The title and the words “based on a true story” would normally set the alarm bells ringing, but this isn't your average “disease of the week” TV movie. For a start, it was written by Joyce Wadler, a sassy New York journalist with a neat turn of phrase, and was directed by Betty Thomas — Officer Bates in Hill Street Blues — who made her directing name with the hilarious Brady Bunch Movie. Meredith Baxter, the star of so many humdrum teleplays, also outdoes herself as Wadler, never allowing self-pity or false courage to colour her performance. Interesting rather than inspirational, but honest and intelligent.