The Mirror Crack’d (1980) is another film adaptation of an Agatha Christie novel, and it features a loaded cast of classic stars, like Elizabeth Taylor (Marina Greg), Rock Hudson (Jason Rudd), and Angela Lansbury (Miss Marple). Like most Christie works, it features a twist in the reveal, and it is one that was so shocking and horrifying that both my husband and I were left staring at the screen, wide-eyed and slack-jawed.

In 1953, Marina is a movie star who is coming out of a long hiatus due to “illness,” and she is the lead in an upcoming film that her husband is directing. The small town of St. Mary Meade is thrilled that such a famous actress will be filming in their town, so a welcoming reception is organized. There, Marina encounters a “superfan,” Heather Babcock (Maureen Bennett), who boasts about how she met Marina once before, years ago, during World War II. Shortly after their exchange, Heather is found dead, poisoned by a cocktail that was intended for Marina. This leads Marina to panic as she seeks to discover who attempted to kill her. Was it her husband’s assistant who is not-so-secretly in love with him? A young, up-and-coming rival actress? 

Scotland Yard enlists the help of Miss Marple, who is an accomplished armchair detective. Meanwhile, the situation escalates, as Marina’s coffee is poisoned with arsenic. In discussing Marina’s history, Miss Marple learns that Marina’s acting hiatus was due to a nervous breakdown that she suffered after her child was born severely disabled and taken to live in an institution. Miss Marple receives important information about what occurred the night of Heather’s murder from one of the servants who worked the event, and once Jason’s assistant is found dead, Miss Marple has solved the mystery. 

SPOILERS BELOW!

Jason has uncovered the killer, too, realizing that his own wife has been murdering people while faking death threats against herself. In an attempt to spare her the suffering that a trial would bring, Jason encourages Marina to drink a cup of poisoned tea that he has prepared for her. However, by the time Miss Marple arrives to confront Marina, Marina is already dead, but by suicide, not the cup of tea. 

But why?

It is revealed that when Heather Babcock met Marina the first time, she was sick with rubella. She knew she was sick, but she was so intent on meeting Marina that she attended the event anyway and spread the virus. What no one knew at that time was that Marina was pregnant, and that rubella is incredibly harmful to a fetus. When Heather described meeting Marina long ago, the pieces clicked in Marina’s mind that this woman was the reason her child was disabled, and she wanted revenge. 

There are a few things I want to address from a Catholic perspective. First is most obvious, Marina’s suicide. The Catholic Church has always taught that suicide is a sin. It’s the taking of an innocent life and it undermines the love of God. However, the Church does, in her wisdom and compassion, acknowledge that “grave psychological disturbances, anguish, or grave fear of hardship, suffering, or torture can diminish the responsibility of the one committing suicide” (§2282). Therefore, the action is a sin, but a person’s culpability may be reduced due to the fact that they were probably not in a sound state of mind. We believe in a merciful God, and the Church prays for the salvation of those who have committed suicide. We do not believe they are not just eternally damned. Marina was obviously struggling with mental illness, and that needs to be taken into consideration when viewing all of her actions.

However, Jason’s behavior in the movie conjure up suicide’s insidious cousin, euthanasia. Jason thought that by assisting Marina in a suicide, he would prevent further suffering for her. His action seems motivated by love and compassion, and that’s precisely what makes euthanasia so evil. True love recognizes that suffering has value when it is united with Jesus’ suffering. No one wants to suffer, but suffering can bear great fruit for both the one suffering and the caregiver. I believe that Jason was truly well-intentioned in this movie, but those good intentions fail to understand the true value of life. The euthanasia movement speaks of dying with dignity, but there is dignity to be had in suffering. We don’t lose our inherent dignity as people because we suffer.  As Catholics, we can’t be led astray by what seems to be compassionate and dignifying because we know what true compassion and dignity are through our relationship with the Lord.

Overall, I really like the story, but I prefer the 1992 Joan Hickson adaptation to this version. Angela Lansbury is very talented, but she did not suit the role of Miss Marple. I appreciated the quicker pacing of this version, as well as the less ambiguous ending. If you like murder mysteries, you’d probably enjoy this movie.