A Killing in a Small Town (1990)

The gory ax-murder of one mousy, suburban Texas housewife by another is nearly as shocking as the excuse offered by the bespectacled defendant's attorney: self-defense. Could it be so?

Director:

Stephen Gyllenhaal

Writers:

John Bloom (book), James Atkinson (book),

Stars:

Barbara Hershey, Brian Dennehy, John Terry

Won 1 Golden Globe. Another 4 wins & 6 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Barbara Hershey	...	Candy Morrison
Brian Dennehy	...	Ed Reivers
John Terry	...	Stan Blankenship
Richard Gilliland	...	Dale Morrison
Lee Garlington	...	Peggy Blankenship
Hal Holbrook	...	Dr. Beardsley
Matthew Posey	...	Norman Billings
James Monroe Black	...	Dr. Giles (as James Black)
Dennis Letts	...	Chief McAlester
Marco Perella	...	Rick Slocum
Norman Bennett	...	Jim Ramsey
Jerry Haynes	...	Judge Scott
Rodger Boyce	...	Rex Staples
Daphne Eckler	...	Dede Alexander
Jan DeWitt	...	Connie Keating

Storyline

A small town is shocked by the brutal ax murder of a woman. However, they are even more shocked when a reserved neighboring woman who is a wife and mother becomes the chief suspect. During the investigation, she is placed under hypnosis which reveals a different personality completely. Based on a true event that occurred in Texas in 1980.

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Plot Keywords:

murder | hypnosis | forensic psychiatrist | choir | murder confession | 

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Genres:

Drama

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Certificate:

R

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

22 May 1990 (USA)

Also Known As:

Die Axtmörderin

Filming Locations:

Dallas, Texas, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Hearst Entertainment Productions, IndieProd Company Productions, King Phoenix Entertainment

Technical Specs

Runtime:

100 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Based on the true-crime book "Evidence of Love," by John Bloom, better known by his alter ego of Drive-In movie critic Joe Bob Briggs.

User Reviews

A great performance by Barbara Hershey

I saw this movie since it's release in 1990, I've been amazed by the incredible performance by Miss Hershey, Brian Dennehy is very good too, I think Barbara Hershey is a very underrated actress, I just rented the Entity another of her mind-blowing performances, Killing in a small town, a small budget film but with great acting, I'm going to have to buy the video, 'cause I haven't seen it in video clubs. Thanks for your time