A Friend to Die For
| A Friend to Die For | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Genre | Crime Drama |
| Based on | "Death of a Cheerleader" by Randall Sullivan |
| Directed by | William A. Graham |
| Starring |
Kellie Martin Tori Spelling Valerie Harper Marley Shelton |
| Theme music composer | Chris Boardman |
| Original language(s) | English |
| Production | |
| Executive producer(s) |
Steve White Dan Bronson (co-executive producer) |
| Producer(s) |
Barry Bernardi Don Goldman (co-producer) Ken Raskoff (co-producer) Steven Tyler Sahlein (associate producer) Stephen Soyland (associate producer) |
| Cinematography | Robert Steadman |
| Editor(s) | Lance Luckey |
| Running time | 87 minutes |
| Production company(s) | Steve White Productions |
| Distributor | NBC |
| Release | |
| Original network | NBC |
| Original release |
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A Friend to Die For (also known as Death of a Cheerleader in the UK and during Lifetime television airings) is a 1994 American psychological thriller television film directed by William A. Graham. Written by Dan Bronson, the film is based on the real-life murder of Kirsten Costas, who was killed by her classmate, Bernadette Protti, in 1984. The film was the highest-rated TV movie of 1994.
In the fictional town of Santa Mira, California, a man witnesses student Stacey Lockwood (Tori Spelling) (whom he drove home after she went to his house to telephone her parents) being stabbed by an unseen 'friend', who followed them to her house. When her family arrive home, they find paramedics and police gathered outside, as Stacey is rushed to hospital, where she dies.
In a flashback to ten months earlier, Angela Delvecchio (Kellie Martin) is a shy high school sophomore who aspires to be popular, beautiful and perfect in everything. She performs well academically in school, attends Mass regularly, and sets high goals for herself. She idolizes Stacey, who is the most popular girl at school, as well as a cheerleader. One of the reasons why Angela admires Stacey is because one of Angela's goals is to become a cheerleader. When Angela is accepted into the Larks, the school's popular clique, she tries to forge a friendship with the rich, snobbish and self-centered Stacey, who rejects her. She then further suffers being rejected for a coveted position as one of the yearbook staff and in an audition for the cheerleading squad, leaving her humiliated and feeling like a failure.
The events of the night of Stacey's stabbing are shown from Angela's perspective. Still determined to be friends with Stacey, Angela calls Stacey's mother and anonymously invites her to a party under the guise of there being a special dinner for the Larks. Once Stacey gets in the car with Angela, she reveals that the "dinner" story was a lie she told Stacey's mother so she would be allowed to meet Angela. Infuriated, Stacey demands to be taken home. Angela tries to explain how much she admires Stacey and wants to be like her, but Stacey is less than sympathetic. Unmoved, she calls Angela "pathetic" and exits the car, stating that everyone in school will now laugh at Angela. Stacey then runs to a nearby house, where she asks to use the telephone, explaining that the 'friend' she was with had 'gotten a little weird', and manages to get a ride home. Angela follows the car back to Stacey's home, and out of fear that Stacey will spread rumors about her, Angela stabs Stacey multiple times and leaves her for dead.
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