How to Murder Your Husband: The Nancy Brophy Story

"How to Murder Your Husband" was a film that would have been shocking if it were a work of fiction. But the film is based on fact which makes it doubly disturbing. Nancy Crampton-Brophy was discontented with her marriage due to the couple's precarious financial situation. Her husband Daniel was a skilled chef and instructor of culinary arts. He worked a second night job to help pay the bills. He was always cheerful and upbeat and felt that the couple could solve their money problems. For her part, Nancy was a writer of fiction who had fallen hard times. For her latest book, she was unable to find either a publisher or a literary agent. So, she resorted to murdering her kind husband to collect on multiple life insurance policies. Viewers will have to make up their own minds about why Daniel remained in a marriage with a woman who was clearly ungrateful for his efforts and provided little in the way of positive energy to the relationship. Was Daniel a saint? Or, was he simply not in touch with his wife's pathology? In her twisted mind, Nancy believed she could commit the perfect crime. But it did not help her cause to publish a story entitled "How to Murder Your Husband." In possibly the best scene in the film, the detectives candidly inform Nancy of the flaws in her plan. Her errors were almost identical to the critique a successful writer gave Nancy about her book. Nancy even had the audacity to write a book called "Plotting Your Story Arc, Workbook for Writers, Plotters, and Pantsers." (A pantser is a writer who works off the cuff, as opposed to careful planning; in other words, a perfect description of Nancy herself!) This Danielle Steel wannabe was clearly a hack. Tragically for her devoted husband, she was living out the fantasy of a character from one of her potboilers, as opposed to following the lead of her husband, who had the kind of values that are at the heart of the American Dream.

Nice to see Cybill still acting and she really cuts into this role. She portrays Nancy Crampton-Brophy, a townie murder writer, trying to make the big leagues for fame and fortune. Her husband, Daniel, played by Steve Guttenberg, is a town chef who wants to make her happy but she is greedy, self-centered and uncaring as we see while the movie unfolds. She spends money she doesn't have and tries to impress but falls flat. So, to satisfy the need to pay their mounting bills and hounding creditors, she ends up selling life insurance over the phone and cons her husband into signing policies that pay out if he dies and that's exactly what she has in mind, sell their home after she collects and move to Portugal. But how will she get away with it??? Based on a true story, supported by a strong Canadian cast, this is a recommend if you like Ripped from the Headlines Lifetime movies! Nice job by two veteran actors!!!

Acting was ok, but nothing over the top. I could not see any character proress or changes. Everybody remained the same the whole time. No peak, not real arguiments, just same mood in the entire movie, what made it so boring. The film is already slow, and the mood set in the same level constanmtly what makes even more boring:'( Her husband brought some color in the story but I have not see his ups and downs either. I cannot see the this story would got from A to B, just stands in the same spot. This story, and the execution of this film was same as her books in this film. Lost in the plot, mid range, boring. Interesting start and than nothing. It could be a good 20 minutes short film. Whay is it had to be 1.5 hours? Make no sense.

"How to Murder Your Husband" was a film that would have been shocking if it were a work of fiction. But the film is based on fact which makes it doubly disturbing. Nancy Crampton-Brophy was discontented with her marriage due to the couple's precarious financial situation. Her husband Daniel was a skilled chef and instructor of culinary arts. He worked a second night job to help pay the bills. He was always cheerful and upbeat and felt that the couple could solve their money problems. For her part, Nancy was a writer of fiction who had fallen hard times. For her latest book, she was unable to find either a publisher or a literary agent. So, she resorted to murdering her kind husband to collect on multiple life insurance policies. Viewers will have to make up their own minds about why Daniel remained in a marriage with a woman who was clearly ungrateful for his efforts and provided little in the way of positive energy to the relationship. Was Daniel a saint? Or, was he simply not in touch with his wife's pathology? In her twisted mind, Nancy believed she could commit the perfect crime. But it did not help her cause to publish a story entitled "How to Murder Your Husband." In possibly the best scene in the film, the detectives candidly inform Nancy of the flaws in her plan. Her errors were almost identical to the critique a successful writer gave Nancy about her book. Nancy even had the audacity to write a book called "Plotting Your Story Arc, Workbook for Writers, Plotters, and Pantsers." (A pantser is a writer who works off the cuff, as opposed to careful planning; in other words, a perfect description of Nancy herself!) This Danielle Steel wannabe was clearly a hack. Tragically for her devoted husband, she was living out the fantasy of a character from one of her potboilers, as opposed to following the lead of her husband, who had the kind of values that are at the heart of the American Dream.

Nice to see Cybill still acting and she really cuts into this role. She portrays Nancy Crampton-Brophy, a townie murder writer, trying to make the big leagues for fame and fortune. Her husband, Daniel, played by Steve Guttenberg, is a town chef who wants to make her happy but she is greedy, self-centered and uncaring as we see while the movie unfolds. She spends money she doesn't have and tries to impress but falls flat. So, to satisfy the need to pay their mounting bills and hounding creditors, she ends up selling life insurance over the phone and cons her husband into signing policies that pay out if he dies and that's exactly what she has in mind, sell their home after she collects and move to Portugal. But how will she get away with it??? Based on a true story, supported by a strong Canadian cast, this is a recommend if you like Ripped from the Headlines Lifetime movies! Nice job by two veteran actors!!!

Acting was ok, but nothing over the top. I could not see any character proress or changes. Everybody remained the same the whole time. No peak, not real arguiments, just same mood in the entire movie, what made it so boring. The film is already slow, and the mood set in the same level constanmtly what makes even more boring:'( Her husband brought some color in the story but I have not see his ups and downs either. I cannot see the this story would got from A to B, just stands in the same spot. This story, and the execution of this film was same as her books in this film. Lost in the plot, mid range, boring. Interesting start and than nothing. It could be a good 20 minutes short film. Whay is it had to be 1.5 hours? Make no sense.