THE PLOT THUS FAR
A sweltering hot day in Massachusetts, 1892, is pierced by the brutal double murder of Mr. and Mrs. Borden that would stun the nation. Lizzie (Christina Ricci), a wholesome Sunday school teacher and Mr. Borden’s youngest daughter, quickly becomes the prime suspect. Now, as her lawyer Andrew Jennings (Billy Campbell) proclaims her innocence, the original good-girl-gone-bad will stand trial in one of the most gripping, gruesome mysteries of all time. Her name will forever live in infamy and the eerie children’s rhyme will continue to haunt those that know the story, but the truth is anything but clear.
WHAT WE THOUGHT
“Lizzie Borden Took an Ax” is a terrible TV movie. But, it boasts an amazing cast. However, the facts in the case are destroyed, so that we can force a mystery around something that we very much know happened. That’s the problem when historical dramas are handled poorly. You can take details of the past, but you have to find a way to engage them. That didn’t happen here.
Christina Ricci does incredibly well with material that is beneath her. The tale of Lizzie Borden used to get trotted out a lot more, but the original quaint murderer angle seems second-rate when compared to the monsters of the modern era. After all, who wants to hear about this privileged white girl from New England when Casey Anthony is still fresh in our minds? Billy Campbell comes across as such a non entity as the lawyer that you can’t feel any pity for Ricci’s Borden. You’re just waiting for the inevitable and even that doesn’t come quick enough. Pity on the people that sat through commercial breaks when this first aired.
The DVD comes with no special features. The A/V Quality is on par with most recent Lifetime TV movies on DVD. The transfer has a flat standard definition sheen. Still, the Dolby 5.1 track kicks in where needed. In the end, I’d recommend a purchase to the curious.
RELEASE DATE: OUT NOW!