Have not viewed any films of Brooke Shields in quite a few years and was completely surprised at her great acting performance as a lawyer named Betsy Tannebaum. Betsy is married and has a cute young girl but is separated from her husband. Scott Glenn, (Martin Darius/Peter Lake) is a very wealthy business man who has been watching the great accomplishments of Betsy Tannebaum as a lawyer in winning her court cases and decides to hire her in case he just might need her in any criminal offenses he might be involved in because there was a serial killer who was killing young women and he was going to be a likely suspect. Lou Diamond Phillips, (Alan Page) plays the role as a District Attorney and gives a great supporting role to this great mystery murder story that has many twists and turns and will keep you held in suspense. Great Film, Great Actors, Enjoy.
19 Reviews
twists and turns
SnoopyStyle19 May 2020
In upstate New York, police detective Nancy Gordon (Marilu Henner) investigates the murder of the family of powerful Peter Lake (Scott Glenn). Ten years later in Sacramento, Martin Darius (Scott Glenn) is a successful developer. Under a blackmail threat, he hires defence lawyer Betsy Tannenbaum (Brooke Shields) and he kills the threat. She has just won a case against D.A. Alan Page (Lou Diamond Phillips). Nancy Gordon is still pursuing Peter Lake. Her theory is that he has changed his name and is a serial killer who leaves behind a black rose and a note that says "Gone but not forgotten". New missing women cases with similar signature have popped up in Sacramento and Alan Page happens to be in charge of them.
I don't know anything about Phillip M. Margolin or his writing. From this movie, it seems to be a lot of twists and turns. Only I don't like these ones. They leave me with various questions. They feel unrealistic. I can't believe that Peter Lake's story wouldn't be a nationwide salacious scandal. No gag order can be applied to the victims. I don't like Betsy's squeamishness about her work. She can't be a defense lawyer with only innocent clients. Also the D.A. would never tell so much about his case to her. There are aspects of the mini-series which intrigue me. There are short scenes that are fascinating. I love Martin Darius telling his version of his relationship with Nancy Gordon. That would be a great jumping off point for a different mystery. Then there is the final twist. It is convoluted which I am able to excuse as coming from the mind of a crazy person. In the end, this has one bridge too far to cross.
I don't know anything about Phillip M. Margolin or his writing. From this movie, it seems to be a lot of twists and turns. Only I don't like these ones. They leave me with various questions. They feel unrealistic. I can't believe that Peter Lake's story wouldn't be a nationwide salacious scandal. No gag order can be applied to the victims. I don't like Betsy's squeamishness about her work. She can't be a defense lawyer with only innocent clients. Also the D.A. would never tell so much about his case to her. There are aspects of the mini-series which intrigue me. There are short scenes that are fascinating. I love Martin Darius telling his version of his relationship with Nancy Gordon. That would be a great jumping off point for a different mystery. Then there is the final twist. It is convoluted which I am able to excuse as coming from the mind of a crazy person. In the end, this has one bridge too far to cross.
A Descent Flick, But the Subject-Matter is Rather Horrid
classicalsteve18 April 2010
American readers of bestselling novels do seem to have a taste for rather vicious stories. In a lot of these books, the baddie doesn't quietly do someone in with arsenic as in a lot of Agatha Christie novels. Instead, victims are tortured before the coup de grace, often in some rural setting like a swamp or a barn with implements similar to the instruments of torture used during interrogations in the Middle Ages. Maybe American's taste for the ghoulish shouldn't be surprising given that this country boasts sustaining some of the most gruesome of crimes, such as the Wineville Chicken Coop Murders of the 1930's or the Zodiac killer of the late 1960's and 1970's. The average American could be equally entertained (or repulsed, depending upon your point of view) by devouring true crime books as well as crime fiction. "Gone But Not Forgotten" is a novel adapted for cable that chronicles two series of heinous crimes, both 10 years apart.
Scott Glenn, in maybe the most fiendish role of his career, portrays Martin Darius, a Sacramento magnate-developer who may have had a previous life in upstate New York in a small town called Hunter's Point where his wife and daughter were mercilessly dispatched. Fast-forward 10 years. He has now changed his name and swings big development deals in Sacramento, California. There, a serial kidnapper is on the loose who has a taste for young uppity women who are both attractive and rich. The kidnapper snatches each woman and leaves a calling card that says "Gone But Not Forgotten" along with a black rose. It is unclear whether these victims are alive or dead. Ten years earlier, there was also a serial kidnapper in Hunter's Point who did the same thing: kidnap a young beautiful woman from society's upper-crust and leave the same calling card with a similar black rose.
When the authorities learn that one of the victims had been having an affair with Darius, he becomes a suspect. He entices up-and-coming crackerjack attorney Betsy Tannenbaum (Brooke Shields) to take his case, partially by offering a $100,000 fee of attainder. Alan Page (played by Lou Diamond Philips) is the detective on the case who also begins researching the crimes at Hunter's Point. He is unexpectedly visited by a detective from New York, Nancy Gordon played by Marilu Henner (of Taxi fame), who had been on the Hunter's Point case. But strangely, the files regarding the Hunter Point case are missing. And then Henner goes missing. Both Shields and Philips decide to investigate further at Hunter's Point, 3000 miles away.
A decent but rather brutal crime drama. At one point, a lot of characters end up murdered. The final solution is interesting if not incredibly disturbing. This may not be as brutal as the recent film "The Changeling" but it comes close. Not for the feint of heart. Although I believe in the freedom of entertainment, I do have to wonder what purpose it serves for people to continue devouring material of such gruesome content.
Scott Glenn, in maybe the most fiendish role of his career, portrays Martin Darius, a Sacramento magnate-developer who may have had a previous life in upstate New York in a small town called Hunter's Point where his wife and daughter were mercilessly dispatched. Fast-forward 10 years. He has now changed his name and swings big development deals in Sacramento, California. There, a serial kidnapper is on the loose who has a taste for young uppity women who are both attractive and rich. The kidnapper snatches each woman and leaves a calling card that says "Gone But Not Forgotten" along with a black rose. It is unclear whether these victims are alive or dead. Ten years earlier, there was also a serial kidnapper in Hunter's Point who did the same thing: kidnap a young beautiful woman from society's upper-crust and leave the same calling card with a similar black rose.
When the authorities learn that one of the victims had been having an affair with Darius, he becomes a suspect. He entices up-and-coming crackerjack attorney Betsy Tannenbaum (Brooke Shields) to take his case, partially by offering a $100,000 fee of attainder. Alan Page (played by Lou Diamond Philips) is the detective on the case who also begins researching the crimes at Hunter's Point. He is unexpectedly visited by a detective from New York, Nancy Gordon played by Marilu Henner (of Taxi fame), who had been on the Hunter's Point case. But strangely, the files regarding the Hunter Point case are missing. And then Henner goes missing. Both Shields and Philips decide to investigate further at Hunter's Point, 3000 miles away.
A decent but rather brutal crime drama. At one point, a lot of characters end up murdered. The final solution is interesting if not incredibly disturbing. This may not be as brutal as the recent film "The Changeling" but it comes close. Not for the feint of heart. Although I believe in the freedom of entertainment, I do have to wonder what purpose it serves for people to continue devouring material of such gruesome content.
Gone and hopefully forgotten
guilfisher-18 October 2008
Terrible TV flick with bad casting except for Scott Glenn, who manages to hold his own in a trivial badly written and directed script. Hard to believe Brooke Shields can do anything important but pose as she does in this. Marilu Henner should stick to comedy.
Some of the situations were so unrealistic and far fetched I began to laugh at the screen. That someone can get away with crashing a police station without being captured is silly and hard to believe. This dame can just enter and kill at her leisure and no one stops her. One gentlemen could have just smacked her across the face and saved his life. That she could over power him is one of the silly nonsense this film expects you to believe.
Don't waste your money or time on this loser. Except to watch Scott Glenn make the best of a bad scenario.
Some of the situations were so unrealistic and far fetched I began to laugh at the screen. That someone can get away with crashing a police station without being captured is silly and hard to believe. This dame can just enter and kill at her leisure and no one stops her. One gentlemen could have just smacked her across the face and saved his life. That she could over power him is one of the silly nonsense this film expects you to believe.
Don't waste your money or time on this loser. Except to watch Scott Glenn make the best of a bad scenario.
Gone But Not Forgotten-Better to Forget **
edwagreen12 July 2007
Warning: Spoilers
Diabolical, convoluted story dealing with the old adage that hell hath no fury as a woman scorned.
It's hard to believe that because a killer gave the whereabouts of his survivors, he is allowed to walk away free from all the turmoil that he created. After all, he did kill several people including his wife and young daughter. How could a father just snap the neck of that adorable child? This is entirely too contrived to believe.
The acting is good but as the dead bodies begin to pile up, you have to wonder what's really going on here.
I have to say that the ending is terrific. Scott Glenn got exactly what he deserved for what he did.
The film essentially deals with a wealthy man who feels he can get away with anything, a woman, his victim, who has emotional problems but is literally pushed over the edge by Glenn and societal laws that just don't make much sense.
It's hard to believe that because a killer gave the whereabouts of his survivors, he is allowed to walk away free from all the turmoil that he created. After all, he did kill several people including his wife and young daughter. How could a father just snap the neck of that adorable child? This is entirely too contrived to believe.
The acting is good but as the dead bodies begin to pile up, you have to wonder what's really going on here.
I have to say that the ending is terrific. Scott Glenn got exactly what he deserved for what he did.
The film essentially deals with a wealthy man who feels he can get away with anything, a woman, his victim, who has emotional problems but is literally pushed over the edge by Glenn and societal laws that just don't make much sense.
Decent but a bit too long and scary
bellino-angelo201410 January 2024
I'll cut to the chase... I never read the novel on which it's based nor know the writer but saw this TV version because it stars Scott Glenn despite the low score and he often manages to be better than the movies he does, and here it was once again the case.
Elizabeth Tannenbaum (Brooke Shields) is a defense attorney that has just won a case of domestic violence when she is hired by reclusive and shady businessman Martin Darius (Glenn) to defend him against allegations of having murdered many young women, a private investigator and then dumped all the bodies in a construction site because there lots of holes can be covered easily. Unfortunately Darius' past comes back to him and Elizabeth has to race against time for finding the real killer before he can strike again, and she ends up helped by district attorney Alan Page (Lou Diamond Phillips) and Raymond Colby (William Atherton) once he becomes a US Senator and works for the Department of justice.
The idea was good and it could make for a decent TV movie. The problems are that the movie itself was a bit too long: I mean, was there a need of making it 3 hours long? It could have been easily split in a two parts' miniseries. And the subject itself is a bit scary if you think about it.
Not an exceptional TV thriller but still a decent one if you don't have absolutely anything to do.
Elizabeth Tannenbaum (Brooke Shields) is a defense attorney that has just won a case of domestic violence when she is hired by reclusive and shady businessman Martin Darius (Glenn) to defend him against allegations of having murdered many young women, a private investigator and then dumped all the bodies in a construction site because there lots of holes can be covered easily. Unfortunately Darius' past comes back to him and Elizabeth has to race against time for finding the real killer before he can strike again, and she ends up helped by district attorney Alan Page (Lou Diamond Phillips) and Raymond Colby (William Atherton) once he becomes a US Senator and works for the Department of justice.
The idea was good and it could make for a decent TV movie. The problems are that the movie itself was a bit too long: I mean, was there a need of making it 3 hours long? It could have been easily split in a two parts' miniseries. And the subject itself is a bit scary if you think about it.
Not an exceptional TV thriller but still a decent one if you don't have absolutely anything to do.
Not bad, actually
HumbleMensa27 January 2022
Fair movie but packing in suspense
levetonterre23 September 2018
Gone But Not Forgotten was one of the most gripping suspenseful books i have yet to encounter. The movie lacked both of these components.
It seemed as those the cast was unconnected to the material and flat! Had it not been such a good book, I would not have continued watching.
It seemed as those the cast was unconnected to the material and flat! Had it not been such a good book, I would not have continued watching.
Great Action Movie
mobydick72515 December 2005
When I got the movie at the video store I noticed that Brooke Shields was in it and was not a great fan of hers. After seeing the movie I was pleasantly surprised. She got down and dirty and was believable in the part. The actors were great for the parts that they played. Unlike some movies of that type you don't get lost in the complexity of the script. The beginning of the movie lays out the scenario well leading into the actions of the lead players. It has a good story and special effects and lots of action. Afterwards I found out it was a made for TV movie. That was another surprise because I thought, by its quality, that it was on the big screen. Although it is almost 3 hours long, the pace makes the time slip away quickly because you are on the edge of your seat through most of the last 3/4 of the movie. It was thoroughly enjoyable. Thanks for your time. Moby
Terrible
ibahl3 March 2006
I can't imagine that I've never seen a worse movie than this, but I can't think of one off the top of my head. I suppose it's possible that it gets better after the first ninety minutes or so, but I wouldn't know since I couldn't take any more of this film's "acting." To be fair, though, when the writing is as bad as it is in this film, even good acting can't save it. I guess somebody involved in this pile of garbage realized this early on and told the actors not to bother trying.
When a supposedly highly skilled trial lawyer argues that everyone is innocent until proved guilty (as opposed to arguing that the system is based on the presumption of innocence until guilt is proved), you know the legal side of things is going to be a shambles. Fortunately the police-procedural part of the show is such a wreck, you barely notice how terrible the rest of the movie is.
Avoid at all costs. It wouldn't be fair of me to refrain from pointing out that I got this for free and I still feel like I was ripped off.
When a supposedly highly skilled trial lawyer argues that everyone is innocent until proved guilty (as opposed to arguing that the system is based on the presumption of innocence until guilt is proved), you know the legal side of things is going to be a shambles. Fortunately the police-procedural part of the show is such a wreck, you barely notice how terrible the rest of the movie is.
Avoid at all costs. It wouldn't be fair of me to refrain from pointing out that I got this for free and I still feel like I was ripped off.
Fantastic
lifestar-111 April 2005
I saw this movie in the video store but was reluctant to rent for one simple reason,it is three hours long and I don't have that much spare time on my hands. However, since there was not anything else there worth renting Itook it and watched it in intervals. It was worth every second. Actually, the intervals were torture because there is a lot of suspense going on there. The cast is good especially Brookes Shield and all the others. There are many spoilers which I wont disclose. Anyone out there for a good thriller in the "basic instincts" style but without the sex scenes.... got for it. This will keep you on the edge until the final moment.
2005?
gingerough30 July 2019
Good triller mini
mario_desoet15 August 2005
Warning: Spoilers
I saw this mini in one viewing at the cable in Pattaya(Thailand) without any intervals, very nice.
It keeps you in the dark about the identity and sex of the killer until near the end, good suspense!
Good acting, a real good thriller, suspense police/detective/crime movie.
Several times the plots changes, or really the viewer will change its perception of the killer.
And I like stories with a little bit more body, not one hour and a little bit, no at least 2 and even better more than 3 hours.
I give this movie 8/10.
It keeps you in the dark about the identity and sex of the killer until near the end, good suspense!
Good acting, a real good thriller, suspense police/detective/crime movie.
Several times the plots changes, or really the viewer will change its perception of the killer.
And I like stories with a little bit more body, not one hour and a little bit, no at least 2 and even better more than 3 hours.
I give this movie 8/10.
What an awful movie.
chaetoons18 July 2023
This show was morbid all the way through. There was no redeeming feature. Not one "feel good" moment. Made up from someone's twisted mind and leaving the viewer feeling sick.
It starts with multiple murders, dark music and as the show progresses, it's more murders and dark music.
The actors did a credible job of portrayng the characters.
Yet the plot itself is unbelievable.
The show ends with a twist you didn't see coming and more murders.
There is nothing to redeem this show. It should be thrown in the trash basket before someone who is looking for a mystery stumbles upon it and find a morbid series of murders. No mystery at all.
It starts with multiple murders, dark music and as the show progresses, it's more murders and dark music.
The actors did a credible job of portrayng the characters.
Yet the plot itself is unbelievable.
The show ends with a twist you didn't see coming and more murders.
There is nothing to redeem this show. It should be thrown in the trash basket before someone who is looking for a mystery stumbles upon it and find a morbid series of murders. No mystery at all.
A TV Epic!
Sherazade22 June 2006
Warning: Spoilers
When I sat down to watch this film, little did I know what I was getting myself into. I actually watched it on DVD and let me just tell you that this film is as long as Titanic! Phew! The storyline follows the life of a man named Peter Lake who came home one day to find his wife and daughter murdered. Fast forward ten years later the same man appears to have switched coasts (from East to West), changed names (now Martin Darius) and has remarried. The same murders that took place in NY start to occur in Sacramento where he lives and this unleashes a web of stories that span all the way from the East coast to the West in the hopes of linking him to the murders. Brooke Shields plays the unsuspecting lawyer who tries to defend him with catastrophic results and Lou Diamond Philips plays the DA who in the process of trying to debunk her case falls in love with her. This of course is just a summary of the many can of worms that are opened during the course of this very dark but engaging 3 hour TV movie.
Very Good Adaptation
angelorona2 March 2006
I use to work as a reader (Someone who reads various material and recommends it to be made into a feature film) and this novel was at the top of my list since it first came out years back. So I was all out surprised when I just happened upon it on DVD at the video store a few weeks ago. I was initially apprehension to see how such dark material would be transferred into a T.V. format. However, I then recalled that the novel's plot was fairly elaborate and could only be done justice as a two-part T.V. movie. And after watching this, I did indeed find myself quite impressed with the entire effort -- Acting, directing, writing, even some of the cinematography. This, despite the material being "Lifetime"-enhanced a bit, as well as a pretty bad little plot convenience near the end.
Overall, I recommend the movie and strongly recommend the book.
Overall, I recommend the movie and strongly recommend the book.
Great movie -- but don't look at the cast list before you watch it!
porfle15 January 2006
Warning: Spoilers
This is one of the best made-for-TV movies I've ever seen. I enjoyed every minute of its three-hour running time and was kept guessing all the way. The first half seems to be setting us up for a standard courtroom drama, but after that it takes a totally different turn and gets more and more mysterious, especially after the D.A. and the defense attorney (Lou Diamond Phillips and Brooke Shields) travel to Hunter's Point, the town in upstate New York where the first murders occurred, and discover a deep, dark secret that leads all the way to the office of a U.S. senator who has just been nominated to the Supreme Court. (This isn't a spoiler since we see him at the very beginning of the movie, telling one of his confidants that he hopes the events in Hunter's Point never come to light and ruin his political career, but he disappears after that until much later in the movie.)
This movie is full of surprises and watching it is like curling up with a good book on a stormy night. One thing, though: do NOT look at the cast list before watching it, because it contains a MAJOR spoiler! Check it out afterward and you'll see what I mean -- it really gives away one of the major surprises of the plot.
This movie is full of surprises and watching it is like curling up with a good book on a stormy night. One thing, though: do NOT look at the cast list before watching it, because it contains a MAJOR spoiler! Check it out afterward and you'll see what I mean -- it really gives away one of the major surprises of the plot.
A great movie
daisylyons12 June 2006
This was a great movie. My cousin that lives in California starred in this movie. When I found out that it was ready to buy on DVD I bought it. It was a great performance on all the actors and actress parts...but my cousin is still my favorite...he was the photography outside the court house...the only one in a red shirt. Take a look and let others know what you think about it. The movie will keep you on the edge of your seat and you will be surprised by the ending. It was made for television as a mini series...so it might seem kinda long the first time you watch it but you will be wanting to watch it over and over again.
One of the Best crime stories
aurasbob30 August 2018
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