''Black Widow'' is a 2007

television film A television film, alternatively known as a television movie, made-for-TV film/movie or TV film/movie, is a feature-length film that is produced and originally distributed by or to a television network, in contrast to theatrical films made for ...

directed by

Armand Mastroianni Armand Mastroianni (born August 1, 1948) is an American film director and producer. Biography Armand Mastroianni's directorial debut was the 1980 horror film '' He Knows You're Alone'' which was also the screen debut of actor Tom Hanks. He has ...

and starring

Elizabeth Berkley Elizabeth Berkley (born July 28, 1974) is an American actress. She played Jessie Spano in the television series ''Saved by the Bell'' and Nomi Malone/Polly Ann Costello in the 1995 Paul Verhoeven film ''Showgirls''. She voiced the title role o ...

Alicia Coppola Alicia Coppola is an American actress. She became known for playing Lorna Devon in the soap opera '' Another World'' from 1991 to 1994. Afterwards, she made regular and guest star appearances in various television series, notably ''Jericho'' an ...

and

Adriana DeMeo Adriana DeMeo (born 1981) is an American actress. She is known for playing Lucy in the CBS television drama series ''Without a Trace''. Early life Adriana DeMeo was born in Brooklyn, New York. Her parents moved to Brooklyn from a small town in I ...

. Produced by

RHI Entertainment Halcyon Studios, LLC., formerly known as Sonar Entertainment, RHI Entertainment, Hallmark Entertainment, Qintex Entertainment, HRI Group and Robert Halmi Inc., is an American entertainment company specializing in the production and distribution ...

, it is loosely based on the 1987 film of the same name starring

Debra Winger Debra Lynn Wingerhttps://www.pressreader.com/usa/closer-weekly/20200511/282084868951188https://www.discountmags.com/magazine/closer-weekly-may-11-2020-digital/in-this-issue/99961 (born May 16, 1955)https://www.google.co.uk/books/edition/The_Inter ...

and

Theresa Russell Theresa Lynn Russell ( Paup; born March 20, 1957) is an American actress whose career spans over four decades. Her filmography includes over fifty feature films, ranging from mainstream to independent and experimental films. Born in San Diego, ...

. ''Black Widow'' stars

Randall Batinkoff Randall Matthew Batinkoff (born October 16, 1968) is an American actor, known for his roles in the films '' For Keeps'', '' School Ties'', and ''Higher Learning''. Early life and education Batinkoff was born in Monticello, New York, the son of Ba ...

, and

. The film was originally released in 2007, before being re-cut and re-released in 2008 under the title ''Dark Beauty''.

Plot

Olivia, is young, beautiful, brilliant, and effortlessly charming. She is a dedicated charity worker, responsible for establishing free clinics across the country for poor women. When she meets millionaire Danny Keegan, the pair soon form a relationship and he falls for her. However, it soon becomes clear that not everyone admires Olivia. Danny’s college friend, Melanie, a photo journalist for the ''Los Angeles Post'', thinks that there is something suspicious about Olivia and soon wants to learn more about the mysterious woman. With the help of her assistant, Finn, Melanie discovers the truth about Olivia, finding out that her

Ph.D. A Doctor of Philosophy (PhD, Ph.D., or DPhil; Latin: or ') is the most common degree at the highest academic level awarded following a course of study. PhDs are awarded for programs across the whole breadth of academic fields. Because it is ...

is fake, that she is responsible for many acts of embezzlement and that she has another lover on the side. Then she discovers Olivia’s numerous identities, the multiple marriages that have left her very rich, and the suspicious deaths of each of her husbands. Soon enough, Olivia realizes that Melanie is on to her and begins to take action against her. She will do anything to protect herself, even if it comes to murder. In the end, after much difficulty, Melanie manages to expose Olivia as the evil woman she truly is to everyone, including Danny, and Olivia gets her well-earned comeuppance when the arriving police shoot her to death after Olivia mindlessly attempts to shoot them. Afterwards, Melanie successfully publishes Olivia's story for the ''Los Angeles Post'', and she and Danny begin to start a friendship.

Cast

as Olivia Whitfield / Grace Miller *

as 'Mel' Melanie Dempsey *

as Finn Driver *

as Danny Keegan *

Barbara Niven Barbara Lee Niven (née Bucholz; born February 26, 1953) is an American actress, writer and producer, best known for her performances in Hallmark and Lifetime movies, and for television roles in ''Pensacola: Wings of Gold'', ''One Life to Live'' ...

as Tiffany Collins *

Tembi Locke Tembekile "Tembi" Locke is an American actress who has appeared in television shows and film. She is best known as Dr. Grace Monroe on Syfy's series ''Eureka'' and as Dr. Diana Davis in '' Sliders''. Locke is also the author of the bestselling me ...

as Jill Keegan *

Joel Anderson Joel Anderson (born February 11, 1960) is an American politician serving as a member of the San Diego County Board of Supervisors. A Republican, he is a former California state senator, assemblyperson, and board member of a municipal water di ...

as Cooper Collins * Brady Smith as Lucas Miller *

David Ury David Brian Ury (born September 30, 1973) is an American actor, stand-up comedian, YouTuber, and Japanese translation specialist. Early life and education Ury was born and raised in Sonoma, California. He graduated from Sonoma Valley High Sch ...

as Edward Bixler * Jeremy Howard as Henry *

Steve Monroe Steven Monroe (born October 30, 1972) is an American actor, stand-up comedian, and practicing psychotherapist. He has a number of television credits to his name, including guest roles on such series as '' 7th Heaven'', ''CSI: Crime Scene Invest ...

as Matty Keegan *

George Wyner George Wyner (born October 20, 1945) is an American film and television actor. Wyner graduated from Syracuse University in 1968 as a drama major and was an in-demand character actor by the early 1970s. Wyner has made guest appearances in over 1 ...

as Stan Driver *Chris Farah as Receptionist *

Carla Jimenez Carla Jimenez (born May 14, 1974 in Westwood, Los Angeles, California) is an American television and film actress. Career She has had roles in series such as ''Lincoln Heights (TV series), Lincoln Heights'', ''My Name Is Earl'' and ''Little Br ...

as Rosa *

Jim Palmer James Alvin Palmer (born October 15, 1945) is an American former professional baseball pitcher who played 19 years in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Baltimore Orioles (1965–1967, 1969–1984). Palmer was the winningest MLB pitcher in the ...

as Detective Harris

Reception

David Nusair, writing for ''Reel Film Reviews'' said that the film is, "Salacious enough to ensure that boredom never entirely sets in."

References

External links

* {{IMDb title, id=1046894, title=Black Widow
''Black Widow''
full movie on Youtube 2007 television films 2007 films 2007 crime thriller films Lifetime (TV network) films Films set in Los Angeles American serial killer films Sonar Entertainment films Larry Levinson Productions Films directed by Armand Mastroianni 2000s American films