IMDb > Murder on Pleasant Drive (2006) (TV)

Murder on Pleasant Drive (2006) (TV) More at IMDbPro »

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Overview

User Rating:
5.7/10   97 votes
MOVIEmeter: ?
Up 9% in popularity this week. See why on IMDbPro.
Director:
Michael Scott
Writers (WGA):
Walter Klenhard (written by)
Sherrie Gladden-Davis (book) ...
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Contact:
View company contact information for Murder on Pleasant Drive on IMDbPro.
Release Date:
8 May 2006 (USA) more
Genre:
Drama
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
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Additional Details

Parents Guide:
Add content advisory for parents
Runtime:
Brazil:90 min
Country:
USA | Canada
Language:
English
Color:
Color
Certification:
Netherlands:12
Company:
Dan Wigutow Productions more

Fun Stuff

Quotes:
Michael: I've been a bad boy. more

FAQ

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User Comments

   (Comment on this title)
3 out of 8 people found the following comment useful.
as flat as Arkin's performance, 10 May 2006
3/10
Author: alannasser from United States

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.

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