L'éternel soupçon

This telefilm pulls no punches and can be tough to watch, but the central performance, the handling and the plot (which doesn't feel mechanized) makes it worthwhile. Perky Sally Struthers is attacked by two masked thugs in her home, who degrade and humiliate her; she breaks free and grabs her gun, but is later dragged through legal mud before facing one of her attackers yet again. Struthers takes a 'typical housewife' character and makes her immediate and dear to us; she's such a natural that her ordeal here is quite gripping. We follow her through the messy circumstances--which blessedly steer clear of courtroom melodrama--and we are most definitely on her side. In a downsized (but certainly no less important) way, this drama could be the "Death Wish" of the small screen.