1st to Die (2003) (TV)

User Rating:

5.7/10   

Director:

Russell Mulcahy

Writers (WGA):

Michael O'Hara (written for television by)
James Patterson (novel)

Release Date:

23 February 2003 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Thriller | Drama | Crime | Mystery

Tagline:

The honeymoon murders...to catch the killer, she'll become the bait.

Plot:

A group of female friends in San Francisco investigate a serial killer targeting newlyweds.

Plot Keywords:

Serial Killer | Investigation | Detective | Female Protagonist | Based On Novel

Cast

Tracy Pollan	...	Lindsay Boxer
Gil Bellows	...	Chris Raleigh
Carly Pope	...	Cindy Thomas
Megan Gallagher	...	Jill Barnhart
Angie Everhart	...	Chessy Jenks
Mitch Pileggi	...	Warren Jacobi
Sean Young	...	Joanna Wade
Jerry Wasserman	...	Lt. Roth
Byron Mann	...	Derek Lee
Pam Grier	...	Claire Washburn
Robert Patrick	...	Nicholas Jenks
Kristina Copeland	...	Merrill Cale
John Reardon	...	David Brandt (as John Henry Reardon)
Sonya Salomaa	...	Melanie Brandt
Ona Grauer	...	Becky DeGraaff

Also Known As:

Always a Bridesmaid (USA) (working title)
F1rst to Die (USA) (promotional title)
First to Die (USA) (alternative spelling)
James Patterson's F1rst to Die (USA) (promotional title)

MPAA:

Rated R for violence.

Runtime:

USA:180 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Certification:

USA:TV-14 | USA:R

Filming Locations:

Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

Company:

Michael O'Hara Productions

Goofs:

Continuity: When Nicholas Jenks escapes from the Department of Corrections car, he kicks out the rear window in order to get out. When the police are at the crash scene, the window is back in place.

Movie Connections:

References Groundhog Day (1993)

Typical Made-for-TV Movie With a Decent Plot

As with most made-for-TV movies, the acting was uninspired and the characterizations were pathetically contrived. However, the meat and bones of the plot was actually quite good. It was obvious that there would be a plot twist but I was still surprised by the direction it took, and the fact that there was not one, but two plot twists.

Tracy Pollan had one or two good moments. Mostly, she was just mediocre. Gil Bellows was about as adequate as he was in Ally McBeal and The Agency. I'd give the two main stars a C+ at worst, a B- at best. Sean Young had a very small part. The strongest actor in the cast was Robert Patrick. He was quite effective at seeming to be both mysterious and ominous. He has matured well since his days on The X-Files. His raspy voice and piercing/squinty eyes reminded me of Michael Madsen who is a fabulous heavy.

In summary, this is an OK movie to watch for folks who like 'who done it' murder mysteries. I would imagine that the book is probably much better though since the only real stand-out was the actual plot. I'd give the movie ** (out of 4), or on the IMdB system I'd give it a 6. It's better than average, but not by much.