In this episode, we peel back the layers of Gus Van Sant’s darkly satirical To Die For (1995) and the true story that inspired it: The 1990 murder of Greg Smart, orchestrated by his wife, Pamela Smart. Nicole Kidman’s icy portrayal of Suzanne Stone – an ambitious small-town woman willing to kill for fame – captivated audiences, but how closely does it mirror Pamela herself? We explore the real case: Pamela’s relationship with teenager Billy Flynn, the media circus that surrounded the trial, and how the coverage shaped public perception. We also look at what the movie gets right, what it dramatizes, and how Pamela Smart continues to make headlines decades later. Was To Die For a biting commentary on media obsession, or a Hollywood distortion of a tragedy that still divides opinions today? That’s up for you to decide.

Primary Sources:

• Sawicki, Stephen. Teach Me to Kill: The Shocking True Story of the Pamela Smart Murder Case. (2019). 
• NBC News (2006)
• Seacoast Online (2021)

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Theme: DARKNESS (feat. EdKara) by Ghost148