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Lunch » Tags » Movies » Reviews » Family Plot (movie)

Family Plot (movie)

5 Ratings: 2.0

A movie

Family Plot is a 1976 film directed by Alfred Hitchcock, his final completed film. It stars Barbara Harris, Bruce Dern, William Devane and Karen Black. The story involves a fake psychic, Blanche Tyler (played by Harris), and her con artist taxi driver … see full wiki

Tags: Movies, Drama Movies, Action Movies, Alfred Hitchcock Films

Cast: Louise Lorimer, Bruce Dern, Katherine Helmond, Karen Black, Alexander Lockwood, William Devane, see all

Director: Alfred Hitchcock

Genre: Drama, Action, Adventure

Release Date: January 1, 1976

MPAA Rating: PG

1 review about Family Plot (movie)

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Hitchcock's final film is certainly an entertaining one!

Nov 13, 2009

by drifter51

Rating:

As I recall, the critics were really not all that impressed with "Family Plot". In his "2009 Movie Guide" Leonard Maltin gives the film just 2 1/2 out of 4 stars and observes that the film is "mildly entertaining but never credible". While this is by no means one of Hitchcock's greatest films ever I always felt that it was among his most entertaining. "Family Plot" was a departure from Hitchcock's standard fare for a couple of reasons. First and foremost, Hitchcock employs liberal doses of humor at various points throughout the film. In addtion, the film is shot entirely in color which is a radical change from his previous theatrical releases and long running television series which were all filmed in glorious black and white.

"Family Plot" revolves around a missing heir named Eddie Shoebridge now known as Arthur Adamson (William Devane) who turns out to be a rather notorious jewel thief. Adamson is being sought after by the unlikely duo of would-be psychic Blanche Tyler (Barbara Harris) and her con-man boyfriend, a cab driver named George Lumley (Bruce Dern). Blanche has been promised the neat sum of $10,000 ( a lot of money in those days) if she can locate this long lost nephew of one of her elderly clients. Adamson, who had faked his own death a quarter of a century earlier, gets extremely nervous when strangers begin digging into his unseamly past and quickly comes to the conclusion that Blanche and George will have to be eliminated.  There are plenty of twists, turns and chuckles along the way to hold your interest.

"Family Plot" features fine performances’ by both Bruce Dern and William Devane who is the absolute personification of evil in this film. While I certainly do understand why many critics felt that this movie was not quite up to Hitchcock's usual high standards I still enjoyed this film immensely. My guess is that had "Family Plot" had been directed by anyone other than Alfred Hitchcock the reviews probably would have been a bit less critical.   Recommended.