Up until a few months ago I had never seen I Can Make You Love Me or read the story about Laura Black and after watching the film I was left feeling sickened and horrified. This movie tells the story of how a man's four year obsession and stalking of a female employee ended in a tragic conclusion.
I had seen Richard Thomas in Death In Small Doses and he's a brilliant actor with great talent his portrayal of real life killer Richard Farley sent chills down my spine as he played a man with a sick obsession. Brooke Shields delivered an incredible performance as Laura as the film progressed it amazed me how she had the courage and bravery to escape the rampage alive and how she reacted when her boss told her about the real reason why Farley got fired .
At 23 years old Laura Black (Shields) is about to leave her parents home in Virginia after accepting a job at K.E.I. in Sillicon Valley California, on her first day she's introduced to long time employee Richard Farley (Thomas) whose immediately attracted to her beauty after lunch he invites her out she politely turns him down.Over the next few days he is shown waiting for her in her office with fresh baked bread to show how he feels and then watches outside her aerobics class as she removes her sweater to reveal her outfit.
What happens next is a four year nightmare for Laura as Farley continues to follow her repeatedly even going so far as to slash the tires on her car, trick other employees into giving him her address, enrolling in her exercise class,breaking into the office to get more info on her, breaking into the garage at her apartment building. The worst ones were taking pictures outside her home and writing to her parents about their relationship. There was a scene when she goes home to visit her family for Christmas and receives a gift entitled our summer vacation which causes her to break down crying.
What made the situation even more difficult was his threats to go after members of her family if she tried to leave or learn that she was meant for him.
She made many complaints to her boss about what she endured because of him only to be told that they didn't want to jeopardize his security clearance over her right to be safe.It made me feel angry the company should have done more to help keep her protected from harassment.
The final straw comes after she files a restraining order and it pushes him to the edge and the result is a shooting rampage which claims the lives of several employees and injured others including Laura.
After the film California became the first place to enact an anti stalking law and other cities have followed since. This film is an example of how horrifying obsession can be as well as stalking.
