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Murder on Pleasant Drive (2006) (TV)
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Overview
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Director:
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Release Date:
8 May 2006 (USA)
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Genre:
Tagline:
If you think John Smith is a little off... you're dead on.
Plot:
The "true story" of John Smith and his disappearing wives, and how the perseverance of the daughter and sister of his second wife Fran finally brought the story together and broke at least a part of the case. full summary | add synopsis
User Comments:
as flat as Arkin's performance
more (5 total)
Cast
(Cast overview, first billed only)| Kelli Williams | ... | Deanna Whelen | |
| Amy Madigan | ... | Aunt Sherrie Davis | |
| Susan Hogan | ... | Fran | |
| Vincent Gale | ... | Detective Mike Dansbury | |
| Brian Markinson | ... | Bob Hilland | |
| Eric Keenleyside | ... | Detective Brian Potts | |
| Bill Marchant | ... | Michael SMith | |
| Adam Arkin | ... | John | |
| Philip Lyall | ... | Young John Smith | |
| Ingrid Tesch | ... | Dawn Smith | |
| Adam Battrick | ... | Young Michael Smith | |
| Marcel Maillard | ... | Granpa Chaney | |
| Louise Grant | ... | Ethel Chaney | |
| Annabel Kershaw | ... | Susan Redman | |
| Mary Black | ... | Mickey Gladden |
Additional Details
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Runtime:
Brazil:90 min
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This FAQ is empty. Add the first question.more (5 total)
Message Boards
Discuss this movie with other users on IMDb message board for Murder on Pleasant Drive (2006) (TV)| Recent Posts (updated daily) | User |
|---|---|
| Arkin's performance 'flat' | lisaw-15 |
| mention of ohio and indiana | lordmegatron43 |
| The basis for the movie | brooklolly |
| Who is the Prostitute? | Ethigirl777 |
Recommendations
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| Full cast and crew | Company credits | IMDb Drama section |
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Lifetime seriously hyped this movie for weeks prior to its premier. I persuaded myself that this thriller would be more than the patented, formulaic flick that is standard for a Lifetime thriller. And there have been excellent thrillers on this channel: Ladies Night is a good, if rare, example, and features a first rate performance by Paul Michael Glaser. Alas, my hopes were dashed. This film, about a sociopathic murderer of a succession of wives, lacks dynamics, tension and narrative flow. It is the visual equivalent of an essay outlining this (based-on-a-true) story. What we get is flat story telling, with no depth or energy.
At the core of the film's many flaws is Adam Arkin's comatose performance as the sociopath. The character is described as lacking in conscience and emotion. He apparently suffers from a kind of Asperger's Syndrome, unable to experience or understand others' inner life. The character is thus without depth, a bit lifeless and, as is acknowledged in the film, therefore plain boring. But an actor playing a flat, shallow and boring character must not give a flat, shallow and boring performance. And there lies the challenge to the actor. Arkin sinks to the challenge. There is virtually no variation in his facial expressions, and he is vocally monotonous. Every actor knows that playing an intensely bad or evil character can be fun. Classic examples are Al Lettieri in the original The Getaway, and Christopher Plummer in The Silent Partner. You can't take your eyes off those villains. A serious baddie can be given both nuance and depth and texture by a skilled actor. Arkin seems to lack the chops of a good actor, and his performance is accordingly as dull as dishwater.
In all fairness, I must admit that I have found all of Arkin's work similarly bland, energyless and lacking in range.
This pic was a huge disappointment.