# Hostile Advances
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> Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Hostile_Advances.md
> Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hostile_Advances
> Source revision: 1331401032
> License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/)
{{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](/source/Allan_Kroeker)
| starring = [Rena Sofer](/source/Rena_Sofer)
[Victor Garber](/source/Victor_Garber)
[Karen Allen](/source/Karen_Allen)
| music = [Micky Erbe](/source/Micky_Erbe)
[Maribeth Solomon](/source/Maribeth_Solomon)
| country = United States
| language = English
| producer = Julian Marks
Clara George
| executive_producer = Diana Kerew
Carol Trussell
| editor = Jane Morrison
| cinematography = [François Protat](/source/Fran%C3%A7ois_Protat)
| runtime = 90 minutes
| company = The Diana Kerew Company
[Hearst Entertainment](/source/Hearst_Communications)
| budget =
| network = [Lifetime](/source/Lifetime_(TV_network))
| released = {{Start date|1996|05|27}}
}}
'''''Hostile Advances: The Kerry Ellison Story''''' is a 1996 American [made-for-television](/source/television_film) [drama film](/source/drama_(film_and_television)) based on ''Ellison v. Brady'', a landmark [sexual harassment](/source/sexual_harassment) case.[{{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](/source/Yale_Law_Journal) |volume=107 |issue=6 |pages=1683–1805 |via=ProQuest}}] 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.[{{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](/source/ProQuest)}}]
Starring [Rena Sofer](/source/Rena_Sofer) as Kerry Ellison, the film told the story from the perspective of Ellison.[{{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](/source/Entertainment_Weekly) |via=[EBSCOhost](/source/EBSCOhost)}}] All goes well, until Jack Gilcrest ([Victor Garber](/source/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](/source/trade_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](/source/Rena_Sofer) as Kerry Ellison
* [Victor Garber](/source/Victor_Garber) as Jack Gilcrest
* [Karen Allen](/source/Karen_Allen) as Margaret
* Maria Ricossa as Liz
* [Réal Andrews](/source/R%C3%A9al_Andrews) as Joey Westley
* [Sean McCann](/source/Sean_McCann_(actor)) as Mr. Ellison
* [Patricia Gage](/source/Patricia_Gage) as Mrs. Ellison
* David Nerman as Sam
* [Bernard Behrens](/source/Bernard_Behrens) as Judge Gaffney
* [Sherry Miller](/source/Sherry_Miller) as Jean
* Richard Fitzpatrick as Hastings
* [Karl Pruner](/source/Karl_Pruner) as Alex
* [Don Francks](/source/Don_Francks) as Marty
}}
== Reception ==
A review in ''[Entertainment Weekly](/source/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."