Family Plot (1976)

Director:

Alfred Hitchcock

Writers:

Ernest Lehman (screenplay)
Victor Canning (novel)

Release Date:

9 April 1976 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Crime | Thriller

Tagline:

You must see it twice!

Plot:

Lighthearted suspense film about a phony psychic/con artist and her taxi driver/private investigator boyfriend who encounter a pair of serial kidnappers while trailing a missing heir in California.

Plot Keywords:

Diamond | Kidnapping | Heir | Medium | Brake Failure

Awards:

Nominated for Golden Globe. Another 1 win & 2 nominations

Cast

Barbara Harris	...	Blanche Tyler
Bruce Dern	...	George Lumley
Karen Black	...	Fran
William Devane	...	Arthur Adamson
Ed Lauter	...	Joseph P. Maloney
Cathleen Nesbitt	...	Julia Rainbird
Katherine Helmond	...	Mrs. Maloney
Warren J. Kemmerling	...	Grandison
Edith Atwater	...	Mrs. Clay
William Prince	...	Bishop Wood
Nicholas Colasanto	...	Constantine
Marge Redmond	...	Vera Hannagan
John Lehne	...	Andy Bush
Charles Tyner	...	Wheeler - Stone Cutter
Alexander Lockwood	...	Parson at Funeral

Also Known As:

Deceit (USA) (working title)
Missing Heir (USA) (working title)

Runtime:

121 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Certification:

Canada:A (Nova Scotia) | Canada:G (Quebec) | Canada:PG (Manitoba/Ontario) | Spain:18 | West Germany:12 (f) | South Korea:15 | Brazil:14 | Australia:PG | Argentina:13 | Singapore:PG | USA:PG | UK:A (original rating) | UK:PG (video rating) (1987) | Iceland:12

Filming Locations:

Angeles Crest, Angeles National Forest, California, USA

Company:

Universal Pictures

Trivia:

Karen Black initially wanted the role of Blanche.

Goofs:

Continuity: When Arthur Adamson opens the garage door Blanche's car is parked directly in front of it and they are not able to leave. But after taking care of Blanche the car has not moved and they are still able to leave the garage.

Quotes:

Arthur Adamson: Isn't it touching how a perfect murder has kept our friendship alive all these years.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Saturday Night Live: Bruce Dern/Leon Redbone (#8.15)" (1983)

Soundtrack:

Rejoice, the Lord Is King

No, not great Hitchcock, but entertaining nonetheless

Family Plot differs from all the other Hitchcock films. It lacks suspense, for the most part, and it is not as funny as many of his films. Instead, it is just an amusing little yarn. I like the way the film starts with two separate plot lines which gradually merge. Even if it is not the most original thing in the world (especially since two of Family Plot's stars were main players in Robert Altman's Nashville), it still makes the film interesting. If anyone else had made this film, it probably would be more fondly received by the public, although I doubt anyone would still be watching it today.

The two characters with whom we begin the film, whom we would consider the heroes, are the best, and are played lovingly by Barbara Harris and Bruce Dern. She's a hack psychic milking old ladies out of pensions, and he's a cabbie who cannot find enough time both to drive his cab and participate in Harris' schemes. Although the characters aren't as well developed as those in numerous other Hitchcock ventures, they're entertaining.

The other couple, Karen Black and William Devane, fare less well. They're more crafty in their crimes, perpetrating large-scale kidnappings for enormous ransoms. Karen Black's character is very underdeveloped, hardly showing any depth. What character she does have is not entirely believable, since Karen Black seems too nice to play a hardcore criminal. William Devane is decent as the sinister mastermind, but the history provided to his character is far more brutal than is believable (he locked his adopted parents in their bedroom and set fire to their house).

I liked the idea of the small time crooks clashing with the professionals, and I liked the outcome of the film. All in all, it is decent and worth watching. It does not feel anything like a Hitchcock film, so I wouldn't expect anything like Vertigo or Rear Window when approaching this, his swan song. 7/10