A Killing in a Small Town (1990)

The gory ax-murder of one mousy, suburban Texas housewife by another is nearly as shocking as the excuse offered by the bespectacled defendant's attorney: self-defense. Could it be so?

Director:

Stephen Gyllenhaal

Writers:

John Bloom (book), James Atkinson (book) (as Jim Atkinson)

Stars:

Barbara Hershey, Brian Dennehy, John Terry

Won 1 Golden Globe. Another 4 wins & 6 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Barbara Hershey	...	Candy Morrison
Brian Dennehy	...	Ed Reivers
John Terry	...	Stan Blankenship
Richard Gilliland	...	Dale Morrison
Lee Garlington	...	Peggy Blankenship
Hal Holbrook	...	Dr. Beardsley
Matthew Posey	...	Norman Billings
James Monroe Black	...	Dr. Giles (as James Black)
Dennis Letts	...	Chief McAlester
Marco Perella	...	Rick Slocum
Norman Bennett	...	Jim Ramsey
Jerry Haynes	...	Judge Scott
Rodger Boyce	...	Rex Staples
Daphne Eckler	...	Dede Alexander
Jan DeWitt	...	Connie Keating

Storyline

In a quiet Texas town, Candy Morrison and her husband, Dale, seem to live an ordinary life -- but that all changes when she begins sleeping with her husband's friend Stan Blankenship. When Stan's wife winds up dead -- the victim of a brutal ax murder -- Candy's arrest leaves the community in disbelief. And, as her attorney Ed Reivers attempts to prove her innocence, he makes a shocking discovery about his client.

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Plot Keywords:

upskirt | lifting up dress | hand up dress | murder | self defense | 

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Genres:

Drama

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Certificate:

R

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

22 May 1990 (USA)

Also Known As:

Die Axtmörderin

Filming Locations:

Dallas, Texas, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Hearst Entertainment Productions, IndieProd Company Productions, King Phoenix Entertainment

Technical Specs

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Based on the true-crime book "Evidence of Love," by John Bloom, better known by his alter ego of Drive-In movie critic Joe Bob Briggs.

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Connections

Referenced in The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson: Barbara Hershey/Jeff Cesario/Dr. Henry Stenhouse (1990)

User Reviews

Evidence of mediocrity

"Evidence of Love" is a made-for-TV flick about a middle class, church going suburban Texas housewife whose life is turned upside down when she finds herself accused of murder. Hershey is the centerpiece of this film and offers a fine performance as the plain, straight-laced, and stoic accused in this drama which spends the first two thirds of the run on the setup, murder, and investigation and the latter third on the trial. With the look and feel of a Lifetime channel TV movie-by-rote, this film has little to offer save Hershey's tour de force and a twist at the end. Probably worth a look for Hershey fans and female audiences who can empathize with the character and her plight. (B-)