In the Line of Duty: Siege at Marion (1992) (TV)

User Rating:

5.7/10   

Director:

Charles Haid

Writer (WGA):

Rick Husky (written by)

Release Date:

10 February 1992 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Drama

Plot:

Bob Bryant (Dennis Franz), F.B.I. agent in charge of an operation to arrest Adam Swapp (Kyle Secor)...

Plot Keywords:

Mormon | Sequel | Police | Religion

Cast

Ed Begley Jr.	...	Lt. Fred House
Dennis Franz	...	Bob Bryant
Tess Harper	...	Vickie Singer
Paul Le Mat	...	Doug Bodrero
Kyle Secor	...	Adam Swapp
Norbert Weisser	...	John Singer
William H. Macy	...	Ray Daniels
Rex Linn	...	Sheriff Ron Gray
Lindsey Ginter	...	Woody Jackson
Edward Wiley	...	Frank
Mitch Carter	...	Ian Walters
Oscar Rowland	...	Otto Doeffer
Mike Westenskow	...	Ronald Perkins
Garwin Sanford	...	Rossi
Jan Broberg Felt	...	Heidi Swapp (as Jan Gardner)

Also Known As:

Children of Fury
In the Line of Duty: Standoff at Marion (USA) (working title)

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for some violent content.

Runtime:

96 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Australia:M | USA:Unrated

Filming Locations:

Marion, Utah, USA

Company:

Patchett Kaufman Entertainment

Movie Connections:

Followed by Ambush in Waco: In the Line of Duty (1993) (TV)

Kind of Boring

I haven't seen this movie since it was first shown on television, thus my memory is hazy. It concerns a small group of Mormon fundamentalists who run afoul of both their less extremist Mormon neighbors and the local sheriff. Disputing issues like polygamous marriage, home schooling and water rights, the situation escalates over a period of time into open warfare, with the catalyst for the final confrontation being the bombing of the local Mormon Stake Center (i.e. church) by the fundamentalists, who hole up at their family farm.

The F.B.I., led by Dennis Franz, is called in as this is now beyond the control of the local authorities and a Waco-like siege ensues. Frustrated, and unable to make any headway in negotiations, an assault is finally ordered, resulting in the capture of the renegade group but also in the death of a police officer.

This was not a particularly good movie as the buildup to the final confrontation lacked a sense of drama or inevitability. We feel no empathy for any of the characters except for the policeman who is killed, as he gave his life over what should have been a minor affair that spun out of control because of stupidity masquerading as religious debate. The fundamentalist group takes most of the blame here.

Dennis Franz's character tries to be sympathetic, but not being a Mormon, or even particularly religious, he clearly fails to understand what this is all about. Having written this, I am surprised at the parallels between this incident and the later standoff at Waco, Texas.