Candy Montgomery's true story is just as confounding and arresting as it is in "Love & Death." Montgomery is presented as a cheery and infectious member of her suburban community. A mother of two, she ends up having an affair with Allan Gore (Plemons), the husband of one of her dear friends Betty Gore (Lily Rabe). Despite leading a so-called picture-perfect life, Montgomery kickstarts the affair because of her displeasure with her husband Pat, played by Patrick Fugit. All four go to the same church, frequently crossing paths.
Eventually, Betty realizes that Candy and Allan are having an affair. Per the Texas Monthly's second report, dubbed "The Killing of Betty Gore," Candy arrived at Gore's house to grab a bathing suit for her daughter. This event transpired on June 13 1980, when Betty confronted Candy about the affair. Later, Betty's body was found with 41 axe blows. The article states that 40 blows happened while Gore's heart was still beating. Candy quickly became the prime suspect and publically confirmed the affair.
She was found not guilty, telling the jury that the act of violence was committed in self-defense.
Since then, Candy Montogemery's story has become a worldwide fascination. Hulu even tapped Jessica Biel to play the suburbanite in their miniseries "Candy," which debuted in May 2022. While the particulars of the story are compelling, it was important for director Lesli Linka Glatter to focus on the characters and community that led to the tragic murder. "This is about a Texas town and its characters," Glatter told D Magazine. "I fell in love with all of them, but there's also a deep hole inside of those characters. It was a mile wide and unfulfilled, so that intrigued me."
