Fatal Lessons: The Good Teacher (2002)

Good suspense but little substance

"Fatal Lessons - The Good Teacher" is a Lifetime televission movie that I first watched last year. If you are looking for a suspenseful movie that provides escape after a hard day's work this may be what you want.
The primise of this movie concerns a family who experiences the attentions of Victoria Page, (Erika Eleniak), who is the little girls new teacher. Victoria is asked by the little girls mother to help tutor her daughter when a suitable helper cannot be found. Victoria agrees. Sounds innocent enough, doesn't it? Little does the family know that Victoria is a ruthless killer withthe an ability to manipulate situations and ingratiate herself into families. She will stop at nothing to get what she wants. Eleniak does a wonderful job at portraying her character, particularly in her gloating scenes. I would love to have seen what she could have done with more material to work with.
The plot and characterization in this movie lack development. Victoria is an undeveloped character. What she truly wants is never revealed, and there is no hint as to why she acts in the way she does. As an instance of her actions, she provides the mother with herbal remedies that act in the opposite way they ar purported to act. She pretends to be the "good friend," but has ulterior motives. It seems odd that her methods are not seen through more quickly. It is up to the mother to save her family from a violent villainess.
Bottom Line- A good movie for fun but not very unique. April 2, 2008

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