Murder in New Hampshire: The Pamela Wojas Smart Story
Encyclopedia
Murder in New Hampshire: The Pamela Wojas Smart Story is a 1991 made-for-tv-film based on the true story of Pamela Smart
seducing one of her 15 year old students into sex
and to murdering her husband, Gregg Smart, in Derry
, New Hampshire
. It is directed by Joyce Chopra
and stars Helen Hunt
as Pamela Smart and Chad Allen
as Billy Flynn, her 15 year old lover. It originally aired on CBS
on September 24, 1991.
, and he is begging for his life. The boy holding the knife says "he can't do it." Another boy draws a pistol
, says "God Forgive me", and shoots him to death. The three boys run out of the house to a getaway car. The scene then cuts to a courtroom. The prosecuting attorney
explains to the court that Ms. Smart coerced the boys into the murder of her husband. The scene then cuts to a flashback, where Gregg Smart calls the home of his then-fiancee Pam. She tells her that she got a job at a New Hampshire insurance company, and that she should pack her bags. When he arrives, she notices that he cut his hair, and expresses her disapproval. The next scene shows their wedding. As they are about to drive off, she tells her new parents-in-law that she is thankful that they have been so good to her. Pamela soon applies for a job at a news station, but is turned down. She then gets a job as a media director at a high school
, where she begins an Anti-Drug campaign. For the drug campaign, she meets several students, including Bobby Flynn and Cecelia Pierce. After the meeting, she drives Cecelia and Bobby home, dropping off Cecelia first. When Bobby and Pam are alone in the car, they learn of their shared fandom of Van Halen
, and Pam says she used to work on a radio station, & met the band then. Later on, Bobby, Pam, and Cecelia learn of a contest to make an advertisement for orange juice
, which has a cash prize and a trip to Florida
. They decide to make a music video
for it, Bobby being the cameraman. Soon after, Cecelia expresses her interest of going into a similar field to Pam, who offers to let her be her intern
. Cecelia accepts, and tells Pam that Bobby has a "major crush" on her. On one occasion, Pam and Bobby go to a nightclub
together, despite Bobby's mother's disapproval. One day of filming the music video, Pam asks Bobby if she could shower
at his house, he says that was okay. Afterward, Bobby and Pam talk in his bedroom, & they soon begin to kiss each other passionately. Pam soon pulls away and tells Bobby that she's married. However, soon Bobby is at his friends house. He tells his friend that his mom believes he is sleeping over there, so if she calls he should pretend he can't come to the phone, but in reality he is going to Pam's and that her husband is out of town. When asked if they plan to have sex, Bobby says "I hope so." At Pam's, they do end up going upstairs and having sex for the first time. When Pam is driving Bobby home one day, she tells him they have to break up. Bobby asks her why, and she says that Greg rarely goes out of town like that, and that she wants to be with Bobby always. She tells him that the only way they could be together is if he murders her husband. Bobby suggests that she divorce
s Gregg, but she says that all they own is made out to him, and he would get all of it. He also has had a history of beating her, and is afraid for her safety if she leaves him. She tells him that he will also pay his friends $1,000 to kill her husband. On two separate occasions, Bobby says he and his friends will kill Gregg, but both times he doesn't, and Pam reacts with anger, and threatens to tell Gregg of the whole situation. Billy tells his friends that he would commit suicide
if he lost Pam. On the third occasion, they succeed in killing him. When questioned by the police and media, Pam adamantly claims that her husband was not a violent person, nor was he involved with illegal drugs. Meanwhile, an anonymous
caller tells the Police that Cecelia knew about the plot. The police immediately question Cecelia, who eventually admits to the story being true. Billy & his friends are arrested, as is Pam. Billy is offered a reduced sentence if he testifies against Pam, and his friends talk him into it. The movie ends in the courtroom again. The jury finds Pamela to be guilty, and she is sentenced.
as Pamela Smart
Chad Allen
as William Flynn
Larry Drake
as Mark Sisti
Riff Reagan as Cecelia Pierce
Hank Stratton as Greg Smart
Pamela Smart
Pamela Ann Smart is serving a life sentence for accomplice to first-degree murder, conspiracy to commit murder and witness tampering in New Hampshire...
seducing one of her 15 year old students into sex
Statutory rape
The phrase statutory rape is a term used in some legal jurisdictions to describe sexual activities where one participant is below the age required to legally consent to the behavior...
and to murdering her husband, Gregg Smart, in Derry
Derry, New Hampshire
-Climate:-Demographics:As of the census of 2010, there were 33,109 people, 12,537 households, and 8,767 families residing in the town. The population density was 924.8 people per square mile . There were 13,277 housing units at an average density of 143.2/km²...
, New Hampshire
New Hampshire
New Hampshire is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. The state was named after the southern English county of Hampshire. It is bordered by Massachusetts to the south, Vermont to the west, Maine and the Atlantic Ocean to the east, and the Canadian...
. It is directed by Joyce Chopra
Joyce Chopra
Joyce Chopra , is an American director and writer of feature films and television.- Partial director filmography :*A Happy Mother's Day co-directed with Richard Leacock*Joyce at 34...
and stars Helen Hunt
Helen Hunt
Helen Elizabeth Hunt is an American actress, film director, and screenwriter. She starred in the sitcom Mad About You for seven years, before being cast in the romantic comedy As Good as It Gets...
as Pamela Smart and Chad Allen
Chad Allen (actor)
Chad Allen is an American actor. Beginning a prolific career as a child actor at the age of seven, Allen is a three-time Young Artist Award winner and GLAAD Media Award honoree, best known for rising to prominence as a teen idol during the late 1980s as David Witherspoon on the NBC family drama,...
as Billy Flynn, her 15 year old lover. It originally aired on CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
on September 24, 1991.
Plot
The film opens to the actual murder. Three teenage boys are holding a knife to the throat of a man. They are demanding his wedding ringWedding ring
A wedding ring or wedding band is a metal ring indicating the wearer is married. Depending on the local culture, it is worn on the base of the right or the left ring finger. The custom of wearing such a ring has spread widely beyond its origin in Europe...
, and he is begging for his life. The boy holding the knife says "he can't do it." Another boy draws a pistol
Pistol
When distinguished as a subset of handguns, a pistol is a handgun with a chamber that is integral with the barrel, as opposed to a revolver, wherein the chamber is separate from the barrel as a revolving cylinder. Typically, pistols have an effective range of about 100 feet.-History:The pistol...
, says "God Forgive me", and shoots him to death. The three boys run out of the house to a getaway car. The scene then cuts to a courtroom. The prosecuting attorney
Lawyer
A lawyer, according to Black's Law Dictionary, is "a person learned in the law; as an attorney, counsel or solicitor; a person who is practicing law." Law is the system of rules of conduct established by the sovereign government of a society to correct wrongs, maintain the stability of political...
explains to the court that Ms. Smart coerced the boys into the murder of her husband. The scene then cuts to a flashback, where Gregg Smart calls the home of his then-fiancee Pam. She tells her that she got a job at a New Hampshire insurance company, and that she should pack her bags. When he arrives, she notices that he cut his hair, and expresses her disapproval. The next scene shows their wedding. As they are about to drive off, she tells her new parents-in-law that she is thankful that they have been so good to her. Pamela soon applies for a job at a news station, but is turned down. She then gets a job as a media director at a high school
Winnacunnet High School
Winnacunnet High School is an American public high school located in Hampton, New Hampshire. It serves students in grades 9 through 12 who reside in the communities of Hampton, Seabrook, North Hampton, and Hampton Falls. Students from South Hampton have the option of attending either Winnacunnet...
, where she begins an Anti-Drug campaign. For the drug campaign, she meets several students, including Bobby Flynn and Cecelia Pierce. After the meeting, she drives Cecelia and Bobby home, dropping off Cecelia first. When Bobby and Pam are alone in the car, they learn of their shared fandom of Van Halen
Van Halen
Van Halen is an American hard rock band formed in Pasadena, California, in 1972. The band has enjoyed success since the release of its debut album, Van Halen, . As of 2007 Van Halen has sold 80 million albums worldwide and has had the most #1 hits on the Billboard Mainstream Rock chart...
, and Pam says she used to work on a radio station, & met the band then. Later on, Bobby, Pam, and Cecelia learn of a contest to make an advertisement for orange juice
Orange juice
Orange juice is a popular beverage made from oranges. It is made by extraction from the fresh fruit, by desiccation and subsequent reconstitution of dried juice, or by concentration of the juice and the subsequent addition of water to the concentrate...
, which has a cash prize and a trip to Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
. They decide to make a music video
Music video
A music video or song video is a short film integrating a song and imagery, produced for promotional or artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings...
for it, Bobby being the cameraman. Soon after, Cecelia expresses her interest of going into a similar field to Pam, who offers to let her be her intern
Intern
Internship is a system of onthejob training for white-collar jobs, similar to an apprenticeship. Interns are usually college or university students, but they can also be high school students or post graduate adults seeking skills for a new career. They may also be as young as middle school or in...
. Cecelia accepts, and tells Pam that Bobby has a "major crush" on her. On one occasion, Pam and Bobby go to a nightclub
Nightclub
A nightclub is an entertainment venue which usually operates late into the night...
together, despite Bobby's mother's disapproval. One day of filming the music video, Pam asks Bobby if she could shower
Shower
A shower is an area in which one bathes underneath a spray of water.- History :...
at his house, he says that was okay. Afterward, Bobby and Pam talk in his bedroom, & they soon begin to kiss each other passionately. Pam soon pulls away and tells Bobby that she's married. However, soon Bobby is at his friends house. He tells his friend that his mom believes he is sleeping over there, so if she calls he should pretend he can't come to the phone, but in reality he is going to Pam's and that her husband is out of town. When asked if they plan to have sex, Bobby says "I hope so." At Pam's, they do end up going upstairs and having sex for the first time. When Pam is driving Bobby home one day, she tells him they have to break up. Bobby asks her why, and she says that Greg rarely goes out of town like that, and that she wants to be with Bobby always. She tells him that the only way they could be together is if he murders her husband. Bobby suggests that she divorce
Divorce
Divorce is the final termination of a marital union, canceling the legal duties and responsibilities of marriage and dissolving the bonds of matrimony between the parties...
s Gregg, but she says that all they own is made out to him, and he would get all of it. He also has had a history of beating her, and is afraid for her safety if she leaves him. She tells him that he will also pay his friends $1,000 to kill her husband. On two separate occasions, Bobby says he and his friends will kill Gregg, but both times he doesn't, and Pam reacts with anger, and threatens to tell Gregg of the whole situation. Billy tells his friends that he would commit suicide
Suicide
Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Suicide is often committed out of despair or attributed to some underlying mental disorder, such as depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, alcoholism, or drug abuse...
if he lost Pam. On the third occasion, they succeed in killing him. When questioned by the police and media, Pam adamantly claims that her husband was not a violent person, nor was he involved with illegal drugs. Meanwhile, an anonymous
Anonymity
Anonymity is derived from the Greek word ἀνωνυμία, anonymia, meaning "without a name" or "namelessness". In colloquial use, anonymity typically refers to the state of an individual's personal identity, or personally identifiable information, being publicly unknown.There are many reasons why a...
caller tells the Police that Cecelia knew about the plot. The police immediately question Cecelia, who eventually admits to the story being true. Billy & his friends are arrested, as is Pam. Billy is offered a reduced sentence if he testifies against Pam, and his friends talk him into it. The movie ends in the courtroom again. The jury finds Pamela to be guilty, and she is sentenced.
Cast
Helen HuntHelen Hunt
Helen Elizabeth Hunt is an American actress, film director, and screenwriter. She starred in the sitcom Mad About You for seven years, before being cast in the romantic comedy As Good as It Gets...
as Pamela Smart
Chad Allen
Chad Allen
Chad Allen may refer to:*Chad Allen , actor known for his role on Dr. Quinn: Medicine Woman*Chad Allen , baseball outfielder formerly with the Minnesota Twins...
as William Flynn
Larry Drake
Larry Drake
Larry Drake is an American actor.Drake was born in Tulsa, Oklahoma, the son of Lorraine, a homemaker, and Raymond Drake, a drafting engineer for an oil company. Drake is renowned for his portrayal of developmentally disabled Benny Stulwicz on the television show L.A...
as Mark Sisti
Riff Reagan as Cecelia Pierce
Hank Stratton as Greg Smart