Meg Mundy Movies

When a millionaire is murdered and his wife is wounded in a parking garage, it appears as though both were victims of a random armed robbery. But after detectives Greevey (George Dzundza) and Logan (Chris Noth) arrest a suspect, assistant D.A.'s Stone (Michael Moriarty) and Robinette (Richard Brooks) uncover evidence that another perpetrator was involved. And worse is still to come: It may be that the killing was deliberate, and that someone very close to the victim stood to profit from his death. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

"Fatal attraction" has become a household term for love turned to murderous obsession, thanks to the success of Adrian Lyne's 1987 movie. Dan (Michael Douglas) is a family man whose one-night affair with Alex (Glenn Close) turns into a nightmare when she insists on continuing the relationship, claiming to be carrying his baby. Alex systematically terrorizes Dan, even temporarily kidnapping his daughter, in her attempts to win back his affection. Douglas' besieged family man guiltily tries to preserve his marriage and family from the consequences of his own indiscretion. Close's performance as the love-struck psycho-siren remains her signature role: She conveys the buried feminist message of the film in her challenge to Dan to take responsibility for his sexual behavior. Though many critics acknowlegded the film's striking similarities to Clint Eastwood's 1971 film Play Misty for Me, Fatal Attraction spawned numerous other movies about middle-class families besieged by a lone psychotic intent on infiltrating and destroying the fabric of the family unit, including The Stepfather (1987), Pacific Heights (1990), The Hand That Rocks the Cradle (1992), and Fear (1996). ~ Laura Abraham, Rovi

Robert Redford's directorial debut ended up the 1980 Oscar winner for Best Picture. It is a simple but painfully emotional story of the disintegration of a "perfect" family. Teenager Conrad (Timothy Hutton) lives under a cloud of guilt after his brother drowns after their boat capsizes in Lake Michigan. Despite intensive therapy sessions with his psychiatrist (Judd Hirsch), Conrad can't shake the belief that he should have died instead of his brother; nor do his preoccupied parents (Donald Sutherland and Mary Tyler Moore) offer much in the way of solace. The boy is brought out of his doldrums through his romance with Jeannine (Elizabeth McGovern). A winner in every respect, Ordinary People (adapted from the novel by Judith Guest) scores highest in the scenes with Mary Tyler Moore, who superbly and perceptively portrays a blinkered, ever-smiling suburban wife and mother for whom outward appearance is all that matters. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Written by Loring Mandel, Breaking Up stars Gena Rowlands as a middle-aged housewife who, after 16 years of marriage, is asked for a divorce by husband Granville van Dusen. Once overcoming the shock and the bitterness, Rowlands must determine the future course for herself and her two children. Her efforts to set up her own fashion design business and to enter the dating pool are almost as traumatic as the initial separation. Adding to the dilemma is an increasingly large rift between Rowlands and her teen-age daughter, who holds her mom responsible for the marital discord. Breaking Up was telecast January 2, 1978 as an ABC Theatre presentation. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

A shutterbug is haunted by psychic visions of the killer who is murdering all of her friends in this hit thriller. Intense and driven, successful photographer Laura Mars (Faye Dunaway) has made a name for herself by juxtaposing sex and violence in her glamorous photos. But at the height of her success -- and just as a media backlash is brewing -- she begins to experience daydreams from the point of view of a serial killer as he relentlessly stalks and murders her associates. Her unbalanced ex-husband (Raul Julia) seems like an obvious suspect, especially when his new girlfriend is murdered and he goes on the lam. But Laura is shocked by the prospect that the killer could be somebody out to discredit her work, which she views as an artistic commentary on the degradation of the modern world. Under the protection of police detective John Neville (Tommy Lee Jones), Laura is unable to save even one of her friends from a violent end. Soon, she finds herself inside the mind of the killer as he marches down a familiar hallway: the one outside her own door. Co-written by Halloween director John Carpenter, Eyes of Laura Mars also features character actors Brad Dourif and René Auberjonois. ~ Brian J. Dillard, Rovi

Planning to murder his wife for her insurance money, antiques dealer Laurence Appleby (Robert H. Harris) prepares for the crime by reading a book about accidental deaths. After killing his spouse and making it appear accidental, Appleby marries a wealthy widow named Martha Sturgis (Meg Mundy). When wife number two proves to be as contentious as wife number one, Appleby decides that a second murder is in order -- little realizing that Martha is also a voracious reader. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi