In the small town of Haverhill, Vermont, the entire community is about to get a shock. In Secrets of Eden, John Stamos plays the preacher who keeps the secrets of his flock, as well as his own.
Stephen Drew is a highly respected preacher and member of the community. He is young, single, charming, and empathetic. As the story plays out it jumps from present day to scenes from the past as the relationships between the characters are examined.
Alice Hayward (Sonya Salomaa) is a battered wife who has sought comfort from her preacher. His counseling helped her become more independent and she was on her way to a happier life. But then something horrible happens. She is murdered by her husband and he is found dead in their house. It is originally thought to be a murder-suicide until the coroner proves that George Hayward was murdered. The police, led by Detective Catherine Benicasa (Anna Gunn), start searching for the killer.
Secrets in a Small Town
It’s difficult to keep a secret in a small town where everyone knows your business. But Alice managed to keep her domestic violence to herself, confiding only in the preacher and her two best friends. As Alice’s life unfolds for the investigators, her abuse becomes front and center. The problem is that her husband, although known to have murdered Alice, was himself murdered. So who loved Alice enough to avenge her death?
Immediately the focus turns to the minister. As little by little, the facts about his relationship with Alice come to light, the police are more confident than ever that he killed George Hayward.
All of this is going on while Alice’s fifteen-year-old daughter Katie is trying to get her life back together after being suddenly left an orphan.
Secrets of Eden
There are plenty of secrets going on in this seemingly idyllic town. As the story grows, viewers start to question whether the minister actually did kill George. There is no proof, but his actions suggest he did the deed.
It might be difficult for some viewers to believe John Stamos as a preacher, but he does deliver a good performance filling his character with plenty of empathy.
The story was based on a New York Times best-selling novel by Chris Bohjalian. In the beginning of screening this, I did not like the way the scenes jumped from the present to the past, however after viewing the entire film I can say that that was the best and only way to make this movie.
Secrets of Eden premiers Saturday, February 4, 2012 at 8 pm ET/PT on Lifetime.
