Family of Cops (1995)

A police detective's oversexed daughter is charged with murder when someone kills the wealthy married man she slept with.

Director:

Ted Kotcheff

Writer:

Joel Blasberg

Stars:

Charles Bronson, Angela Featherstone, Sebastian Spence

2 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Charles Bronson	...	Paul Fein
Angela Featherstone	...	Jackie Fein
Sebastian Spence	...	Eddie Fein
Kate Trotter	...	Mrs. Novacek #1
Caroline Barclay	...	Celia Brent
Simon MacCorkindale	...	Adam Novacek
John Vernon	...	Frank Rampola
Barbara Williams	...	Kate Fein
Lesley-Anne Down	...	Anna Novacek
Daniel Baldwin	...	Ben Fein
Kim Weeks	...	Anna Meyer
Blu Mankuma	...	Police Officer
Cynthia Belliveau	...	Melanie Fein
Miguel Fernandes	...	Detective Lieutenant Swan
Réal Andrews	...	Philo Burton (as Real Andrews)

Storyline

Paul Fein (Charles Bronson) is a veteran police commander of the Milwaukee Police Department whose eldest son Ben (Daniel Baldwin) is a senior police detective, his older daughter Kate (Barbara Williams) is a public defender who takes her job very seriously, and his youngest son Eddie (Sebastian Spence) is a uniformed cop assigned to the department's Patrol Bureau. Paul is assigned to investigate the murder of a prominent businessman, and he soon learns that the field of suspects has been narrowed down to the victim's sexually freewheeling wife Anna (Lesley-Anne Down) and Paul's wild-child, youngest daughter Jackie (Angela Featherstone). Neither Paul, Ben, nor Eddie believe that Jackie could have committed the murder, and soon Paul is using himself as a decoy in a bid to find out more about what Anna does and doesn't know about her husband's death.

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Plot Keywords:

drinking from a bottle | crying woman | female police officer | police | bullet wound | 

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Taglines:

A one man cop shop in a two-timing town

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Genres:

Action | Crime | Drama | Thriller

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 for violence and some sexuality

Did You Know?

Trivia

The 'Family of Cops' television trilogy was the only movie series outside of the 'Death Wish' franchise that Charles Bronson ever appeared in.

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Quotes

Eddie Fein: Hey, who do you think you are hanging out in the bathroom? The Fonzie? Dad, do you really think Mrs. Novacek hired Martin to kill her husband?
Paul Fein: I don't know. Lenny said she did, but her first words in life were probably a lie. Look, we'll find out who killed Novacek. I'm no worried about that.
Eddie Fein: I know. I know, dad, I know what's eating you. It's Ben and Jackie.
Paul Fein: And you. Why the hell did you have to become a cop?
Eddie Fein: Have you been talking to Celia? You never said anything before about...
Paul Fein: -I'm saying it now...
[...]

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Connections

References Happy Days (1974)

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Soundtracks

Candyland
Written by Mike Trebilcock
Performed by The Killjoys
Boo-a-Bug!/The Publishing Ink, Inc.

User Reviews

A Fein cop dynasty from Milwaukee

Charles Bronson's last film role was as police inspector Paul Fein of the Milwaukee,PD which he did for Family Of Cops for this and two sequels. His two sons, Daniel Baldwin and Sebastian Spence went on the job and daughter Barbara Williams became a public defender.

But she's not the real rebel in the Fein family. The youngest is daughter Angela Featherstone who is out in California looking to 'find herself'. That meaning that she's taken up with any and all. She's back for a family occasion where she takes up with hotel magnate Simon MacCorkindale.

So when she wakes up from an alcoholic stupor and finds MacCorkindale shot to death she has the presence of mind to call dad. So Bronson and the rest of the family put their careers on the line to save Featherstone when at first they're not sure she's even innocent.

Both Bronson and MacCorkindale have made a lot of enemies. It's not beyond the realm of possibility that someone would shoot Simon just to embarrass the Fein family with their black sheep. MacCorkindale also has a jealous wife in Lesley-Anne Down and an ex-wife Paula Trotter who have motives.

During the course of this Daniel Baldwin nearly dies, but the criminal he's pursuing and the snitch who tips off Bronson have the key to the whole case.

Watching this I was of two minds. Just a small investigation would have shown this a professional hit and the Feins need not have put their careers at risk. But also in my experience the easiest answer is the one police often go with.

At age 73 when he tackled this role Bronson is clearly slowing down. He lets a lot of the action go to younger cast members. He's clearly though not one to be trifled with.

In fact the real main character is Featherstone whose rehabilitation as well as acquittal becomes a Fein family project.

Two more films about the Feins of Milwaukee were done before Charles Bronson called it a career. A good if not great role to go out on.

Details

Country:

Canada USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

26 November 1995 (USA)

Also Known As:

Family of Cops

Filming Locations:

The Royal Milwaukee Hotel, Wisconsin Avenue, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Alliance Communications Corporation, CBS Entertainment Production, Joel Blasberg Company

Technical Specs

Runtime:

90 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby (Dolby Surround) (2.0)

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1