A Matter of Justice: a Movie Review

Patty Duke gives one of her most powerful performances ever as the domineering yet powerfully persuasive mother of a slain marine. A Matter of Justice tells the story of the depth a woman will go to obtain justice for her child who was murdered.

The movie opens with Chris (played by Jason London) helping defend a friend from attackers. Chris is fed up with the life he is living in this southern town. With the help of his father (Martin Sheen) Chris goes against the wishes of his mother Mary (who is played by Patty Duke) enlists and is accepted into the Marines.

While out with one of his marine buddy’s, a seductress sets her sight on Chris. The sneaky manipulator is determined to sink her claws into her prey. Dusty, (played by Alexandra Powers) is determined to be supported by a marine for life. Dusty digs her nails so deep into Chris he can never get the lust for Dusty out of his mind.

Upon a visit home to see his parents, Dusty is introduced as Chris’s wife. Mary is horrified and not only does she show her disdain for Dusty, she tells Chris that Dusty will never be welcomed in her home as his wife. Mary makes sure Chris is fully aware of the fact she considers their marriage a mistake. Dusty is by no means good enough for her son.

While speaking to Chris privately, Dusty hears Mary speak of the fact that she will never be good enough for him and wants her out of her house. Thus begins the battle of wills between Dusty and Mary.

Chris finally discovers that Dusty is not what he thinks and returns home to Mary and Jack (Martin Sheen) with his baby girl. Mary manages to convince Chris to obtain full custody of the baby and is in the process of convincing him to divorce Dusty,

However, Mary’s husband is so distraught over the life he has lived blaming it on his mother in law that he convinces Chris to try and repair his marriage with Dusty.

Chris returns without the baby to find a sneaky, conniving, adulterous, trashy Dusty. Dusty has decided she no longer wants to be married to Chris, yet she does not want to give up the benefits of being a Marines wife.

She decides to enlist her boyfriend to kill Chris. Dusty then manipulates one of her lovers, Rocky (played by Cole Hauser) to murder Chris. When Mary finds out that Chris is dead, she begins her vendetta and is determined to bring Dusty to trial. With that, she is also determined to get full custody of her grandchild.

The movie is loosely based on a true story. The powerful performance of Patty Duke along with the convincing portrayal of a dominated husband by Martin Sheen is wonderful.

A Matter of Justice is a Lifetime Movie. You will be totally mesmerized by the performances of Patty Duke, Martin Sheen, and Charles Dutton. Charles Dutton plays a detective hired by Mary to first obtain information about Dusty then kidnap her grandchild from Dusty.

For more information on this movie along with other Lifetime treasures, visit www.lifetimemovies.com.