The Burning Bed

The original movie "The Burning Bed" is a true story based upon the battered housewife, Francine Hughes. The movie follows the thirteen years of domestic abuse that she endured at the hands of her husband James Berlin Hughes. Everyone called him "Mickey."

They had met the summer of 1963. She felt so special when she was around him. They end up getting married in 1964. It was so nice in the beginning. However, after a year, the pressures of marriage and trying to find a job was taking a toll on Mickey. That was making it hard for Francine to be happy. They started having their arguments. And one night, one argument had led Mickey to hit Francine for the first time. It was a slap but that was just the beginning. Francine had left but she found out she was pregnant and thought it was her obligation to get back with him for the baby's sake. Deep down, she did love him and would hope that he would change. She went back to him. They had a beautiful baby girl. The marriage was going well for awhile. Unfortunately, the abuse did not stop. A few years passed, they had a baby boy. During this time of having two children, she was sure that the abuse would stop. It did not. Mickey started drinking and became more abusive. Francine decides to leave him. She moved out on her own with the kids.

It was the winter of 1970 and Francine gave birth to their third child, a baby girl. She thinks about letting him see the children but when he wants more than that, she refuses. He leaves upset and then gets into a car accident. Nearly facing the loss of him, Francine decides to take care of him when he gets out of the hospital. She feels obligated and loyalty towards him. The years pass by and she is still with him, enduring more and more abuse as time goes on. At this point, I don't think she knows how to leave him. Each time she tries to leave, he stops her and starts beating her again. She just can't take it anymore.

One night, March 9, 1977, Mickey was sleeping in his bed. Francine poured gasoline in the bedroom and lighted a match. The house starts on fire. Mickey dies. Awaiting trial, Francine is in jail. Soon the trial will begin. The witnesses express in detail the history of abuse that Francine received. After hearing the sad and unbelieveable stories of abuse, the jury had decided she was innocent on reason of temporary insanity. 

I think it was a fair decision. It's sad that she had to resort to killing him just to stop the abuse. It's sad that she had gone through so much pain for so long and she didn't know what else to do.

Lizzy  =)