I enjoyed this movie and even bought it for my collection. Remember Billy was only fifteen years old and was experiencing his first sexual encounter. He was, understandably, easily manipulated by an "older" woman.While I liked Helen Hunt's portrayal of Pam Smart, I still do not understand what was her reason for getting rid of her husband. According to the movie, Greg wasn't cruel or abusive to her, he seemed to love her very much, they lived in a lovely condo, and was supportive of her career decisions. His parents also seemed to love Pam like a daughter. Pam was crazy about Greg when he was a Van Halen look-alike but when he cut his hair and started to dress corporate (to work for an insurance company)did her feelings for him start to change then? She was very into heavy-metal but was she afraid that her "rocker" husband was transforming into Mr. Yuppie America? I went ahead and bought a paperback about this case and hope to find out what has driven Pam to this extreme.

she does quite well in this made for TV film. She certainly provides the audience with the personality of a hate-worthy narcissist, who, once she cannot get her way, and rise to stardom on TV news, decides the way to solve her career problem is to have her husband executed.Pamela Smart apparently was able to manipulate a student, Billy (well portrayed by a young Chad Allen). She worked as media director at a high school, but that was not good enough for her lofty aspirations, so she manipulated Billy and his friend to murder Greg Smart, promising them insurance money as pay-off. (There was no money). There is actually an amusing scene after her husband has been murdered, and Pamela Smart is worried about how she will look on the 6PM news.Hank Stratton as Gregory Smart is a bit too innocent, but we do feel sorry for his fate. Seems an odd question, but did Pam Smart ever hear of divorce?.Howard Hesseman is not in the film long enough, but offers a good performance, and the courtroom scenes are thankfully left to a minimum. Michael Learned and Ken as Greg's well-meaning parents.Overall a decent docudrama which has probably been elevated to cult status by now, as Pamela Smart in real life is now petitioning for yet another appeal. 7/10.

The movie was a typical TV movie of the week. The actors did well with the script they had to work with but they really didn't have much to work with. I wouldn't rate the movie as high as I do if Chad Allen didn't look so cute in it. All in all I'd say it was a pretty average to slightly above average made for TV movie.

This movie about what at the time was considered one of the most horrific murders ever because of the circumstances, was a waste of time. Helen Hunt was game in the role of Pam Smart, but everything else in this movie was so terrible. Chad Allen as her teen lover was an embarrassment, I couldn't see any reason why they would go head over heels for each other in real life by the way these two actors went pedestrianly about their way. A very big waste of time for anyone who watches this after reading this review.