I Can Make You Love Me (1993)

Best movie of this year hands down!

Best movie ever!

Although I seem to have had higher expectations than I thought, the movie is super entertaining.

There are moments in this movie where the great movie it could've been peek out... They're fleeting, here, but they're worth savoring, and they happen often enough to make it worth your while.

Based on a real-life case from the 1980s, this is a pretty well-made TV movie about a disturbed guy stalking a female co-employee, leading up to a murder spree. The first half of the movie chronicles the stalking and the second half the violent hold-up at the work place. In the first half, the attitude of the office superiors in appeasing the stalker whom they regard as a valuable employee for quite a long while and partially blaming the victim whom they regard as a novice is sickening and unfortunately all too real-life-like. Brooke Shields plays the victim and proves that she can act provided with a decent script and/or solid direction. To me, this movie testifies that her dismal performances in sub-par movies in this era of her career has to be blamed more on sub-par scripts and directors. Unfortunately, the currently available DVD from a Canadian label called New Star Video under the title Stalking Laura has got horrible image and sound quality despite the box claiming "Digitally Remastered - Enhanced Audio": It actually looks and sounds like a rip from a 2nd gen. VHS dupe. Originally aired on CBS network under the full title I Can Make You Love Me: The Stalking of Laura Black as a Tuesday movie.

Up until a few months ago I had never seen I Can Make You Love Me or read the story about Laura Black and after watching the film I was left feeling sickened and horrified. This movie tells the story of how a man's four year obsession and stalking of a female employee ended in a tragic conclusion.I had seen Richard Thomas in Death In Small Doses and he's a brilliant actor with great talent his portrayal of real life killer Richard Farley sent chills down my spine as he played a man with a sick obsession. Brooke Shields delivered an incredible performance as Laura as the film progressed it amazed me how she had the courage and bravery to escape the rampage alive and how she reacted when her boss told her about the real reason why Farley got fired .At 23 years old Laura Black (Shields) is about to leave her parents home in Virginia after accepting a job at K.E.I. in Sillicon Valley California, on her first day she's introduced to long time employee Richard Farley (Thomas) whose immediately attracted to her beauty after lunch he invites her out she politely turns him down.Over the next few days he is shown waiting for her in her office with fresh baked bread to show how he feels and then watches outside her aerobics class as she removes her sweater to reveal her outfit.What happens next is a four year nightmare for Laura as Farley continues to follow her repeatedly even going so far as to slash the tires on her car, trick other employees into giving him her address, enrolling in her exercise class,breaking into the office to get more info on her, breaking into the garage at her apartment building. The worst ones were taking pictures outside her home and writing to her parents about their relationship. There was a scene when she goes home to visit her family for Christmas and receives a gift entitled our summer vacation which causes her to break down crying.What made the situation even more difficult was his threats to go after members of her family if she tried to leave or learn that she was meant for him.She made many complaints to her boss about what she endured because of him only to be told that they didn't want to jeopardize his security clearance over her right to be safe.It made me feel angry the company should have done more to help keep her protected from harassment.The final straw comes after she files a restraining order and it pushes him to the edge and the result is a shooting rampage which claims the lives of several employees and injured others including Laura.After the film California became the first place to enact an anti stalking law and other cities have followed since. This film is an example of how horrifying obsession can be as well as stalking.

This film was done pretty well and the acting by Richard Thomas and Brooke Shields was good as well. Especially Richard Thomas who can play a good guy and in this case a psychopath very well. This film based on a true story really brings the reality of stalking to a horrific conclusion. It brings to light why California like other states finally had to recognize the inherent dangers of ignoring threats by sick people such as Farley. When Laura Black repeatedly complained about the abuse this loony tunes was throwing at her, their response was to say the least was light. Now with brave women like her and Teresa Saldana the country has zeroed in on nuts like Farley. I've heard other folks say that if she wasn't so mean to the guy in the first place that maybe he wouldn't have snapped. Sorry to say but when someone is willing to go that far and start out with the harassment that he did to her, they're far beyond getting a rejection and feeling bitter about it. For us normal people when a person doesn't want to go out with us we move on. That's life. But when dealing with a person like Farley, they've had that in them for a long time and in Laura Black's case she was the innocent who was targeted by that nut.***SPOILER ALERT*** One scene that cracked me up was when Richard Thomas was in the ladies room at that restaurant and he's talking to Brooke Shields. Then a woman walks in and his expression completely changes from a slit-eyed cold stare to a wide-eyed madman when he tells her "get out of here!!!!!".All in all a very good suspense film.

This movie was fun to watch because I get to see Brooke Shields. I didn't know it was her till later but I loved the movie even then. I don't think Brooke Shields' acting was bad. She just had to play the role of the victimized women. She did seem kind of cold though. In real life, she should have given the guy a chance. Go out just one date. But then, Richard was extreme in his actions. He should just find another girl. So I don't think he really loved her. He was just obsessed. But don't analyze everything too much. Just watch it. :)