The forthcoming Lifetime drama 12 Desperate Hours is scheduled to debut on February 25, 2023, telling the harrowing story of a felon and a mother’s fight to save her family. The forthcoming picture will feature Samantha Mathis as the protagonist, with Harrison Thomas and David Conrad sharing responsibilities for other important parts. It is directed by Gina Gershon, who is also an actress.
Lifetime’s summary for 12 Desperate Hours is as follows:
“This Lifetime original, adapted from Ann Rule’s Last Chance, Last Dance true crime compilation, tracks Val (Samantha Mathis), a mother who discovers herself and her small children held captive by Denny (Harrison Thomas) when he makes his way into her home after conducting murder earlier that day.”
The events of the forthcoming film are based on true events, as they are taken from famous true crime writer Rule’s collection Last Dance, Last Chance and Other True Cases: Crime Files Vol. 8, though the main names and characters have been altered considerably.
Val must fight to save her life in #12DesperateHours. pic.twitter.com/mzxm7MIXcX
— Lifetime (@lifetimetv) February 21, 2023
On which crime are 12 Desperate Hours based?
12 Dangerous Hours follows an armed criminal who holds a family captive and forces the mother to drive him on a night of savage violence and terrible plots. This story is similar to that of Gary Lee Quinlivan, who was ultimately convicted of second-degree murder, first-degree murder, and first-degree abduction.
His offenses began in Washington state in 1963, when Joan Marlatt terminated her relationship with then-boyfriend Quinlivan, who was not pleased. In order to contact his erstwhile companion, who was residing with her mother, he sought the assistance of an acquaintance, Fritz Donahue. According to accounts, Quinlivan accidentally murdered his friend when he fell in the dirt and his pistol went off.
The postmortem showed the following:
“[Donahue] perished of a shotgun wound to the head, with the wound in the horizontal plane, facts compatible with the pistol being held at shoulder level and discharged straight at the deceased.”
Quinlivan then fled into the forests and to the outside of Patricia Jean Jaque’s house, where he compelled her to drive him around. The plot of 12 Desperate Hours was influenced by this. The following is an excerpt from the film’s synopsis:
“Val agrees to take Denny wherever he wants and becomes his reluctant partner as he goes on a spree of devastation in order to save them and her husband Mark (David Conrad), who was due home at any minute. Despite the harrowing events, Val develops a connection with her kidnapper and uses it to save the lives of witnesses, herself, and even her abductor (2023).”
Last Dance, Last Chance, and Other Real Cases: Crime Reports Vol. 8 also included a disturbing account of this event. Gina Gershon told KTLA 5 about the situation:
“It touched me… I’m just tired of reading about another deadly murder in the news. I’m so saddened to think that these kids go to school and may never leave. It’s just terrible; America has failed as a civilization, and things aren’t getting any better.”
Lifetime will debut 12 Desperate Hours on February 25, 2023, at 8 p.m. EDT. It will also be accessible for viewing the following day.
