Bitter Blood/In The Best Of Families: Marriage, Pride and Madness TV Movie (1994) Review

Hello Everyone, Angela here, the host of Looking Back On My Wonder Years: A Wonder Years Podcast. Today, I covered a TV Movie from the 1990's. It's has two different titles, In The Best of Families: Marriage , Pride and Madness, or the title I'm most familiar with is Bitter Blood. This movie stars Keith Carradine (Andre) and Kelly McGillis (Top Gun and Witness fame) and Harry Hamlin (I only know him from this movie even though he was in other things). Movie Synopsis: This movie was considered one of those movie of the week type that aired back in 1994, it was a mini series split up over two days. This movie is based on real people and events surrounding a divorcee who becomes involved in a romantic relationship with her first cousin. This Southern belle's bitter divorce and relationship with her quirky cousin result in horrific tragedy for many innocent people. This movie centers around the courtship and marriage of Susie Newsome of North Carolina and Tom Leary from Kentucky. His last name was changed for the film. Then after separating from Tom, Susie along with their two sons John and Jim move back to North Carolina, she later files for divorce from Tom leading to a bitter custody battle over the two boys. A few years later Tom remarries and Susie begins a relationship with her first cousin Fritz. As the custody battle rages on, Susie begins to become more involved with Fritz's views of how he sees the world, complete with guns, bunkers and end of the world talk. In all of this many people's lives are taken, first Tom's mother and sister Janie are killed in Kentucky and then Susie's parents and grandmother, just before the hearing for the custody of the two boys who this whole time live in fear of what will happen to themselves while in their mother in Fritz's care. Tom's been trying to get sole custody of the boys and making sure they're being properly taken care of after previous visits with the boys showed visible signs of neglect at the hands of their mother. Everything culminating to a horrific conclusion. Leaving the audience on the edge of their seat and jaws on the floor. I hope you all enjoy this podcast episode, just be aware, this one is about 5 hours long.