Leave of Absence (1994 TV Movie) User Reviews

REAL LIFE JUST NOT ENOUGH OF IT

[fionastaun · 7/10 · 3 November 2018]

Well acted but a very shallow script.Brian Deneheny doesn't get much to work with and his interaction with the vibrant Jackie Bissett is uneven The premise of an affair with a dying woman holds lots of promise for a deep and satisfying plot. However, it just floats on obvious developments and ends in a whimper.

A very satisfying 90's domestic drama

[clairelouise5 · 7/10 · 28 August 2021]

After a couple of false starts with films that bored the life out of me on a Friday night, I stumbled upon this old gem on Prime. I love the 80s/90s love affairs- turned-obsessive films and old Lifetime movies, it's my go to comfort genre. This was not a stalker type of affair, but a domestic drama with a solid marriage unexpectedly rocked. What is it about these older films that are so easy and clean cut- a basic, everyday life kind of storyline, no frills or fuss. Good solid acting. The actors are so convincing they may as well be the character. You also get the warm and fuzzy nostalgic feeling (although someone's marriage is falling apart, sorry) of simpler times. I found this satisfying and perfect to watch with the fireplace on and a warm mug of tea.

Soapy melodrama has a few things going for it.

[fisherforrest · 5/10 · 10 October 2002]

Well among those things are Blythe Danner, a good supporting cast, and a satisfying ending. See, this jerk of an architect falls for a new associate on a project he is assigned. She is a neo-hippie type with good legs. Never mind that he has a wife (Blythe) of many years, and a beautiful daughter just beginning to spread her wings. The associate with whom our "hero" has been carrying on a passionate affair discovers she has leukemia and only a few months to live. So what does this paragon family man do? Why he leaves home to be with his paramour in her last days, expecting his wife to welcome him back when it is all over. Surprise, surprise. Wifey kicks his, um, well she kicks him out. That's the satisfying part of the story. The last we see of the architect, he is drinking alone in a sushi bar.

If it were not for Blythe Danner, this soapy trash would not be worth your time. I really have a hard time believing Polly Bergen wrote it.

It wasn't just the infidelity that irked me...

[dini0519 · 2/10 · 28 August 2022]

Brian Dennehy portrayed an unfaithful husband in another TV movie called, "The Seduction of Miss Leona", and I was moved by the relationship between his uneducated handyman character and her character, a highly educated college professor (played by Lynn Redgrave). It seemed real. There was chemistry between them. However, he just seemed like a louse this time. I wasn't touched, and was in fact, disgusted. Was rooting for Blythe Danner's character and respected her for moving on and not taking her scoundrel of a husband back. Infidelity is understandable at times, and it's tragic that Jacqueline Bisset's character was dying, but it just didn't seem plausible that a man who had been happy up until the point of meeting this other woman, would just up and leave, and stupidly expect his wife to take him back.

Zero sympathy for immoral characters

[Goon-2 · 8 March 1999]

I really can't stand how TV-movies continue to generate these virtually terrible, immoral characters and expect people to like them. This makes no sense to me. These people would not be receiving any sort of a reward for their behavior in reality, so please don't subject audiences to stories about them!

The character of disgust is played by Brian Dennehey, of all people. He is a middle-aged man with a wife (Blythe Danner) and a daughter in her late teens (Noelle Parker) and his life seems fairly happy right now, as he lives each day with the family and even gets to go to work with his daughter, who works with him at a museum (?). Unfortunately, she is not the only woman working for him. There is another woman, an architect called Nell. Nell likes Brian, Brian likes Nell, and they began a torid, but secret affair...until Nell is stricken with cancer. Now Dennehey can no longer keep his affair a secret. Not only does he tell his wife and daughter about his loving Nell, he drops another bomb shell by announcing that he wants to LIVE WITH HER until she dies...and then he plans to return home as though nothing has happened!

Dennehey's character is faced with much resistance from Danner and Parker, of course, but he nevertheless goes and starts to live with Nell, who is getting worse. In fact, Nell's health becomes so poor in such a short time that one can almost feel sorry for her, and even feel glad for Dennehey...if he had not done what he did to his family. However, judging fron how much time Dennehey and Nell receive, I think the audience is supposed to ACCEPT what Dennehey has done, and hope that his family will let him back when Nell returns. I don't think so!

I get tired of the immoral plots of much TV-movies, and this is no exception. What's even worse is that MOST immoral characters in TVM's are seen as villains, and this one goes and makes their guy a hero? Who ARE the writers of this movie?

Watcheable but highly immoral !

[nicholas.rhodes · 6/10 · 2 September 2005]

I am an unconditional fan of Brian Dennehy ( like Charles Durning ). I like them physically and generally like the characters they portray in films. This film is a little different because it is immoral, and I'm not quite sure why the director made it. The offending item ( above and beyond Dennehy himself of course ) is Jacqueline Bisset whom I love very much too - a real lady with a lovely face and accent. This charm cannot hide the fact that Dennehy does the dirty on his wife who is far less attractive ( I presume this was done on purpose to manipulate the spectator ! ) The punishment for this is that this happiness cannot last because the third party is condemned to die of cancer, but what is almost unbelievable is Dennehy's request to his wife that he goes to live with Bisset for the time of her illness, and that his wife should take him back when Bisset snuffs it. What a cheek ! Of course the ending is otherwise and he gets the just desserts. In spite of the immoral story line, I found the acting very good and plausible, I am biased because I love both of the main actors but cared little for Dennehy's wife who does not come over as an attractive person. In short, I would recommend the film for the actors and acting but would warn would-be viewers of the immorality of its plot. Obviously in France ( and perhaps certain other European countries like the UK or Holland ) this sort of behaviour does go on in real life and the media would have us believe ( I hasten to add, though, that it cuts no ice with me ! ) that it is " normal " but viewers in other countries may well be shocked by certain aspects of this film. You are warned !

Not much of a movie

[heidi_hanz · 5/10 · 9 June 2019]

Good acting for the most part, but not much of a script. Tim Lounibos gives a wonderful understated performance. Brian Dennehy makes the most of his role. Blythe Danner was very good. Jacqueline Bisset was good, but could use a good hair conditioner. The plot is typical movie of the week. I did enjoy seeing the performers named as well as Jessica Water and Tonea Stewart. Watch it for the acting rather than the plot.

Immoral??? I say very moving!

[treefox · 8/10 · 1 March 2006]

I really am not sure what the self acclaimed 'morality police' are doing here (lol) but I saw this movie completely differently.

Here is a situation that moves us and asks us to explore the frailty and imperfections in human relationships. There are two lines in the movie that I found poignant - 'A relationship is an idea' and 'Some people just fit'.

The word,'immoral', that has been quoted on this review list several times is an objective word. This movie is an intelligent, thinking person's film. It explores love, relationships, commitment and how things are not always black and white; and as much as we try to deny it, it may be possible to love two people at the same time. I am also tempted to quote John Lennon - 'Life is what happens to you when you're busy making other plans'.

Personally I would much rather watch an exploration of the human psyche in relationships than murder (which is a subject I believe of many Brian Dennehy films).

I must also comment on the 'spoiler' that was in one of the reviews on here about the end of the movie. I won't comment on the ending as the other reviewer did as I don't wish to ruin it for anyone but I will say that I saw the ending in a different light to what the other reviewer did so don't let it 'spoil' the movie for you.

this WAS a good morality tale. He did what HE wanted and paid for it in the end.

[tobeyme · 10/10 · 11 March 2006]

i love Brian in anything he plays. however, i could only feel sorry for his character in this show because i have had a similar experience but did not go the way he did. he ended up being the most hurt of all of them and had to live with that. but i still think he did the right thing in the end. not the going back to his wife, but staying with his love. he should have had the courage to say he loved her above all. i would go see it again if it came out as a movie or even if it came out on TV. then i would probably tape it so that i could look back and see what all the fuss is about from the criticizers. they need to look harder at today's morality and see that this show is a far cry from today's mess!

Brian's betrayal of kind, attractive, and loyal spouse embarasses him.

[vicjet1 · 30 July 2002]

Generally enjoy B. Dennehy as an actor, although I believe he plays a better cop than he does a creep. While I am no stiff-neck, I find it hard to indulge creeps. Family values, in the conventional not the political code-word sense, take a beating in the core of this film. Things appeared to be going fine, the characters were becoming more interesting up to when Brian slipped on Nell's banana peel. From that point on events become less convincing and more contrived much as when accidents are staged with the same peel.