Beanbioca As Good As It Gets

Jonah Abbott There's no way I can possibly love it entirely but I just think its ridiculously bad, but enjoyable at the same time.

Dana An old-fashioned movie made with new-fashioned finesse.

Caryl It is a whirlwind of delight --- attractive actors, stunning couture, spectacular sets and outrageous parties. It's a feast for the eyes. But what really makes this dramedy work is the acting.

blanche-2 "Engaged to Kill" from 2006 is a Lifetime movie made in Canada, starring Joe Lando, Dominic Zamprogna, Maria Del Mar, and Katherine Isabelle.Based on a true story, the pediatrician wife, Abby (Del Mar) of a businessman Robert Lord (Lando) is kidnapped, and the ransom demand is a million dollars. Somehow overnight, Lord manages to get the money. He won't call in the police. Meanwhile, Abby Lord is assured by Sally (Daniella Evangelista), the girlfriend of her captor that all they want is the money; her boyfriend is taking her to Hawaii for their wedding. Abby realizes that she's going to be killed, even if Sally believes every word this guy tells her. When she sees a chance to escape, she takes it, but Sally is killed.The captor blames Abby for his girlfriend's death and moves in on the family, hurting their finances still more while he's seducing Abby's and Robert's daughter.All pretty obvious. I watched this because General Hospital's Dominic Zamprogna was in it, a few years before he joined the show. He does well as a real sleaze.I found this okay. I make fun of Lifetime movies, but they're a way to escape and relax. They're not hokey like Hallmark films, and though derivative and predictable, somehow you keep watching.

Bexxter I agree with what most of the other posters have said. Engaged to Kill is a terrific Lifetime thriller. Contains all of the key elements of a good Lifetime movie- creepy male killer and heroic female heroines. However, that being said, and maybe I'm being nitpicky, but it could have been made better.First of all the title. *Almost* pure genius. See the creepy killer is indeed engaged, as in ready, to kill- not once, but twice- in the beginning when the doctor is kidnapped and he plans to kill her and at the end when he tries to kill her daughter. And then, he is really engaged, as in betrothed to marriage, as he proposes to the daughter. See what they did there? But then I thought, maybe he is engaged to his girlfriend in the beginning of the film. The title then has meaning not once, but in four different ways in the movie. I think I just blew my own mind! Sheer genius of a double-entendre titling huh? Almost... He did not *need* to get engaged 'to' kill. He could have just been dating the daughter and did the same thing. So really, it could have been named 'Engaged and Kills'. Though it would have packed the punch of the original title, it would have been more accurate. I think the best title would have been- 'Mother May I Sleep with Danger II' or 'Mother May I Be Engaged to Danger'. That would have been mucho better.Here's another issue. The mother doctor is being framed by the creepy boyfriend because he gets a patient to say that one of her procedures went wrong. Now mind you, that would give me seconds thoughts about seeing a doctor under investigation. But then her boss says they are getting flooded with patients complaining that she was rude and rough with the patients. Just because there is one allegation of malpractice does not automatically prompt patients to accuse a doctor of other things- especially if she is a truly good and honest doctor. What I think happened is once one person was perceived as being brave enough to stand up against her other patients became emboldened enough to speak up about how she mistreated them over the years. I think she was a truly shady doctor who *finally* got her just desserts! Also, what's up with the creepy boyfriend's henchman? How many henchmen can pull off impersonating a gynecologist? And he's a good looking guy- not the kind of guys you see in lockup. He should doing something else, like making made for TV movies...Finally, the ending comeuppance line could have been better. The daughter is standing at the door after having a major artery slashed (don't worry paramedics that trusty drape pull will hold!). As a final shot at the creepy boyfriend, she says, in a cute way, Aloha! See because they were going to get married in Hawaiia & the writers, with a never dying love of double entendre, also knew that Aloha means both hello and goodbye in Hawaiian. But why not take it a little further and emphasize the last syllable- Alo-HA! Boy, they could have scored *triple* entendre there. Or why not something simple and tongue in cheek- like, 'Oh, I'm calling the engagement off- Alo-Ha! That way they could have worked the film title back into the script. Lost opportunities that separate good, from *great* films...Okay, well there's my four cents. Again, I highly recommend "Mother May I Sleep with.. I mean 'Engaged to Thrill' to anyone.

vchimpanzee Dr. Abby Lord is a pediatrician. Her husband Robert sells boats. They have a 19-year-old daughter Maddy who is in college and somewhat rebellious, and a 14-year-old son Corey who loves computer games.When Abby is kidnapped, the ransom is one million dollars. Robert will do anything to get his wife back, and that includes not telling the police--if he does, he has been told, Abby will die. Lester Denton can get Robert the money; Robert owns a business, the nice home his family lives in and even a vacation home, all of which he could lose if he can't pay back the money, but he is dealing with legitimate businesses, not loan sharks.We never see the kidnapper's face, at least not early in the movie. But his accomplice and girlfriend is a sweet young woman named Sally who is either too dumb to realize that what she is doing is wrong, or too dependent on her boyfriend to question his actions. Abby behaves admirably on learning Sally feels sick; as a doctor, she must put the patient's health above other concerns.Abby is released relatively quickly, but her nightmare is not over. Certain people are behaving suspiciously, and there are some genuinely scary moments. And then weird things start happening.Robert must work hard to get enough money to repay his creditors, and this means dealing with Crawford Blake, who was once his partner and is now his competitor.And Maddy has a new boyfriend named Nick, who is 25 years old. Abby and Robert have enough stress in their life without this.This was pretty good for a TV-movie. It was entertaining to watch the family's situation get worse and worse.I will say the actor playing the kidnapper did an impressive job, but I can't say who he is. Daniella Evangelista was so sweet and I hated that we didn't see more of her. And despite her rebellious nature, Katharine Isabelle's character was so easy to like. Plus she looked good topless, at least from the back. Shame on anyone for calling her fat (I can't remember now whether it was her brother or someone considering dating her).Maria del Mar played a strong character, but one that could be pushed too far. She wasn't superwoman. Plus she was as pretty as the daughter, and they looked so much alike.I was disturbed by Robert's anger toward his son in one scene. I suppose stress could be blamed, but it just seemed extreme.The V-chip rating was TV-14, with a V, though it needed an S too. My theory is that the sexual content was PG, though the violence wasn't that bad. Perhaps the logic in the TV-14 rating was that this was too adult, for other reasons.Overall, a good effort.

krorie Though based on a true story according to the credits, this riveting thriller (not a mystery) contains a few fanciful elements. When Robert Lord's wife, Abby, is kidnapped, he quickly raises one million dollars for the abductors. He and his son, Corey, deliver the money to a specified location. The kidnappers consist of a pair of lovers, Crawford Blake and Sally. Obviously the entire ploy is Blake's idea. Naive Sally believes all the lies Blake has told her about using the money for a honeymoon in Hawaii after safely releasing Abby. Driving a van with Sally and a restrained Abby in back, Blake is on his way to find a convenient spot to kill Abby. Abby becomes sympathetic to Sally's plight, realizing that she is being used by Blake for his nefarious deeds. She is able to escape but in the process Sally is accidentally killed. Apparently, Blake really did love Sally for now, even with the million dollars, he plots Abby's demise getting close to her daughter, Maddy. Blake becomes engaged in order to kill.The story is well plotted, even becoming somewhat complicated at times. There is suspense and thrills aplenty provided by director Matthew Hastings that puts this made-for-TV film above the average. There is not much humor included that would have eased the tension somewhat which makes for intense viewing. Since it is TV, the commercials may actually assist in giving a break from the intensity of the drama.A major weakness concerns believability. Of modest means considering the life style presented, Robert Lord is able to raise one million dollars in just a few hours by putting his house, his cars, and his small business up for collateral. A close banking friend is able to swing the loan for him. When the friend disappears mysteriously, his character is virtually dropped from the story, almost as if his murder is not significant. There are also several other parts of the story that are difficult to accept as presented in the film.The movie closes with a clever line by Maddy. As Blake is being led away, she coldly looks him in the eye and exclaims, "Aloha!"