‘Shameful Secrets’ Depends Too Much On Graphic Violence

A battered wife faces child-custody problems in ABC’s “Shameful Secrets” at 9.

Not coincidentally, ABC first aired this woman-injeopardy tale as counterprogramming opposite NBC’s 1993 coverage of the major-league baseball playoffs.

So why not throw it on against the Olympics?

Joanna Kerns stars as Maryanne Walker-Tate, a woman who, as you’ll see graphically, is the victim of repeated abuse by her husband (Tim Matheson). You’ll also witness her additional abuse by the justice system.

For 11 years, she suffers relentless beatings, some serious enough to have her admitted to a hospital.

As is often the case in real life, Tate stays with her no-good spouse to hold onto her children.

In the end, he throws her out and she loses her kids because of a state law that deems issues of spousal abuse inadmissible in child-custody cases. With the help of women she befriends at a shelter, Tate finds the strength to fight her husband.

Eventually she gets her day in court.

Tate tells a legislative inquiry, in an impassioned speech, “I’m still being battered by the courts and a government that does not honor or respect women but instead strips us of our rights.” She adds, “Eight women a minute are being physically abused by their mates.”

“Shameful Secrets” is conspicuously calculated. It pays lip service to legal and psychological assistance available to abuse victims while spending most of its time on a blow-by-blow look at spousal beatings.

The scenes are graphic and redundant. (Credit Matheson for a frightening portrayal as a wife beater.)

To add more injury to this insultingly violent movie, the script calls for the victim to describe the abuse to social workers, advocates, uninterested judges and even her mother.

Long before Tate gets to make her highly charged speech, the movie has burned itself out. It’s an unfortunate reality that TV moviemakers believe that without repeated scenes of violence they don’t have much of a story to tell.

Highlights

“Summer Olympics,” NBC at 9 a.m. and 4:30 and 9:40 p.m.: We reach the semifinals in men’s basketball, and there’s more track and field action. The evening’s highlight is the graceful rhythmic gymnastics group competition.

The evening telecast features boxing, wrestling, volleyball and the equestrian jumping finals.

“Return to Lonesome Dove,” CBS at 8: The 1993 miniseries concludes in an explosion of violence as Call (Jon Voight) and Dunnegan (Oliver Reed) collide.

“High Incident,” ABC at 8: Emotions run high as Len (Matt Craven) mourns the death of his friend and partner, and Terry (Matthew Beck) searches passionately for a missing child. Repeat.

“New York Undercover,” FOX at 9: A sharpshooter out for revenge must be stopped. Repeat.

Cable Calls

“The Hustler” (1961), AMC at 5 and 10:45: Paul Newman, in perhaps his greatest role, plays pool shark “Fast” Eddie Felson, who falls in love with a pathetic alcoholic played elegantly by Piper Laurie. George C. Scott is a shady gambler who backs Eddie in an attempt to defeat the legendary Minnesota Fats (Jackie Gleason).

Set in New York and shot in black-and-white, this is a gritty tale that’s so effective you can smell the talc and stale beer of the dingy pool hall where the marathon shootout transpires. Written, produced and directed by Robert Rossen. (The 10:45 screening is shown in letter-box format.)

“Sea of Love” (1989), USA at 10: Al Pacino plays a tough New York City detective out to nail a murderer who has attracted victims via personal ads. Ellen Barkin is a suspect he falls for. Is she the killer? John Goodman co-stars.