Shadow of Fear (2004)

Director:

Rich Cowan

Writers:

Matt Holloway (written by) &
Art Marcum (written by)

Release Date:

14 July 2004 (USA)

Genre:

Thriller

Tagline:

Once trapped inside, it's murder to get out.

Plot:

When a young man accidentally kills someone, he is plunged into a rich man's world of blackmail, betrayal, adultery and ...murder. |

Plot Keywords:

Blackmail | Murder | Accidental Killing | Congressman | Independent Film

Cast

Matthew Davis	...	Harrison French (as Matt Davis)
James Spader	...	William Ashbury
Aidan Quinn	...	Detective Scofield
Peter Coyote	...	Congressman Henderson
Robin Tunney	...	Wynn French
Alice Krige	...	Margie Henderson
Lacey Chabert	...	Allison Henderson
Sarah Ann Schultz	...	Genie Bloom
Robert Miano	...	Mr. Davis
David Selby	...	Mr. Steve Palmer
David Andriole	...	Mr. Sawgrass
Andrew Harris	...	Chris Henderson
Shirly Brener	...	Janey Sawgrass
Holly Houston	...	Marcy Stewart
John Grant Phillips	...	Chief Webb (as John G. Phillips)

Also Known As:

Main Line (USA) (working title)

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for brief violence, sexuality and some drug issues.

Runtime:

88 min | Argentina:90 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Colour:

Colour

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Germany:12 | Iceland:12 | Australia:M (original rating) | Netherlands:12 | USA:PG-13 | Argentina:16

Filming Locations:

Spokane, Washington, USA

Company:

Nu Image Films

Quotes:

Detective Scofield: You are going to be late because you are being questioned for murder!

Movie Connections:

Featured in Commune (2005)

Gripping Suspense! Stylish Film-making! Yet Enormously Depressing!

"Shadow of Fear" draws upon the elements of suspense from the famous genre of film noir. It also shares similarities to films from earlier decades in "The Brotherhood of the Bell" (1970) and "The Star Chamber" (1983). All three films focus on a secret male society that goes outside the law to protect the interests and advance the agendas of its members. I admired director Rich Cowan's camera angles and stylish cinematography in "Shadow of Fear." There was also good suspense sustained in the mysteries activities of the secret club.

At the heart of the action is the character of Harrison French, admirably played by Matthew Davis. Harrison is caught in a web of intrigue after an unfortunate incident of manslaughter while driving in a blinding rain. He is subsequently manipulated by the ringleader of the secret brotherhood, performed with great relish by James Spader. The cast is rounded out with veteran actors Peter Coyote and Aidan Quinn, along with good support from Robin Tunney, Alice Krige, and Lacey Chabert.

Beyond the effective and suspenseful plot, I was especially intrigued by the consistently morose and clinically depressed cast of characters. Despite the great affluence portrayed in the film, the main characters all suffered from guilt for their past conduct and by the obsession of keeping their skeletons in the closet, through assistance of Spader's oily attorney, William Ashbury. It is especially revealing when throughout the film, the protagonist Harrison is chomping on prescription antidepressant medication in order to cope with even the slightest setback.

In "The Brotherhood of the Bell" and "The Star Chamber," the secret society went outside the lines of society's ethics in the pursuit of such concepts as "truth" and "justice." By contrast, in "Shadow of Fear," there were no redeeming ideals as the members of the society sought only to cover up one another's past transgressions. Literally, no one seemed happy in this film. Not even the powerful attorney Ashbury could remedy their sorry state of depression.