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Mother Knows Best

  • TV Movie
  • 19971997
  • TV-PGTV-PG
  • 1h 36m
IMDb RATING
6.3/10
607
YOUR RATING
  • Cast & crew
  • User reviews
  • Trivia
  • IMDbPro
Mother Knows Best (1997)
  • Drama
  • Thriller
A woman urges her daughter to get married. And when her daughter does, she doesn't think that she made a good choice. So she goes out and hires a killer to kill her son-in-law.A woman urges her daughter to get married. And when her daughter does, she doesn't think that she made a good choice. So she goes out and hires a killer to kill her son-in-law.A woman urges her daughter to get married. And when her daughter does, she doesn't think that she made a good choice. So she goes out and hires a killer to kill her son-in-law.
IMDb RATING
6.3/10
607
YOUR RATING
  • Director
    • Larry Shaw
  • Writers
    • Lisa Friedman Bloch
    • Kathy Kirtland Silverman
  • Stars
    • Joanna Kerns
    • Christine Elise
    • Grant Show
Top credits
  • Director
    • Larry Shaw
  • Writers
    • Lisa Friedman Bloch
    • Kathy Kirtland Silverman
  • Stars
    • Joanna Kerns
    • Christine Elise
    • Grant Show
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 20User reviews
    • 2Critic reviews
  • See production, box office & company info
  • See more at IMDbPro
  • Photos9

    Joanna Kerns and Grant Show in Mother Knows Best (1997)
    Joanna Kerns in Mother Knows Best (1997)
    Grant Show and Christine Elise in Mother Knows Best (1997)
    Joanna Kerns and David Spielberg in Mother Knows Best (1997)
    Joanna Kerns in Mother Knows Best (1997)
    Joanna Kerns in Mother Knows Best (1997)
    Joanna Kerns, Grant Show, and Christine Elise in Mother Knows Best (1997)
    Grant Show and Christine Elise in Mother Knows Best (1997)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Joanna Kerns
    Joanna Kerns
    • Celeste Cooperas Celeste Cooper
    Christine Elise
    Christine Elise
    • Laurel Cooper Rogersas Laurel Cooper Rogers
    Grant Show
    Grant Show
    • Ted Rogersas Ted Rogers
    Jessica Walter
    Jessica Walter
    • Joanas Joan
    Sherman Augustus
    Sherman Augustus
    • Dale Cutleras Dale Cutler
    David Spielberg
    David Spielberg
    • George Cooperas George Cooper
    Kristen Dalton
    Kristen Dalton
    • Lynnas Lynn
    Jeanette O'Connor
    Jeanette O'Connor
    • Harriet Rogersas Harriet Rogers
    Michael Covert
    • Burt Willisas Burt Willis
    Eric Robertson
    • Michaelas Michael
    Annabelle Weenick
    Annabelle Weenick
    • Aideas Aide
    Giselle Fernandez
    Giselle Fernandez
    • Newscasteras Newscaster
    Jeff Olson
    • Ministeras Minister
    Alan Gregory
    • IRS Supervisoras IRS Supervisor
    Douglas Caputo
    • Frankas Frank
    Joey Miyashima
    Joey Miyashima
    • Bill Yamazakias Bill Yamazaki
    Nancy Peterson
    Nancy Peterson
    • Nurseas Nurse
    • (as Nancy Riddle)
    Michael Flynn
    Michael Flynn
    • Investigatoras Investigator
    • Director
      • Larry Shaw
    • Writers
      • Lisa Friedman Bloch
      • Kathy Kirtland Silverman
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
    • All cast & crew

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    Storyline

    Edit
    A woman urges her daughter to get married. And when her daughter does, she doesn't think that she made a good choice. So she goes out and hires a killer to kill her son-in-law.
    • murder
    • marriage
    • mother daughter relationship
    • hitman
    • based on true story
    • Plot summary
    • Add synopsis
    • Genres
      • Drama
      • Thriller
    • Certificate
      • TV-PG
    • Parents guide
      • Add content advisory

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      Despite playing her mother Joanna Kerns's is actually 12 years older than Christina Elise, both share the same birthday February 12th.
    • Quotes

      [last lines]

      Celeste Cooper: [with the reporters] Laurel?

      [Laurel glares at her]

      Celeste Cooper: It's not too late to tell them, sweetheart. Tell them, Laurel. Tell them I did it all for you.

      Laurel Cooper Rogers: [bows her head down in anger] Goodbye, mother.

      Celeste Cooper: [leaves with the reporters] That's okay, she's just confused. When this is over, she'll know that I was right, and everything will be back to normal. Everything will be normal again.

    User reviews20

    Review
    Top review
    8/10
    Delightfully wicked parent/in-law
    A friend had seen this flick a while back and recommended it, and I happened to see it listed for a rerun on "Lifetime" today.

    Glanced at the prior comments here, and after viewing this opus, would agree with their positive viewpoints.

    Joanna Kerns' evil mom was as delightfully and completely selfish, obsessive and wicked a character as one is likely to encounter. "Mother-in-law-from-Hell" is almost too mild an adjective. Glenn Close in "Fatal Attraction," and Jack Nicholson in "As Good As It Gets" could qualify to become trainees as mental health workers, comparing their problems relative to Joanna's personality disorders.

    Sonny Corleone would exert more deliberation and examination of possible alternatives, before ordering somebody whacked, than this overbearing mother did in engaging a hit man.

    However, overall, this was a relatively "quiet" flick, given the nature of the story and plot. I found this appealing, and there was little yelling, and no raucous knife-wielding climax, common to so many "Lifetime" offerings. This made it a better viewing, and the Kerns' character was all the better for her steady, unfailing, almost low-key way by which she portrayed her evil character's persona.

    A worthwhile two hours' entertainment.
    helpful•7
    1
    • caa821
    • Sep 30, 2008

    FAQ2

    • If this is a true story, what is the story it is based upon? When and where did it happen? Is she out of jail?
    • True Story

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • April 13, 1997 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • Falso asesinato
    • Filming locations
      • Salt Lake City, Utah, USA
    • Production companies
      • Von Zerneck-Sertner Films
      • Hallmark Entertainment
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      1 hour 36 minutes
    • Color
      • Color
    • Sound mix
      • Stereo
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.33 : 1

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