This fact-based TV movie begins in 1987, as high-school athlete Alex Kelly (Matthew Settle) awaits his trial for the rape of one girl and the intimidation of several others. Rather than face the justice system, Alex flees to Europe, where he spends virtually the next decade, with covert financial help from his family. Falling in love with a girl in Sweden, Alex builds a whole new life for himself. Ultimately, however, Interpol tracks Alex down, whereupon the story takes a dramatic new turn. Told from the point of view of Alex's female victim, the film does nothing to whitewash its protagonist, even though actor Settle manages to invest his character with a modicum of sympathy; plus, the viewer is left to ponder whether the fault lies entirely with Alex, or with his upbringing. First broadcast by CBS as Crime in Connecticut: The Return of Alex Kelly on March 16, 1999, the film has since been rerun on cable as The Return of Alex Kelly.
by Hal Erickson
synopsis
