True Crime (1996)

Director:

Pat Verducci

Writer (WGA):

Pat Verducci (written by)

Release Date:

25 July 1996 (Spain)

Genre:

Crime | Mystery | Thriller

Tagline:

Trust no one

Plot:

Mary Giordano is a bright, intelligent student who goes to a catholic school. She also has a addiction...

Plot Keywords:

Murder | Tense | Hanging | Child Murder Investigation | Child Murder

Cast

Alicia Silverstone	...	Mary Giordano
Kevin Dillon	...	Tony Campbell
Bill Nunn	...	Detective Jerry Guinn
Michael Bowen	...	Earl Parkins
Ann Devaney	...	Sherry Tarnley
Joshua Schaefer	...	John Giordano
Marla Sokoloff	...	Vicki Giordano
Jennifer Savidge	...	Celia Giordano
Tara Subkoff	...	Liz McConnell
David Packer	...	Sergeant Collins
Alissa Dowdy	...	Kathleen Donlevy
Aimee Brooks	...	Margie Donlevy
Brian Wankum	...	Roger
Melissa DeLizia	...	Girl #1
Tiombe Lockhart	...	Girl #2 (as Tiombe Anika Lockhart)

Also Known As:

Dangerous Kiss
True Detective

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for violence, menacing plot material and several scenes of sensuality.

Runtime:

94 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Iceland:16 | Australia:MA | France:-12 | Germany:16 | Portugal:M/16 (video premiere) | Spain:13 | USA:PG-13 (edited for re-rating) | USA:R

Filming Locations:

John Marshall High School - 3939 Tracy Street, Los Feliz, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

Trimark Pictures

....an entertaining story worth seeing

I searched out this one after seeing the hilarious and linguistically challenging "Clueless" (1995), perhaps Alicia Silverstone's best known effort from early in her film career. "True Crime" has Kevin Dillon, which should be helpful in improving most film projects. In fact everyone in the cast does a good job . The only disappointment I think the movie has for me is an awkward "feel" to some of the scenes, coming from the need to run a quite uncompromising, grown up theme as part of what in tone starts out as a schoolgirl adventure.

Alicia Silverstone is pretty good in this one. She carries off well the naive enthusiasm and growing unease that affects Mary Giordano as she manoeuvres towards the truth behind the serial murders. I reckon her characterization of MG has some mileage in it too. The inference of the story line is that she goes on to a career in law enforcement. It could be really interesting for an older Silverstone to revisit Giordano at a time of crisis later in the officer's life. Just a thought!

"True Crime" shows its director in a good light. Pat Verducci also has the writing credit. I don't know of any other film work PV has done. I can only wonder what happened after such a promising start.

Like most productions, this one has a largely unknown supporting cast, although Bill Nunn (Detective Jerry Guinn) is hardly that. Over the past decade he seems to have been able to secure an impressive number of screen appearances. I recall seeing him recently in "Carriers" (1998), a made for TV presentation with a military theme. Bill Nunn played "Captain Arends". Fans of the classic US TV comedy show "Who's the Boss" may also have an interest in "Carriers" because the leading player is Judith Light, remembered with affection by many because of her lengthy involvement with the show.

"True Crime" could easily not have worked, but it does OK. I think it is an entertaining story worth seeing.