Ultimate Betrayal is a 1994 American made-for-television drama film directed by Donald Wrye and starring Marlo Thomas, Mel Harris, Ally Sheedy, Kathryn Dowling, Henry Czerny, Nigel Bennett, Kyle Simon Parker, and Valerie Buhagiar. It originally premiered March 20, 1994 on CBS.
Plot
The 4 adult Rodgers sisters have been experiencing issues stemming from their childhoods, where they and they were subjected to extreme physical, and sexual abuse, at the hands of their father, Edward, a top ranking F.B.I. expert on child abuse, while their mother, Helen, turned a blind eye. Mary, the youngest sister is proposing a lawsuit against Edward, to pay the $400 monthly cost of her therapy, and she calls on her three sisters to support her by testifying. Their 2 brothers, John, and Steven, were also abused, but are close to their father now, and side with him. Susan and Beth want to be let out of it, even though they both acknowledge the effect the abuse had on them. The oldest daughter, Sharon, initially says she'll support Mary by testifying to what she saw, but she herself had not experienced any abuse.
Mary tells Sharon she is dropping her lawsuit when her husband tells her it is ruining their marriage, and threatens to divorce her and take their daughter away. By then, Sharon had already revealed to herself, many repressed memories, has talked to her therapist, Sarah McNeil, and is ready to pursue the case. Susan is convinced by her teenage daughter, who has been through her mother's hospitalizations and suicide attempt, to pursue the case. Sharon and Susan go to Colorado, where the abuse happened, and meet with the attorney Mary found, Dana Quinn. Dana calls their mother Helen, and even though she eventually acknowledges the physical abuse, she denies any sexual abuse happened, says that there was nothing she could do to stop it, and that Sharon was his pet, and could've made any of it stop. She thinks the girls should just get over it.
During a pretrial hearing, Sharon and Susan sit at a boardroom table with Dana, across from their father, and his attorney. Dana questions him, and he denies everything. The go to trial, but Edward does not show up. It's highly unusual, but they proceed with the trial, even in the absence of a defendant. Sharon has begun to recall memories of the same sexual abuse her sisters experienced, and tries to get Beth to join their lawsuit. Their brother Steve is threatening to disown Beth if she testifies. Susan testifies about various incidents including being molested, raped, and beaten in her father's room, the basement.
Both Beth and Mary agree to go support their sisters, even though it is unclear if they will take the stand. John and Steven also arrive, attempting to provide a defense for their father, but the judge denies the attempt, stating that Edward could've appeared on his own behalf, but chose not to. All of the siblings argue outside of the court room. Beth takes the stand, but in addition to the beatings and molestation, she got pregnant at 17, and was sent away for 9 months. Her parents put her son up for adoption without giving her a choice. Beth and the father of her son, her now-husband, Tom, have been trying to find him ever since. After she had the baby, Edward continued to molest her, saying that "she's a woman now".
Mary never takes the stand, but she tells her three sisters a harrowing account of the abuse she faced, being the youngest, when they older siblings had left home. Sharon and Susan are awarded $2.3 million, twice the amount they asked. Their father disappeared to avoid the judgement. Later, the same year the movie was released, legislation "The Child Abuse Accountability Act" was signed into law by President Bill Clinton.
Cast
Marlo Thomas as Sharon Rodgers Simone
Chandra Michaels as young Sharon
Tiffany Leonardo as little Sharon
Mel Harris as Susan Rodgers Hammond
Kim Schraner as Susan age 15-19
Chantellese Kent as Susan age 12
Katie Zegers as little Susan
Kathryn Dowling as Beth Rodgers
Tanya Allen as Beth age 17
Suzanne Hammond as young Beth
Ally Sheedy as Mary Rodgers LaRocque
Luisa Zane as Mary age 7
Nigel Bennett as Steven Rodgers
John David Wood as young Steven
B.J. McLellan as little Steven
Kyle Simon Parker as John Rodgers
Mark Donato as young John
Chandler Nicol as little John
Henry Czerny as Edward Rodgers
Valerie Buhagiar as Helen Rodgers
Pam Hyatt as older Helen
Donna Goodhand as Dana Quinn
Eileen Heckart as Sarah McNeil
Release
The film premiered on Sunday, March 20, 1994 on the CBS TV network.