I Can Make You Love Me
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| I Can Make You Love Me (aka Stalking Laura) | |
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| Directed by | Michael Switzer |
| Produced by | Leonard Hill Joel Fields |
| Written by | Frank Abatemarco |
| Starring | Richard Thomas Brooke Shields |
| Distributed by | CBS |
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Release dates
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| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
I Can Make You Love Me, also known as Stalking Laura, is an American made-for-television film starring Richard Thomas and Brooke Shields. The film is based on the real-life story of American mass murderer Richard Farley, a former employee of ESL Incorporated whose romantic obsession and subsequent stalking of co-worker Laura Black culminated in the mass murder of several co-workers at ESL's headquarters in California, resulting in the first anti-stalking laws to be enacted in the United States. The first half of the film covers the events of the stalking, while the second half deals with Farley's rampage on the ESL offices.
Richard Thomas stars as Farley alongside Brooke Shields, who portrayed Black.
For the purposes of the film and the victims of the incident, the fictional computer company Kensitron Electronics International (K.E.I.) was used to portray the events at ESL Incorporated.
Contents
Synopsis
Laura Black, a young and ambitious intern from Virginia, accepts a job at Kensitron Electronics International (KEI) in Silicon Valley, California. During a tour of her new workplace with future co-worker Chris, Laura meets long-time KEI employee Richard Farley, who is immediately infatuated with Laura's beauty. Richard invites her to a local tractor pull, but she politely declines the offer. Looking for a home, she later visits an apartment in Sunnyvale, and is accepted as a new roommate by the current tenant.
On her first day at the office, Richard is waiting at her new work station with fresh-baked blueberry bread to show his affections. In the days that follow, Laura enrolls in a local aerobics class, where Richard watches her intently. When the class ends, he asks her out to a concert and then dinner, but again, she politely turns him down. He then says that they can't have a relationship if she keeps turning him down. Laura is quick to correct him, saying that their relationship is strictly professional.
Richard continues to make advances on Laura, convinced that he and Laura are in a romantic relationship. At a KEI softball game, Laura once again denies that their relationship extends beyond their workplace. During the game, Laura's new friend and co-worker Glenda Moritz takes note of Richard's infatuation with her, though Laura says she can handle him.
Richard continues to pursue Laura. Through an excuse of wanting to present a staff birthday celebration for Laura, he is permitted by a coworker to see her personal dossier, from which he learns of her birthday and address, later showing up at her apartment with a gift. When her roommate tells her she should tell KEI management, Laura insists that she can handle him, saying that if she did otherwise, she would be his victim.
Richard slashes Laura's tires at her home. Laura calls the police about the incident, and suspects Richard as the culprit. He later confronts her on her suspicions, warning her that she'll be sorry if she sends any cops around him. Laura finally goes to KEI's management and files a formal complaint, but management brush it off, believing that Farley liked her because she smiles at him. Management does instruct Richard to leave her alone at work, which he skirts by enrolling in the same non-work aerobics class as Laura. Richard photographs Laura from the yard in front of her house, and seemingly shows up everywhere she goes. With the harassment increasing, Laura and her roommate move away to a new apartment.
Richard breaks into Laura's office and discovers her new address, as well as her family records. He threatens to go after her sisters if she does not learn to accept that she "is meant for him". While visiting her family in Virginia, a gift arrives—a doctored photograph of the two of them together on "their summer vacation". Laura confesses the situation to her family, who insist that they help her get out of this before it boils over. Laura insists that she loves her job and will not let Richard intimidate her. She files a second complaint at KEI, again with little effect.
Back at work, Richard confronts her in a public washroom, smashes the bathroom mirror and threatens her for not accepting his advances. Laura reports the incident to KEI management, and who when Richard declares that he will kill anyone who attempts to interfere with his "private relationships", he is fired for this death threat.
The harassment continues on an irregular basis. Laura starts dating Sam Waters, who fears for Laura's safety. To protect her, he teaches her how to use a gun for self-defense. When Richard breaks into her garage and leaves a note on her windshield, Laura confronts him and he casually brushes it off with yet another advance. At work, Laura receives a major promotion but it is cancelled when she can't get proper security clearance. Thinking it is due to Richard's harassment, Chris convinces Laura to serve papers on Richard for a restraining order.
Enraged, Richard purchases several guns and over 2000 rounds of ammunition. At work, Laura is anxious about her upcoming court appearance to make the restraining order permanent. That day, Richard arrives at the KEI offices, bringing several shotguns, revolvers and explosives. He blasts his way through the lobby firing at random employees. Richard blasts his way into the secure offices, shooting several more employees and killing Glenda. Richard bursts into Laura's office, shooting her in the left shoulder and leaving her for dead, though she is only unconscious.
SWAT units arrive and evacuate much of the building, though Richard remains holed up with dozens of hostages. While hostage negotiator Lt. Grijalva speaks with Richard, Laura makes her way through the ransacked offices. Richard remains stubborn, and attempts to convince Lt. Grijalva that Laura is the guilty party for refusing to go out with him, and insists that she was the one messing with him. Laura flees the building and is rushed to a hospital for surgery on her shoulder, all the while blaming herself for the unfolding horror.
Richard continues his rampage, at one point executing one of his surviving victims, unknowingly shoots Chris through a wall, but also permitting Nancy to leave the building unharmed. Exhausted and thinking that he will die, Richard demands food while he considers surrendering. Hours later, the police produce the food but inform Richard that they don't have the means to get the food to him. Overcome with exhaustion and dehydration, Richard agrees to surrender to the police. Seemingly unconcerned by the carnage he has caused, Richard asks Grijalva if he thinks Laura will remember all this.
Epilogue
The film ends with an epilogue on the events following the shooting:
Richard Farley was found guilty of seven counts of first-degree murder, and as of 2015 remains on death row at San Quentin State Prison.
Laura Black recovered partial use of her shoulder and continued to work for the same company (K.E.I.'s real-life counterpart, ESL Incorporated, was sold to Northrop Grumman Corporation in 2002).
In the wake of this case, as well as several high-profile stalking cases during the 1980s, California became the first U.S. state in the nation to enact anti-stalking laws. All other U.S. states have since followed suit.
Main cast
- Richard Thomas as Richard Farley
- Brooke Shields as Laura Black
- Viveka Davis as Mary Ann, Laura's roommate.
- William Allen Young as Chris, Laura's section manager at K.E.I.
- Richard Yniguez as Lt. Grijalva, hostage negotiator.
- Scott Bryce as Sam Waters, Laura's boyfriend.
- T. Max Graham as Captain Olson, Police Captain.
- Tim Snay as Lt. Bannister, SWAT Officer.
- Kevin Brief as Lt. Mark Shegan, Police Officer.
- Dick Mueller as Tom Black.
- Merle Moores as Donna Black.
- Caroline Vinciguerra as Sarah Black.
- Donna Thomason as Glenda Moritz, Laura's co-worker.
- Hollis McCarthy as Phyllis, Laura's co-worker.
- Barbara Houston as Nancy Hammond, Richard's co-worker and landlord.
