The Stranger Beside Me (film)

Last updated
The Stranger Beside Me
The Stranger Beside Me VideoCover.jpeg
GenreDrama
Written by Bruce Miller
Directed by Sandor Stern
Starring Tiffani Amber Thiessen
Eric Close
Gerald McRaney
Theme music composer David Mansfield
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
Production
Executive producers Ronnie D. Clemmer
Richard P. Kughn
Bill Pace
Producers William Shippey
Nick Smirnoff (associate producer)
Production location San Diego
Cinematography Ronald M. Lautore
Editor David Campling
Running time120 minutes
Production companies Longbow Productions
RHI Entertainment
Release
Original networkABC
Original releaseSeptember 17, 1995 (1995-09-17)

The Stranger Beside Me is a 1995 American made-for-television drama film directed by Sandor Stern and starring Tiffani Amber Thiessen as a young newlywed who suspects her charming husband (Eric Close) is not as charming or innocent as he seems. Though the film shares a title with a book about Ted Bundy (and the book's 2003 film adaptation), it is not based on that book nor inspired by the serial killer.

Contents

Tagline

"It's what you don't know that can kill you."

Plot

Jennifer Morgan is a young painter, who has secluded herself from the world since being raped two years earlier. At a family party, she meets Chris Gallagher, who falls in love with her. She is reluctant to be intimate with him, but he convinces her to marry him, and she hopes to let go of her traumatic past. Shortly after the ceremony, Chris' 17-year-old cousin Dana warns Jennifer that she will not be happy with him, but Jennifer does not listen. Because Chris has recently joined the Navy, Jennifer agrees to move with him to the seaside, where she befriends Nancy Halloran.

Shortly after, Gina Corbet, a neighbor, becomes the victim of a peeping tom, and is later raped by a masked man. Most of the women in the neighborhood leave in panic, but Chris dismisses the danger and convinces Jennifer that they are overreacting. Meanwhile, Chris' dark side is starting to emerge, and he becomes more violent, and possessive. Jennifer finds out that Chris has been released from his Navy duty after threatening to kill himself. When she confronts him, he accuses her of being a spy. The same night, he is arrested for voyeurism. Chris pleads guilty to the charges, and agrees to a discharge from the Navy.

Jennifer is devastated by this news, since she recently found out that she is pregnant. Regardless, she gives Chris another chance. They move back to their previous home, and for a while things take a turn for the better. Chris' temper soon returns, while a masked rapist, once again begins preying on women in the neighborhood. Following the birth of Jennifer's daughter, Dana tells Jennifer that Chris molested her when she was a child. Jennifer starts to suspect his involvement in the rapes. She talks to a detective from California, who tells her that he had all the evidence but could not do anything because Chris was under the protection of a district attorney friend. Horrified at learning all of this, Jennifer decides to leave Chris.

Chris, however, is unwilling to let her go, and he becomes abusive. Jennifer is rescued by two police officers led by Officer Kurtz, and presses charges against Chris. She drops the charges a few days later, when Chris convinces her that he will not be convicted, and threatens to harm her and their baby if she runs away. She befriends Officer Kurtz, who is convinced of Chris's guilt as the rapist and a domestic abuser, but is unable to take actions against him without proof. While posing as Chris's loving wife, Jennifer tries to collect evidence against him. She finds his weapons in his car, but by the time the police arrive, they have disappeared. After this happens, Chris becomes increasingly violent.

One night, Jennifer follows Chris, when he suddenly leaves at a late hour. She catches him preparing to rape someone, and sabotages his car, and Jennifer warns Officer Kurtz. The police arrive in time to prevent the rape, and Chris' attempt to escape fails, leading to his arrest. He pleads guilty to four counts of aggravated sexual assault, and one count of sexual attempted assault, and is sentenced to 99 years in prison. Jennifer and her daughter continue to live in the Southwestern United States.

Cast

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tiffani Thiessen</span> American actress (born 1974)

Tiffani Amber Thiessen is an American actress. Her roles as Kelly Kapowski on NBC's Saved by the Bell (1989–1993) and its spin-off media, and as Valerie Malone on Fox's Beverly Hills, 90210 (1994–98) established her as a teen idol of the 1990s. As an adult, she has played Wilhemina 'Billie' Chambers in Fox's Fastlane (2002–2003), Natasha Drew in ABC's What About Brian (2007), Elizabeth Burke in USA Network's White Collar (2009–2014), and Lori Mendoza in Netflix's Alexa & Katie (2018–2020). For the latter, she earned a Daytime Emmy Award nomination.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jennifer Melfi</span> Fictional character from The Sopranos

Jennifer Melfi is a fictional character on the HBO TV series The Sopranos. She is the psychiatrist of Mafia boss Tony Soprano. She is portrayed by Lorraine Bracco.

<i>Love Stinks</i> (film) 1999 American film

Love Stinks is a 1999 American black comedy film written and directed by Jeff Franklin and starring French Stewart, Bridgette Wilson, Bill Bellamy and Tyra Banks.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sam Owen</span> UK soap opera character, created 2004

Samuel Liam "Sam" Owen is a fictional character from the British Channel 4 soap opera Hollyoaks, played by Louis Tamone. He first appeared on 2 August 2004 and was introduced by producer Jo Hallows as a member of the Owen family comprising five new cast members. Tamone was axed in 2006 by the new producer Bryan Kirkwood and Sam was killed-off on 8 September during a fire ignited by him at The Dog in the Pond public house, which resulted in the deaths of five regular characters.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Joseph James DeAngelo</span> American serial killer and serial rapist

Joseph James DeAngelo Jr. is an American serial killer, serial rapist, burglar, former police officer, and mechanic who committed at least 13 murders, 51 rapes, and 120 burglaries across California between 1974 and 1986. He is responsible for three known separate crime sprees throughout the state, each of which spawned a different nickname in the press, before it became evident that they were committed by the same person.

Delroy Easton Grant Junior is a Jamaican-born British convicted serial rapist who carried out a series of offences of burglary, rape and sexual assault between October 1992 and May 2009 in the South East London area of England. Grant, also known as the Minstead Rapist and latterly the Night Stalker, is thought to have been active since 1990. He had a distinctive modus operandi, preying primarily on elderly women who lived alone. He is suspected of over 100 offences from 1990 to 2009.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Russ Owen</span> UK soap opera character, created 2004

Russ Owen is a fictional character in the Channel 4 soap opera, Hollyoaks, played by Stuart Manning. He first appeared in the episode first broadcast on 22 August 2004 with the Owen family and has been involved in storylines including being diagnosed with testicular cancer and kidnapping his son Max McQueen. It was announced in April 2009 that Manning had quit the role and Russ departed in the episode first broadcast on 3 June 2009. Nine years later, it was confirmed that Manning would reprise the role. Russ returned on 13 August 2018 and was killed-off on 16 November 2018 after being murdered by Breda McQueen.

<i>She Fought Alone</i> 1995 television film

She Fought Alone is a 1995 American television film directed by Christopher Leitch. The film, which is based on a true story, stars Tiffani-Amber Thiessen and Brian Austin Green, who were known for Saved by the Bell and Beverly Hills, 90210 respectively, at the time of release. It was released on Region 2 DVD in 2000 and Region 1 in 2004.

<i>Nine Dead</i> 2009 American film

Nine Dead is a 2009 American horror thriller film, directed by Chris Shadley, produced by Paula Hart and written by Patrick Wehe Mahoney. Filming began on July 6, 2008 and ended on July 27, 2008. The film spent several months without a distributor before being picked up by New Line Cinema and having a limited U.S. release on November 6, 2009. The film was released on DVD on March 9, 2010.

The wrongful conviction of Steve Titus was a miscarriage of justice in which Steve Gary Titus (1949–1985), an American businessman, was convicted wrongly of rape. Titus was dismissed from his job after the conviction and, though the charges were soon dismissed, he became long term unemployed. The crime was later determined to have been committed by serial rapist Edward Lee King. Journalist Paul Henderson was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for Investigative Reporting for his work on the case. Jack Olsen's book Predator examined the investigation of the crime and the life of the real criminal.

<i>A Killer Among Friends</i> 1992 US drama television film by Charles Robert Carner

A Killer Among Friends is a 1992 made-for-television movie that aired on CBS on December 8, 1992. Based on a true story, the film stars Patty Duke as a mother grieving for her murdered daughter and sets out to find the killer. The film is based on the real life murder of Michele Avila.

Buried Secrets is a 1996 American drama horror television film directed by Michael Toshiyuki Uno, starring Tiffani-Amber Thiessen.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John Albert Gardner</span> American murderer, rapist and child molester

John Albert Gardner III is an American convicted double murderer, rapist, and child molester. He confessed to the February 2009 rape and murder of 14-year-old Amber Dubois from Escondido, California, and the February 2010 rape and murder of 17-year-old Chelsea King from Poway, California, after he entered a plea agreement that spared him from execution. Additionally, Gardner attempted to rape 22-year-old Candice Moncayo of San Diego County, and had been previously incarcerated for the molestation of a 13-year-old girl.

"Fun Town" is the third episode of the first season of the FX television series Sons of Anarchy. It was written by Kurt Sutter, directed by Stephen T. Kay and originally aired on September 17, 2008 in the United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Finn O'Connor</span> UK soap opera character, created 2010

Finn O'Connor is a fictional character from the British Channel 4 soap opera Hollyoaks. Upon his introduction as part of the O'Connor family, the character was portrayed by Connor Wilkinson. The family were introduced during a "shake-up" of the show by new series producer Paul Marquess. Writers then placed Finn in an issue-led story exploring underage sex and teenage pregnancy with Amber Sharpe. The character was written out of the series in 2011.

<i>DPP v Morgan</i>

DPP v Morgan[1975] UKHL 3 was a decision of the House of Lords which decided that an honest belief by a man that a woman with whom he was engaged with sexual intercourse was consenting was a defence to rape, irrespective of whether that belief was based on reasonable grounds. This case was superseded by the Sexual Offences Act 2003 which came into force on 1 May 2004.

Behave (<i>Law & Order: Special Victims Unit</i>) 3rd episode of the 12th season of Law & Order: Special Victims Unit

"Behave" is the third episode of the twelfth season of the police procedural Law & Order: Special Victims Unit and the 251st episode overall. It originally aired on NBC in the United States on September 29, 2010. The episode, which was inspired by rape kit backlogs, follows Detective Olivia Benson helping a repeat rape victim stand up to her attacker, and finding the evidence to put him away. Meanwhile, the rapist could possibly walk because the evidence against him has been misplaced, poorly stored and even accidentally destroyed.

<i>Act of Vengeance</i> (1974 film) 1974 American exploitation film by Bob Kelljan

Act of Vengeance, also known as Rape Squad and The Violator, is a 1974 American exploitation film. It was directed by Bob Kelljan and stars Jo Ann Harris, Peter Brown, Jennifer Lee, Connie Strickland, Lisa Moore, Tony Young, Steve Kanaly and Anneka Di Lorenzo.

<i>I Spit on Your Grave III: Vengeance Is Mine</i> 2015 American film

I Spit on Your Grave III: Vengeance Is Mine is a 2015 American psychological horror film, directed by R.D. Braunstein from a screenplay by Daniel Gilboy. It is the third installment in the series. Sarah Butler reprises her role as Jennifer Hills from the 2010 film I Spit on Your Grave.

<i>Alexa & Katie</i> Netflix original sitcom

Alexa & Katie is an American sitcom created by Heather Wordham as a Netflix original series. Matthew Carlson serves as showrunner. The series stars Paris Berelc and Isabel May as Alexa and Katie, a high schooler suffering from cancer and her best friend, respectively. Jolie Jenkins, Emery Kelly, Eddie Shin, Finn Carr, Tiffani Thiessen, with Jack Griffo also star. The series debuted on Netflix on March 23, 2018, and ran for three seasons, concluding on June 13, 2020.