{{short description|1996 American television film by Allan Kroeker}}{{Use mdy dates|date=April 2025}}{{Use American English|date=January 2025}} {{Infobox television | alt_name = Hostile Advances: The Kerry Ellison Story | image = Hostile Advances poster.jpg | image_upright = | image_alt = | caption = | genre = | writer = Layce Gardner | director = Allan Kroeker | starring = Rena Sofer<br />Victor Garber<br />Karen Allen | music = Micky Erbe<br />Maribeth Solomon | country = United States | language = English | producer = Julian Marks<br />Clara George | executive_producer = Diana Kerew<br />Carol Trussell | editor = Jane Morrison | cinematography = François Protat | runtime = 90 minutes | company = The Diana Kerew Company<br />Hearst Entertainment | budget = | network = Lifetime | released = {{Start date|1996|05|27}} }}
'''''Hostile Advances: The Kerry Ellison Story''''' is a 1996 American made-for-television drama film based on ''Ellison v. Brady'', a landmark sexual harassment case.<ref name=":1">{{Cite journal |last=Schultz |first=Vicki |date=April 1998 |title=Reconceptualizing sexual harassment |url=https://www.proquest.com/docview/198487975/fulltext/1C5EB731372F467FPQ/5 |journal=Yale Law Journal |volume=107 |issue=6 |pages=1683–1805 |via=ProQuest}}</ref> This lawsuit set the precedent for the "reasonable woman" standard in sexual harassment law which allows for cases to be analyzed from the perspective of the complainant and not the defendant.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Kleiman |first=Carol |date=26 May 1996 |title=ONE WOMAN'S FIGHT AGAINST SEXUAL HARASSMENT |url=https://www.proquest.com/docview/291128363/1C5EB731372F467FPQ/8 |access-date=2025-10-27 |work=Chicago Tribune |via=ProQuest}}</ref>
Starring Rena Sofer as Kerry Ellison, the film told the story from the perspective of Ellison.<ref name=":1" /> It was first broadcast on Lifetime Television on May 27, 1996.<ref name=":1" /> The movie is directed by Allan Kroeker and written by Layce Gardner.
==Plot==
Kerry Ellison (Rena Sofer) is a senior accountant at the Internal Revenue Service.<ref name=":0">{{Cite news |last=Tucker |first=Ken |date=May 24, 1996 |title=The week |url=https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=f6h&AN=9606287679&lang=en-gb&site=eds-live&scope=site |access-date=2025-10-27 |work=Entertainment Weekly |via=EBSCOhost}}</ref> All goes well, until Jack Gilcrest (Victor Garber) develops an interest in her. He starts stalking her—following her, and writing her sexually tense notes. Kerry makes it clear multiple times that she is not interested in him. Even when Kerry is transferred to another division, Jack's stalking does not diminish. He returns and threatens Kerry so much, she begins to get anxiety attacks. Kerry's bosses dismiss Jack's obsession as harmless, and her labor union refuses to deal with the problem.
Kerry files a sexual harassment suit against her employers, who subsequently put her through hell.
== Cast == {{Castlist| * Rena Sofer as Kerry Ellison * Victor Garber as Jack Gilcrest * Karen Allen as Margaret * Maria Ricossa as Liz * Réal Andrews as Joey Westley * Sean McCann as Mr. Ellison * Patricia Gage as Mrs. Ellison * David Nerman as Sam * Bernard Behrens as Judge Gaffney * Sherry Miller as Jean * Richard Fitzpatrick as Hastings * Karl Pruner as Alex * Don Francks as Marty }}
== Reception == A review in ''Entertainment Weekly'' said, "While it plays somewhat like a cross between a sensitivity-training video and a stalker film, ''Advances'' is an interesting chronicle of a tiny step the system took to protect women from office weirdos."<ref name=":0" />
==See also== *Sexual harassment *Stalking *''North Country'' film about ''Jenson v. Eveleth Taconite Co.'', the first sexual harassment class action lawsuit
==References== {{reflist}}
==External links== * {{IMDb title|id=0116561}} *[http://www2.law.columbia.edu/faculty_franke/Torts/ellison.pdf Ellison v. Brady U.S. Court of Appeals document]
Category:1996 television films Category:1996 drama films Category:1996 films Category:Films about stalking Category:Films about sexual harassment Category:Lifetime (TV channel) films Category:Films scored by Maribeth Solomon Category:Films scored by Micky Erbe Category:American drama television films Category:1996 American films
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