- Source: Fatal Deception: Mrs. Lee Harvey Oswald
Fatal Deception: Mrs. Lee Harvey Oswald is a 1993 American biographical drama television film directed by Robert Dornhelm and starring Helena Bonham Carter, Robert Picardo, and Frank Whaley. It tells the story of Marina Oswald (played by Bonham Carter), the widow of Kennedy's assassin Lee Harvey Oswald (played by Whaley).
The film marked the 30th anniversary of the assassination of John F. Kennedy, which occurred on November 22, 1963. Bonham Carter earned her first Golden Globe Award nomination for her performance. Whaley had previously played an imposter of Lee Harvey Oswald in Oliver Stone's JFK (1991).
Plot
The story focuses on Marina Oswald (Helena Bonham Carter), the wife of Lee Harvey Oswald. Barely able to speak English, she is thrust into questioning by David Lifton (Robert Picardo). It portrays deep sadness, and explores the story of a woman ending up alone in a foreign country, subjected to considerable shunning, even after her remarriage.
The story is based on the widow of Lee Harvey Oswald, the assassin of President Kennedy. Via flashbacks, the story traces the woman's life from her days in the Soviet Union, the turmoil following the assassination, raising her family, and coming to grips with the fact that, she too, may have been a pawn in a grand conspiracy.
Cast
Helena Bonham Carter as Marina Oswald
Robert Picardo as David Lifton
Frank Whaley as Lee Harvey Oswald
Bill Bolender as George de Mohrenschildt
Brandon Smith as Kenneth Porter
Lisa Renee Wilson as Rachel Porter
Deborah Dawn Slaboda as Julie Porter
Ingeborga Dapkūnaitė as Lubya
Vladimir Ilyin as Uncle
Quenby Bakke as Janet Williams
Norman Bennett as Funeral Director
Rodger Boyce as 2nd Agent
Cliff Stephens as 1st Agent
Alan Ackles as TV Host
Randall Bonifay as 2nd FBI Guard
Darryl Cox as 1st FBI Guard
Reviews
In a review for the Los Angeles Times, Howard Rosenberg wrote: "“Fatal Deception” appears to say nothing that hasn’t already been said ad infinitum during the nation’s nonstop dialogue concerning Kennedy and his assassination. All in all, it seems like just another bump on a very long log." Drew Voros of Variety called it "a slow-mover for a topic that has been covered over and over again".
Awards and nominations
See also
Assassination of John F. Kennedy in popular culture
References
External links
Fatal Deception: Mrs. Lee Harvey Oswald at IMDb