Family Plot (1976)

User Rating:

6.7/10   

Director:

Alfred Hitchcock

Writers:

Victor Canning (novel)
Ernest Lehman (writer)

Release Date:

9 April 1976 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | 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:

Kidnapping | Diamond | Heir | Medium | Chance Meeting

Awards:

Nominated for Golden Globe. Another 1 win & 2 nominations

Cast

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

Also Known As:

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

Runtime:

121 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Colour:

Colour (Technicolor)

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:

Liza Minnelli was originally cast to play the role that later went to Barbara Harris.

Goofs:

Continuity: The amount of beer in George's glass at the diner while waiting for Maloney, increases after he takes a drink.

Quotes:

George: Smells fishy to me.
Blanche: Well even fish smells good when you're starving to death.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in L'infermiera di notte (1979)

Soundtrack:

Rejoice, the Lord Is King

Fun parody

Hitchcock was a better director of suspense than comedy.

This is a not altogether successful attempt at a send-up of Hitchcock's classic thrillers. The plot is as convoluted as ever, except that it borders on the silly.

As a stand-alone movie, it's beautifully shot, but too ridiculous to take seriously, without managing to be actually funny.

But if you take the plot as simply a line to hang the parody on, it's nicely amusing. It's a kaleidoscope of scenes from other Hitchcock movies which were scary the first time round, but this time they're caricatures. Relive bits from North By Northwest, Psycho, To Catch A Thief, and many more, grinning as you recognise where they came from.