“Fatal Honeymoon”: Newlywed’s death explored in Lifetime movie


Posted August 22, 2012 by Melissa Hayer Comment on this article Leave a comment
Billy Miller and Amber Clayton star as Gabe and Tina Watson in "Fatal Honeymoon." - Lifetime Photo
Billy Miller and Amber Clayton star as Gabe and Tina Watson in "Fatal Honeymoon." - Lifetime Photo

 

The 2003 death of newlywed Tina Watson has been well-documented on news programs. And, now it’s the topic of the Lifetime Original Movie “Fatal Honeymoon,” starring Harvey Keitel, Billy Miller and Amber Clayton.

While Alabama couple Gabe Watson (Miller) and Tina Watson (Clayton), both 26, are spending their honeymoon in Australia, Tina drowns in what appears to be a scuba diving accident.

Authorities question Gabe’s inconsistent statements about her death, and Tina’s father Tommy Thomas (Keitel) starts to suspect Gabe might have murdered his daughter.

An underwater picture of Tina lying motionless on the ocean floor assists in persuading Australian authorities to charge Gabe with his wife’s death and extradite him to their country.

“Fatal Honeymoon” focuses on Tina and Gabe’s relationship before they were married, her death, and the following investigation into whether Gabe played a part in her demise.

The movie is beautifully filmed, and lead actors Keitel, Miller and Clayton excel in their roles. Keitel, especially, is able to convey the strong emotions felt by the grieving father, drawing deep sympathy toward this character.

Since the film doesn’t answer all the questions involved with this case, viewers are allowed to make up their own minds about what they think really happened near Australia’s Great Barrier Reef during the couple’s scuba diving excursion in 2003.

Tune in to Lifetime at 7 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 25, and see what you think.

– Melissa Hayer

mhayer@opubco.com

Follow me on Twitter: @MelissaHayer

Harvey Keitel and Amber Clayton in "Fatal Honeymoon" - Lifetime Photo
Harvey Keitel and Amber Clayton in "Fatal Honeymoon" - Lifetime Photo

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