Cast overview, first billed only: | |||
Roy Scheider | ... | Sam Rice | |
Meryl Streep | ... | Brooke Reynolds | |
Jessica Tandy | ... | Grace Rice | |
Joe Grifasi | ... | Joseph Vitucci | |
Sara Botsford | ... | Gail Phillips | |
Josef Sommer | ... | George Bynum | |
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Frederikke Borge | ... | Heather Wilson (as Rikke Borge) |
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Irving Metzman | ... | Murray Gordon |
Larry Joshua | ... | Mugger | |
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Tom Norton | ... | Auctioneer |
Richmond Hoxie | ... | Mr. Harris | |
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Hyon Cho | ... | Mr. Chang |
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Danielle Cusson | ... | Girl |
John Eric Bentley | ... | Night Watchman (as John Bentley) | |
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George A. Tooks | ... | Elevator Operator |
George Bynum, a patient of Manhattan psychiatrist Dr. Sam Rice, is brutally murdered. Soon afterward, Dr. Rice is visited by Bynum's co-worker and mistress Brooke Reynolds and by the investigating officer Detective Vitucci. As Dr. Rice reviews the case notes on his sessions with Bynum, he starts his own investigation. At the same time, he finds himself falling for enigmatic blonde Brooke, despite her increasingly suspicious behavior. The closer Rice comes to the truth, the more he puts his own life in danger... Written by L. Hamre
Dr. Sam Rice (Roy Scheider) is a Manhattan psychiatrist like his mother Grace (Jessica Tandy). He's recently divorced. One of his patients George Bynum has been killed. He is visited by the mysterious Brooke Reynolds (Meryl Streep) who worked with Bynum at the auction house Crispin's. She's also Bynum's mistress. They are interrupted by Detective Vitucci and she accidentally leaves behind a watch. Dr. Rice examines his files on Bynum and suspicions falls on Reynolds.
I really like the Hitchcockian touches. I love the laundry room when the lights go out in the hallway. I did not like all the flashback re-examination of his files. The plot loses its way a bit and some of its tension. Meryl Streep is pretty good as the mysterious damsel-in-distress. Although she's not the classic sex bombshell. Scheider is still a good leading man. This could be a much better mystery thriller.