In the Name of the People (2000 TV Movie) User Reviews

I found it a good idea done wrong

[Castor-11 · 7/10 · 4 February 2000]

This movie is about the victims of a pointless murder - the deceased, herself - this being a young girl; her parents; and another young girl - the daughter of the about-to-be-executed murderer. It also introduces a ridiculous sub-plot as to whether the bereaved parents should adopt the 11 year-old, once she becomes fatherless. I suppose that the producers introduced this element, because if they stuck to the point of the film i.e. whether the victims of a crime "forgave" the murderer, it wouldn't matter, since, in this movie, the State planned to execute the murderer, anyway, no matter who forgave, or did not.

If the bereaved parents adopted the now -orphaned (no mother, either) little girl, you see, that would show "forgiveness". Likewise if they pleaded for clemency on behalf of the killer, as the little girl eloquently put it "If he's dead, I have no father...if he's in prison for life, I still have a father".

The film was further muddled by never satisfactorily explaining why the man murdered the girl, or what on earth induced normally sensible her to accept his offer of a ride from a stranger, in the first place

It was all very absorbing, and watchable, and certainly made me think about Society's attitude to the death penalty. Is it justice, or revenge? Or merely a matter of morale - are we diminished more by the victim's death?...or by the killer's eventual execution? And what if we convict the wrong person? (as seems to be happening a lot, lately), but I couldn't help thinking that this far-fetched scenario should be replaced by the one ongoing at time of writing...the two being tried for the Lockerbie Air Explosion...it would be much more valid a debate on the death-penalty; revenge or justice; "forgiveness", and whatever emotions this interesting, but flawed movie tried to manipulate.

Interesting but Unrealistic.

[mteel · 7/10 · 29 June 2005]

This movie was interesting with good performances by the leads, but it does have a few flaws. First, the murdered girl hitchhiked with her killer. You are never given an explanation as to why a sensible girl would do this. Also, the killer's background and motivation is not well presented and the character is not well-developed. The killer and his 13-year old daughter are very close, but he had to have been in prison for at least 10 years. It's not realistic that they could have been that close under these circumstances. Finally, it is unbelievable that the killer and the victim's family would ever consider the idea that the victim's parents should raise the killer's daughter. Yet, even with these problems, it is not a bad movie, just a made-for-TV one.

"Do unto others as you would want others to do unto you"

[sol1218 · 6/10 · 11 May 2007]

***SPOILERS*** Having spent the last six years on death row at the Colorado State Penitentiary time was just about running out for convicted murderer/kidnapper John Burke, Scott Bakula. As he awaits his fate, death by lethal injection, in the prisons death chamber. With protest outside the prison for and against Burke being executed by the state the parents Jack & Connie Murphy, Richard Thomas & Amy Mdigan, of Burke's 16 year-old victim Jennifier "Jenny" Murphy, Kimberley Warnot, have become deeply divided in their daughters murderer fate.

Jack seeing home videos of Jenny laughing and playing with her friends and family suddenly feels that he has to have a last talk with Burke. Just to put his mind at ease in why he murdered his, and Connies, only child. That starts him thinking that maybe there's more to Burke's mental state then was revealed at his trial. Connie the founder and president of the Denver chapter of "Parents for Justice" who's members for the most part are parents like her and Jack who's children were victims of crimes is disturbed over her husbands sudden change of mind in his feelings for his daughters murder. That almost causes the two grieving parents to split up just when closure, the execution of John Burke, to Jenny's murder was about to happen.

Going against his, and Connies, better judgment Jack is allowed to have a last talk with John Burke in the prisons death row and is startled to find out that Burke despite his unforgivable and vicious life is in fact not asking for himself to be speared the death penalty not caring at all if he lives or dies, which in a way is an improvement for him. Burke instead cares for his daughter 12 year-old Lisa, Robin Phipps. Who with her guardian Burke's mom Lnyette,Mary Black, suffering from acute heart disease and not long for this world would be left all alone in this cruel cold world after he's gone.

It's hard to sit through "In the Name of the People" not that it's in any way a bad film but in the subject matter that it exposes its audience to. Jack & Connie who's daughter Jenny was taken away from them by a brutal and ruthless killer are now faced with the heart wrenching decision to adopt his soon to be orphaned daughter Lisa. That in order to keep her from being left alone in the world with no one to look after or care for her. That in a way replacing, with the Murphy's not able to have any more children, Jenny as their own!

You like the Murphys with Connie later changing her mind about her husbands decision, to have a last talk with their daughter murderer, start to see John Burke in a much more sympathetic light. Not that what he did was in any way explained away in some bleeding heart liberal-like psycho-babble by him having a brutal and loveless childhood. But that he came to realize what a lowlife he was and how he in the end not only hurt his many victims, like Jenny Murphy, in the crimes that he committed but the few people who he cared for and loved like his Mom Lyeytte and 12 year-old daughter Lisa.

It takes a lot of soul searching and even more courage for the Murphys, especially Connie, to finally come to the almost impossible decision to forgive Burke for what he did. Who we're shown in a chilling flashback of how he cold-blooded and ruthlessly murdered a terrified and pleading for her life Jenny Murphy.

Very few people would do, and who can blame them, what the Murphys did at the end of the movie. But it showed that they in the end came to realize that their daughters killers execution would not bring the closure that they always sought. That by showing the Christ-like kindness loving and understanding, "Do unto others as you would want others to do unto you", that the Murphy's's showed for his daughter Lisa would in the end more then anything else help heal the wounds that they suffered at the hands of her very repetitive father.

Plot hangs on one important point

[wdnelson-1 · 4/10 · 22 February 2006]

The plot of this movie hangs on one important point: that this murderer was also a responsible, loving, caring father. Not that being a father and a murderer is impossible. But this man is shown murdering a teenage girl without provocation or reason and without emotion. This girl was someone's daughter. I don't think a father who cared so much about his own daughter could have been so cold-blooded to someone else's daughter. Or, alternately, could have been so cold blooded and yet worry about and care for his own daughter. And the idea that a convicted murderer would actually ask his victim's parents to take in and care for his daughter is beyond belief.

That said, the characters were acted with conviction by the actors. I thought changing Scott Bakula's eye color did make him seem more cold and menacing than he usually is. You couldn't see into his eyes at all.

upsetting

[gamesoonly · 10 November 2004]

I must say that I do not quite understand how this family could have a bit of mercy on the man who killed their only daughter. He wanted compassion from them for his daughter, and what the hell does that mean. He made a choice, not giving any reason as to what made him do it, and killed a lovely young girl. I also found his aggression quite disgusting, he took the life of these people's daughter, and he wanted sympathy. What ever. He confessed was found guilty and was sentenced to death. Perhaps he should have thought about his daughter, before he murdered someone else's.

good idea, but the actors are pretty bad!

[pandro · 2/10 · 29 May 2001]

The idea of In the Name of the People is good, a murderer doesn't want his only daughter to end up in an institution and asks the parents of the girl he killed to take care of his daughter. And you could expect of the actors, especially Scott Bakula to do some good acting, unfortunately they don't! In the Name of The People turns out to be the regular Friday night tearjerker. The flashbacks with the girl that was killed are pretty pathetic and at a certain stage you can just predict what the actors will say... If you want to watch a good film about this subject then watch Dean Man Walking!

Very well done; not overly sentimental.

[pat-197 · 9/10 · 4 February 2000]

This movie once again gives Richard Thomas the opportunity to show the world what a fine actor he has become. He has the ability to portray characters as divided in time as Charles Ingalls and Jack Murphy. As Murphy, we see how one man chooses to regain his life after a heartbreaking loss. The movie does not try to push one idea over another, but allows all viewers the chance to make their own judgments. Very well done! Kudos to all involved.

Thought-provoking, but not very believable

[sad_antoine · 6 January 2004]

I agree this was a thought provoking movie but I couldn't get past some of the basic flaws - there seemed no motivation for the murder; Lisa's closeness to her father who must have been in jail as long as she can remember; and most of all, the adoption sub-plot. I couldn't help but think of the child's point of view; she was being told to go and live with the people who wanted her father killed! Under the circumstances she was very calm about it.

I would also imagine a stay of execution on compassionate grounds would have stood a good chance of success given what happened towards the end of the film. Surely even Americans aren't that heartless!