‘Purgatory’ Leaves Viewers in Limbo

Unless you’ve been cocooning with no electricity for the last few years, it will be hard not to watch the two-part TV movie adaptation of Dominick Dunne’s novel, “A Season in Purgatory”--about how a rich family covers up the brutal murder of a young woman by one of their own--and not think of Dunne’s family tragedy and the equally brutal 1983 murder of young Dominique Dunne.

It was this event, as much as anything, that compelled Dunne to write (a)morality novels and be ringside reporter at both the O.J. Simpson and Menendez brothers murder trials.

But the ultimately unfulfilled tension in “Season” is between Dunne’s personal passions for justice and the simply delicious pleasures of watching the super-rich being really, really bad. Make no mistake: Dunne may have provided the blueprint here for scenarist Robert W. Lenski and director David Greene, but Aaron Spelling is also one of the executive producers.

The movie never establishes a tone, resulting in a needless tug-of-war between blackly comic arrogance (represented by Brian Dennehy as the grand, brutal patriarch of the Bradley family and Craig Sheffer as Constant, his snake-like son and political animal-in-training) and decency in the face of evil (played by Patrick Dempsey as Harrison, a Bradley friend in way over his head). There’s really no contest here: The Bradleys are nasty fun, and Harrison--once he’s past his moral dilemma--is a big bore.

Harrison, being a writer, is Dunne’s alter ego, which is probably why he isn’t invested with the kind of terrific character quirks we see with the Bradley clan. It’s also Harrison’s story, taking him from the time he gets involved with Constant and kin, to the murder, to 13 years later, when Harrison can’t hold his terrible secret about the Bradleys any longer. Investigation leads to murder trial leads to the conclusion that, just as no good deed goes unpunished, no bad deed goes unrewarded.

This should be a bitterly ironic end, but it only comes out cynical, because Dempsey as an actor can’t carry the morality play’s weight. His Harrison grows a thick skin as he ages, but doesn’t grow more interesting. Sheffer’s aging is more impressive: From preppy cad and bully, he becomes a Congressman with oily charisma and Teflon coating.

But forget about the real drama; “Season” is a romp from the smartly cast Bradleys. Sherilyn Fenn has probably never been more campy and tragic, while Dennehy bites into every nasty moment and spits it out with glee. Blair Brown as Bradley mere might seem to be above all this, but manages the movie’s is-it-tragedy-is-it-comedy traps best of all.

* “A Season in Purgatory” airs at 9 p.m. Sunday and Tuesday on CBS (Channel 2).