Family Plot (1976)

Director:

Alfred Hitchcock

Writers:

Ernest Lehman (screenplay)
Victor Canning (novel)

Release Date:

9 April 1976 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Crime | 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:

Diamond | Kidnapping | Heir | Medium | Brake Failure

Awards:

Nominated for Golden Globe. Another 1 win & 2 nominations

Cast

Barbara Harris	...	Blanche Tyler
Bruce Dern	...	George Lumley
Karen Black	...	Fran
William Devane	...	Arthur Adamson aka Edward Shoebridge
Ed Lauter	...	Joseph P. Maloney
Cathleen Nesbitt	...	Julia Rainbird
Katherine Helmond	...	Mrs. Maloney
Warren J. Kemmerling	...	Grandison
Edith Atwater	...	Mrs. Clay
William Prince	...	Bishop Wood
Nicholas Colasanto	...	Constantine
Marge Redmond	...	Vera Hannagan
John Lehne	...	Andy Bush
Charles Tyner	...	Wheeler - Stone Cutter
Alexander Lockwood	...	Parson at Funeral

Also Known As:

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

Runtime:

121 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

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:

The final shot in the movie, a wink by the Barbara Harris character was a jokey reference that was not planned but Alfred Hitchcock decided to leave in.

Goofs:

Continuity: Towards the end when George is in the basement, he passes a window that shows it is day outside, though the scene takes place at night.

Quotes:

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

Movie Connections:

Referenced in 'Silent Running': A Conversation with Bruce Dern, 'Lowell Freeman' (2002) (V)

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.