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Family Plot (1976)
Rate:
8
Viewed:
4/06, 2/17
4/06:
The final film of Alfred Hitchcock's long, illustrious career, Family Plot is below his standards.
As a matter of fact, it's mediocre with little of Hitchcockian trademarks. Nevertheless, the plot is engaging
and camp at times, but the direction it's heading into isn't particularly effective.
Frenzy was rated 'R' which worked in Hitchcock's favor as he exploited the dark side for the first time ever. But
Family Plot, he went for the 'PG' rating which made it increasingly hard for him to discover ingenious ways to grip me
like he did with Psycho, Dial M for Murder, and Rear Window. If there's one thing I'm surprised by,
it's the high amount of profane words which is so unlike Hitchcock.
All in all, Family Plot is disappointing, but what a great career it had been for Alfred Hitchcock, the Master of
Suspense.
2/17:
I disagree with the critics that Frenzy is the last good Hitchcock picture, and I have to say Family Plot is
much better.
This one is not formulaic like many others and has some unique elements. It's also catchy and fun and has characters
who are easy to care about. During the interview, the producer was correct that I would see more things in the film
I hadn't previously seen.
There are great performances from the ensemble cast including Bruce Dern, Barbara Harris, William Devane, Karen Black,
and Ed Lauter. It's really Bruce Dern, whose role was originally intended for Al Pacino who turned out to be too expensive
(I actually can't see him in a Hitchcock movie anyway), who makes Family Plot a fun murder mystery picture.
His presence is greatly helpful.
Barbara Harris is cute and a perfect Hitchcock actress. I bet Alfred would have loved to have used her more often had he
lived longer. The same sentiment rings true for Ed Lauter. William Devane is a smooth talker. He has a great spontaneous moment
when his character, Arthur Adamson, was engaged with two detectives and he just picked off a lint from one of
the detectives' jacket. Hitchcock didn't like that, but this move shows he's firmly in control of the situation.
Karen Black is okay and presents a look that's certainly iconic (Brian De Palma would exploit it for Dressed to Kill
with Michael Caine) for a Hitchcock picture but doesn't try to ruin the film. I thought the whole time it was Marthe Keller
because of her connection with Bruce Dern in Black Sunday. But Karen Black's crossed eyes told me otherwise. Both Black
and Dern did The Great Gatsby.
I thought so, but I wasn't sure. The woman who plays Joe Maloney's wife is Katherine Helmond. She was outstanding as
Mona Robinson in Who's the Boss? Alfred Hitchcock's cameo, the last one of his career, appears as a silhouette behind
the white-windowed door. It's perfect and cool.
Locations are a big thing in Hitchcock films. Family Plot takes place in San Francisco and also around Northern
California. It's interesting how he tried to hide them to make sure it's not a San Francisco or a California picture. The
cemetary scene is very Hitchcockian. I bet Alfred wanted to use it more often or maybe he was really thinking about it on a
deeper level.
There are several moments I don't like. One is the way Barbara Harris was all over Bruce Dern when they were going downhill
after his character suddenly realized the car had been screwed with. It's too silly and not realistic. Two is how quickly the
garage door had closed on the clairvoyant during one suspenseful moment. If I remember earlier, it
took a while for the door to be properly closed. Three is the ending which showed the phony clairvoyant being guided to the
diamond. It's stupid, but Barbara Harris has a nice finish with her wink.
All in all, Family Plot, not Frenzy, is the last great picture of Alfred Hitchcock's storied career.