot. When she tries to escape, she is encircled by Sam and Michelle's friends who restrain her while Michelle violently assaults her with such brutality and rage, Michelle's friends, especially Sam are frightened of her. The gang leaves when moments later, the incapacitated Laurie is found near dead, by her date Andrew. After the beating, Michelle's friends, lose all respect for her and refuse to assist Michelle in her harassment campaign. Michelle turns to her only friend Tabitha Buck, revealing to her she experienced a miscarriage on Laurie's part, and the two conspire to murder Laurie before her mother can send her to live with her father.
When Laurie is supposed to leave for the airport, Hazel recieves an emergency call for work and leaves. Butch drops Michelle and Tabitha off where they gain access to the house and Tabitha chases Laurie up the staircase. Laurie turns around where she runs into Michelle. Michelle and Tabitha bound her with rope before slitting Laurie's throat with a butcher knife. Hazel arrives at work where she is informed she was never called in and realizes she was bamboozled. She races home where she discovers her dying daughter who tells her Michelle killed her before she perishes. Hazel reports the murder to the police, but her accusation isn't enough to indict the murderers. Hazel makes an announcement at Laurie's former high school where she informs anyone who can testify on her behalf that Michelle was the sole murderer of her daughter needs to step forward. Sam reports to Officer Mary Randolph who is the primary investigator of Laurie's case and Michelle, Tabitha, and Butch are subsequently arrested. Michelle is charged with first degree murder and sentenced to life without parole. Tabitha is charged with second degree murder and sentenced to life inprisonment. Butch orignally testified aginst Michelle, but was eventually sentenced ten to twenty years for perjury and convicted of third degree murder. Before the death of Laurie Show there were no anti-stalking laws in Pennsylvania. Hazel Show set out to create such a law--she was successful.
Cast
- Mary-Margaret Humes: Hazel Show
- Jennifer Finnigan: Laurie Show
- Marnette Patterson (credited as Marne Patterson)...Michelle Lambert
- Rel Hunt: Butch Yunkin
- Jessica Greco: Samantha Gardner
- Joanne Vannicola: Tabitha Buck
- Richard Fitzpatrick: Uncle Jake
- Sandra Caldwell: Mary Randolph
- Don Dickinson: Pete Webster
- Polly Shannon: Christine
- Dominic Zamprogna: Andrew
- Karyn Dwyer: Jennifer
- Courtney Hawkrigg: Paula
- Jeff Berg: Danny Gardner
- Michael Facciolo: Kenny
- Vickie Papavs: Mrs. Lambert
- Michael Proudfoot: Mr. Lambert
- Jean Daigle: Art Gardner
- Jefferson Brown: Craig Haber
- Nick Hamilton: Band Leader
- Clay: School Band
- Emily Mercer: Heather
- Marisa DeSimone (credited as Marisa Desimone): Betsy
- Heather Smith: Blonde Michelle Look Alike
- Marisa McIntyre: Penn Dutch Waitress
- Shoshana Sperling (credited as Shoshanna Sperling): Dee Dee
- Tara Daigle: Diane
- Joe Matheson: Judge Stengel
- Satori Shakoor: Jury Forewoman
Differences Between Film and Actual Murder
· In real life, Tabitha never had a romantic interest in Michelle, unlike the film portrayal
· Tabitha was actually a new student instead of a longtime student
· Butch was very possessive and physically abusive towards Michelle; he controlled every aspect of her life
· Michelle never suffered a miscarriage her child was born and raised by her parents
· Hazel wasn't called to an emergency at work, she was called to have a meeting with Laurie's school counselor
· During Michelle's trial, she let her bleached blond hair return back to it's natural brown color
· Michelle's full name wasn't just Michelle Lambert, it was actually Lisa Michelle Lambert
· Unlike in the film, Michelle and Laurie were never friends, they were sworn enemies from the beginning
· Michelle and Butch were never elected Prom King and Queen
· The only reason why Laurie never retaliated against Michelle was because she didn't want to injure Michelle's unborn child
· The actual high school's name was Conestoga Valley High School
· Butch was twenty years old and wasn't in school at the time
· Laurie wasn't around Michelle's age at the time; Laurie was fifteen and Michelle was nineteen
· The Show family did change their phone number and Hazel attempted to file an order of protection against Michelle
· During Laurie's murder, a neighbor actually asked Hazel if everything was alright
· Butch allegedly raped Laurie not in a barn, but in his truck
· The bowling alley was called the Garden Spot Bowling Alley, instead of the Bowl-O-Rama
· Michelle suffered from Battered Woman Syndrome
· After dropping Michelle and Tabitha off, Butch supposedly went to McDonalds, instead of the Penn Dutch Restaurant
· Michelle added that Butch physically played a big part in the murder during her testimony
· Michelle actually had two brothers (aged three and ten) instead of sisters whom Butch frequently abused
· Michelle and Butch only met a year before the murder. Though in the film, Michelle claims Butch and her were together since their first year of high school
· Laurie was only preparing for winter break, her mother never intended for Laurie to go live with her father
· Part of the reason why Michelle was exiled from her home by her parents, was because they needed to think about the safety of their two sons who were being abused by Butch
· Samantha Gardner was only a fictional character in the film; she never was based on a real person
Critical Reception
The film currently holds a 6.1 out of ten from 317 user ratings on the Internet Movie Database (IMDB). Danish film critic website PHILM.DK posed a negative review claiming, "Dramatic, preserved - but flint rendering superficial and untrustworthy, despite the fact that the film is based on a true story. A little food for thought in the harsh end, but otherwise an exaggerated and overplayed TV movie that is unlikely to be remembered."