The Burning Bed (1984)

Directed by: Robert Greenwald

Starring: Farrah Fawcett, Paul Le Mat, Grace Zabriskie, James T. Callahan, Dixie K. Wade, and Penelope Milford

Genre: TV Movie, Drama, Domestic Violence

Rated: Not Rated

Based on a True Story and the book by Faith McNulty

Based on the true case of Francine Hughes, the story follows the tumultuous relationship between Francine and her husband, Mickey. A relationship that gets progressively more violent and abusive over time and one Francine is unable to escape from. Her efforts to leave are thwarted, either by Mickey or those she turns to for help. On the night of March 9, 1977, after being beaten and raped by her husband, she got the children out of the house, and as her drunken husband slept, doused him in gasoline and set the bed on fire. Thus setting into motion one of the first cases to ignite the idea of Battered Wives Syndrome as a credible defense.

This film is very emotionally gripping. I truly felt for the character of Francine – the fear she lived with, the lack of help or places to go, and the learned helplessness she developed throughout her life with Mickey. I sympathized with her because I understood her reasoning for doing things that others would deem stupid, even when I was frustrated by her choices. However, for the most part, the film just made me angry; angry at Mickey for being a drunk, abusive jerk; angry at his parents for looking the other way when they know he’s beating the hell out of her; and most of all, at Francine’s mother – who told her that she had to “take the good with the bad” and she’d made herself a “hard bed and now she must lay in it.” This woman was spineless and wouldn’t stand up for her daughter, begging Francine to go back to Mickey, and even giving her grandchildren to Mickey when he’s drunk, violent and belligerent. 

Yeah, because that’s a smart move, lady! 

Her behavior was so unfathomable to me because I was raised by a strong woman who would do anything to protect me from harm. She would kill the guy long before I did. When I was done with this movie, I was in serious need of something with a strong heroine kicking some butt.

The acting in this film is what was the most compelling to me. While Farrah’s performance is a little overrated, she does do very well with the material and bringing her character to life. It certainly does prove that she’s a talented actress. Paul Le Mat also did a great job as Mickey – a role many remember him for and hate him for the same reason. He made Mickey a villain, and when his victim is one of America’s Sweethearts, that role is not easily forgiven. The other performances were great as well, with Grace Zabriskie standing out as Mickey’s cold fish of a mother. She made me hate her just as much as Mickey, so she did her job well. The worst acting had to be from Francine’s lawyer – he was so monotonous and dry. In the court room, he is supposed to be appealing to the jury and making them sympathetic to Francine’s experiences – but he’s so bland and unemotional that it’s hard to believe he managed to get any reaction at all.

The production values are dated by today’s standards, the picture’s grainy in areas, but overall it still holds up. The lighting and audio are fine, and no scenes seemed out of place. The film was well edited so it showed just enough violence to get the point across, but not too much. Still, it was hard to stomach in places, especially in the scenes where the kids witness the abuse. Yet, it doesn’t have the made-for-television feel that many TV movies do.

Overall, this is a moving portrait of one of our country’s most famous domestic violence cases. Whether you agree with Francine’s actions or not, the film is still worth a watch for the performances alone. It’s not a movie you’ll want to watch again and again, but it is very well done.

8/10