reviewThe Stalking of Laurisatitle
It was all kind of amusing in the beginning when at softball twenty something umpire Curt Harper (Tom Kurlander) would enthusiastically cheer on and rule in the favour of 14 year old Laurisa Anello (LuAnne Ponce). But then he starts sending her presents and letters which despite Laurisa's parents Linda (Shanna Reed) and Nelson (John Martin) having a quiet word with him refuses to stop. With Curt's stalking of Laurisa starting to psychologically affect Laurisa, Linda goes to the police only to discover there is no law which would allow the police to arrest Curt and a restraining order is ineffective as Curt just ignores it.
Watching "Moment of Truth: Stalking Back" now over 20 years after it was made makes you realise how much the world we live in has changed. There are the obvious things you will notice such as fashion, cars which instantly come to mind, then there are things such as no internet and people using public phones rather than mobile phones. But of course there is what "Moment of Truth: Stalking Back" highlights, which is that at one time the law was unable to act in a case of stalking because it wasn't seen as a crime.
So as to "Moment of Truth: Stalking Back" well for me this true story movie works on 3 elements with the first of those being Curt and his stalking with him becoming obsessed with Laurisa Anello. Whilst not an out and out psychopath there is something creepy about him as he seems delusional and a bit childish yet at the same time well aware of the law or at least thinks he does. Whilst it means he is the "bad guy" you get a real sense that he needs some psychiatric help as if he isn't a danger to others he is a danger to himself. And Tom Kurlander does a fantastic job of laying Curt as he brings out that aspect of being mentally unbalanced and easy to snap.
But then we see the effect of this stalking on Laurisa as she has to put up with others joking about her older man. We also see how as she gets older her friends start to drop her because their parents know all about the creepy guy who stalks her and fear for their own children. And then there is the way despite being a teenager she has no freedom because her mum Linda worries about her all the time. "Moment of Truth: Stalking Back" does a surprising good job of showing the affect on Laurisa and how her life becomes a nightmare not just because of Curt but her mother being protective.
The nightmare for Laurisa brings me to the third element and the nightmare which it becomes for her parents as the law at the time is unable to help them without evidence of a threat or physical contact. In many ways this is the typical element because there is the despair of being unable to do anything because Curt makes sure that there is no actual evidence of him doing anything. I say typical because of course feeling as if the law can't do anything makes them angry and wanting to take things in to their own hands. Plus we see how their marriage becomes affected by his stalking with Nelson and Linda ending up at each other's throats
What this all boils down to is that "Moment of Truth: Stalking Back" is an interesting look at how the law was when it came to stalking and how it affected an entire family in the case of this true story.
