Blood Vows: The Story of a Mafia Wife (1987 TV Movie) User Reviews (11)

The girls love this movie

[Major_Movie_Star · 7/10 · 7 December 2005]

This is not a bad movie at all. If you look at the Ratings on this site, though, you will see a big difference between men and women. Women (especially younger age groups) love it! Men hate it. It is a very involving love story that succeeds in capturing the emotions. Incredible as this may seem, it is a truly romantic story. The reasons it hasn't done better are:

• Some bad direction has the FBI's attempts to make contact with the heroines look really stupid and clumsy, to the degree that it almost blows your suspension of disbelief.

• Some of the money spent on this movie could have been much better spent. There is a helicopter sequence involving a shootout that was completely overblown and seemed to have ambitions to look like a movie about the Vietnam war. It portrayed gangsters going on what was in effect a suicide mission, and the real gangsters aren't into that. A more limited and under-stated gunfight sequence (more along the lines of THE GODFATHER; short, nasty and brutish) would have been cheaper and better.

• The end is rather excellent and courageous, but it shocks the audience in the way that it NEEDS to shock, without pandering to the demands to indulge the addiction of today's audience for sugary endings, and so the movie gets punished in the Ratings. Nonetheless, maybe the ending could have been handled a little better, to take the sting out of it.

There is plenty of room for a sequel showing what happens next, even though the original was filmed years ago.

entertaining film

[davidross20 · 7/10 · 18 May 2011]

caught this movie on netflix streaming video and it is a good watch for 90 minutes of your time. miss gilbert is very pretty and mr. penny makes for a good conflicted bad guy. lots of mafia stereotypes but that is to be expected. the ending is predictable and thus not a surprise, he was not going to run away with her. seeing talia shire in her prime was an added bonus. she was beautiful in her scenes and very convincing. i have a weakness for raven haired women and she is one of them. would not have expected her in a TV movie after her success in the rocky films.lots of familiar actors you have seen before in other mafia films. i guess they recycle them or they are typecast. the helicopter scene was a little over the top but entertaining none the less.

Rich on good acting and story twists, lacking on most everything else.

[triple8 · 5/10 · 14 March 2004]

I must admit to a fondness for made for tv psychological thrillers as long as they are done well. In the case of Blood vows, I watched it for a couple of reasons. One being I very much like Melissa Gilbert and two, the story sounded like it could be interesting. This was an interesting experience, watching Melissa play the woman who falls in love and gets more then she bargained for. There are not alot of comments on this movie so I have to assume it wasn't a real popular tv movie. I can understand why for a few reasons.

This is a pretty depressing movie to sit through. There is alot of violence and though the storyline IS intriguing the violence kind of overshadows the basic plot-yet you keep watching. The best way to describe this tv movie is, it's one of those movies you know as you watch it, it isn't real good and you maybe don't like it that much but for some unfathenable reason you keep watching anyway. Now that said-there are two things that stand out in this, that makes it memorable and made me want to review it and those are: 1)The acting-very impressive for tv-especially the husband who was INCREDIBLE. I have to say the story sneaks up on you and makes it tough to turn off-that's probebly due to the acting. ENDING SPOILER COMING UP: 2)There is a twist at the end that shocked me-it was done in a very brutal way and stayed with me so I guess the movie makers did their job in that respect. After this "twist" you kind of wish you hadn't watched the whole thing in it's entirety.

I would rate this, mostly around a 5.5 but as far as having the ability to shock and having plot twists I'd give it higher marks.

An Excellent Movie!

[brendaattheranch · 10/10 · 13 June 2002]

Melissa Gilbert's "Little House" stigma weighs her down a bit in the really romantic scenes, but otherwise she does well with the role of Marian Winslow. It is Joe Penny's outstanding performance that delivers the character of attorney Edward Moran as a complex, loving, and torn man who is forced to live two lives. And it is that performance that makes him a 'bad guy' it is impossible to hate. In fact, it is difficult, despite his background, to think of him as a 'bad guy' at all. Joe Penny's performance was also able to carry those few moments where Melissa Gilbert's character was not quite as convincing and create an effective scene.

The script is well done and delivers a twist that the viewers don't expect. The musical scores for the movie are excellent though at some times obnoxiously loud and overshadowing the movie itself. One of the pluses of the movie is it doesn't follow the traditional mafia storyline and takes a totally different approach. But for those who like action, there is a shoot 'em up later in the movie.

I rate this memorable movie with top honors.

Average TV Fare

[harry-76 · 26 June 2004]

This is a routinely scripted made-for-tv drama, with rather predictable characters and situations.

There's nothing particularly fresh in understanding that it's tough being the wife of a mobster, even when she enters into a marriage not knowing all about her spouse.

That said, there's something compelling about this production, and it's the quality of the acting. Joe Penny, who kept busy during the 80s limning both good 'n' bad guy roles, shines in the lead. Penny, former member of an "elite acting student circle" of Lee Strasberg, knows something about his craft, and executes solid work.

Likewise grown up "Laura" from "Little House on the Prairie," Melissa Gilbert, projects growing discouragement as the sad wife, learning what she married into. Eileen Brennan is seen as senior spouse willing to "blow the whistle" and talk to authorities (Brennan's certainly come a long way from "Little Mary Sunshine"!).

And finally the familiar Tony Franciosa shows up in a law enforcement role, rounding out a dedicated cast. In the end, one may not learn much having watched this piece, but there's a lot to be appreciated in the intense no-nonsense performances by this strong group of New York acting pros.

Every negative Italian-American stereotype in the book...

[spaceyfandon · 3/10 · 12 August 2007]

Melissa Gilbert should have stayed on the "Prairie." I just watched this again after nearly 20 years, and to say it hasn't aged well is being generous. Maybe I'm more socially aware now, or maybe the Sopranos has raised the bar for portrayals of those involved in the Mafia, but this movie is dreadful. There are so many stereotypes it's hard to keep track. A low point comes when a detective gives Melissa's character his name, which is Italian, and she responds with shock, as though he should be involved in organized crime as well. He is required to educate her by saying "The name on a birth certificate doesn't determine your destiny." Collective groan...

The character of "Mama" is ridiculously stereotypical, with lines of dialog spoken in a cringe-worthy accent, like: "You'll eat lots of pasta and have many babies." Uh, okay...

I'm astounded how many people have given this film a 10. I gave it a 3 thanks to the numerous shirtless scenes with Joe Penny. LOL!

"Don't Talk To Me About My Business!!!"

[chow913 · 10/10 · 28 July 2013]

Sweet innocent small town gal Melissa Gilbert has met the man of her dreams Joe Penny. He's tall, dark, handsome, a successful attorney with his powerful wealthy Italian family's New York shipping business. What could possible be wrong with him? He's a successful attorney with his powerful wealthy Italian family's New York shipping business!!!

Once Gilbert realizes she's married into the family business it's too late and Uzi toting Cuban hit squads are literally being dropped off via helicopter on the front lawn! Thankfully her new in-laws stock piled enough M-16s to put Charlton Heston to shame in a shootout which makes Stalingrad pale in comparison.

'Blood Vows' certainly isn't 'The Godfather' or 'Goodfellas' but it over delivers what it promises and I really liked the ending.

The establishing shots of NYC are funny as they are desperately trying to conceal the obvious fact this was filmed in Canada not New York.

Not like the Godfather. Better.

[ArthurDental · 9/10 · 25 March 2016]

OK, the plot, the directing, etc. aren't as good. But it sticks with reality and paints a lease glamorized vision of the mob than Hollywood it the streets like to depict. The ending is logical, doesn't flinch from either side. It's almost funny the mobster review slammed this film as government propaganda. Obviously he doesn't have a brain or just skipped the last five minutes.

I'd like to remind everyone that no federal eyewitness who followed protocols have ever been killed by the people they informed on.

The only quibbles I have are with the actions being pushed towards the end, so the climax was a bit rushed. But then, that is what happens when the Family finds out that it's found out.

Good Movie

[boobie1822 · 10/10 · 13 January 2005]

I liked the movie very much. The dialog was very well written. I suppose that you cannot please everyone in the business of writing screenplays. I do not think that most people realize how difficult it really is to write a screenplay or concoct a simple tale for the sake of entertainment. I suppose it is easy for most critics to bash a film without ever having written a screenplay. I believe that if viewers would stop taking themselves so seriously when watching a movie, we could all enjoy reasonable programming instead of watching the virtual garbage we are watching today. This movie was enjoyable to watch and that's it. I have even bought the VHS version myself. Viewers need to appreciate the art of movie making and stop complaining until THEY have sat at a typewriter and put together a 120 page script and be able to cast top people to entertain ingrates from one hour and thirty-five minutes of your time.

Very deep but so sad

[penelopebateman · 10/10 · 8 August 2022]

Beautiful love story with a dark twist. I found it informative and digs truth to the psychology behind this relationship. I watched this as a teenager and found it to be inspiring. I plan to have my kids watch it once I find out where we can access the full movie...