Legacy of Sin: The William Coit Story

After seeing this movie I searched the web to see if the story was true-as I was relatively sure of- because it's one of those Ripley's tales that makes you pause and say "That couldn't have really happened, could it?" Well, it did, and this 95 TV movie depicts all the sordid events in apparently true-to-life detail. The story is told from the perspective of William Coit, the son of a Colorado woman who may or may not be responsible for the death of his father many years earlier. Played very convincingly by Neil Patrick Harris, the son has managed to displace many of his early-life memories, having escaped from the dysfunction and started a seemingly well-adjusted adult life. The "legacy of sin" begins to unravel when he attends his mom's ninth (or is it tenth!?) marriage and that's when the movie takes off. Well-acted by all involved, with special mention for Meredith Salenger, who proves that she's much more than just eye candy in a subtle, controlled performance. If this movie hadn't been limited by a TV-movie budget and the inherent PG-13 nature that inevitably results, it would earn even more than**** out of ***** on the Corkymeter.