The 1946/1947 murder trial of young and beautiful Evelyn Dick remains the most lurid murder case in Canadian history. After children find only the torso of her missing husband, John, Evelyn...
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Title: Torso: The Evelyn Dick Story (TV Movie 2002)
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3 wins & 9 nominations.
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Cast
| Cast overview, first billed only: | |||
| Kathleen Robertson | ... | Evelyn Dick | |
| Victor Garber | ... | J.J. Robinette | |
| Brenda Fricker | ... | Alexandra MacLean | |
| Callum Keith Rennie | ... | Inspector Wood | |
 |
Ken James | ... | Donald MacLean |
| Jonathan Potts | ... | Detective Sgt. Preston | |
| Tom McCamus | ... | Crown Prosecutor Rigney | |
| Jim Boeven | ... | John Dick | |
| Joseph Scoren | ... | Bill Bohozuk | |
| Bruce Gray | ... | Third Trial Judge | |
|
|
Gerry Quigley | ... | Willy Landeg |
| Joan Gregson | ... | Prison Matron | |
| Hannah Lochner | ... | Heather Dick | |
|
|
David Gardner | ... | Bohozuk's Lawyer |
|
|
William Pappas | ... | First trial judge |
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Plot Summary
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Storyline
The 1946/1947 murder trial of young and beautiful Evelyn Dick remains the most lurid murder case in Canadian history. After children find only the torso of her missing husband, John, Evelyn is arrested for his murder. The head and limbs had been sawed from his body and evidence that they had been burned in the furnace of her home (she and her adolescent daughter shared with her parents) later surfaced. (There is some weird twist involving her parents and a supposed baby boy that she gave up for adoption some 3 years prior to the murder.) After she was sentenced to hang, lawyer J.J. Robinette appealed her case, and won an eventual acquittal. But, when police are tipped-off by her father, the decayed remains of Evelyn's baby boy encased in cement under the floor boards of her home are found. Although she is acquitted of the murder of her husband, she is sentenced to 11 years in prison for the murder of her infant son. No one was ever convicted of the murder of John Dick. Evelyn was ... Written by Robin <soonerzs@yahoo.com>
Genres:
CrimeMotion Picture Rating (MPAA)
Rated R for violent images and sexual content | See all certifications »Parents Guide:
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Details
Country:
CanadaLanguage:
EnglishRelease Date:
18 March 2002 (Canada) See more »Also Known As:
Torso See more »Company Credits
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Technical Specs
Runtime:
Color:
ColorAspect Ratio:
1.33 : 1
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Written by Alex Pangman
Performed by Alex Pangman & Her Alleycats
Vocals by Alex Pangman
Guitars by by Jesse Barksdale, by Roberto Rosenman
Trumpet by Chris Whitely
Bass by Ka-Cheong Liu
See more »
Did You Know?
Trivia
Originally was to premiere on 11 September 2001, but was postponed due to the terrorist attacks of that day. See more »Soundtracks
Melancholy LullabyWritten by Alex Pangman
Performed by Alex Pangman & Her Alleycats
Vocals by Alex Pangman
Guitars by by Jesse Barksdale, by Roberto Rosenman
Trumpet by Chris Whitely
Bass by Ka-Cheong Liu
See more »
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You would be hard pressed to identify this as a made-for-television movie. The cinematography and production design are superior to most theatrical features (angular and overhead camera shots, tight shots on Kathleen Robertson, period costuming and good sets). It really transports the viewer back to 1940's Ontario. They paid attention to the details and put serious money into creating a stylish stage on which Robertson turns in a truly fine performance.
She plays a young woman from a horribly abusive family; and what with the flashbacks she convincingly plays herself from about age 13 to age 26 (in fact the flashback to her at age 13 is the most convincing scene in the film). Under a cynical veneer is someone so scarred that she cannot really defend herself against two murder charges, but with their elliptical storytelling technique it is some time before the viewer understands the whole dynamic. The film is really about peeling back her protective layers. Instead of a traditional narrative about a character undergoing changes, what changes here is not the character but the viewer's perception of the character.
Robertson was born for this role. I have generally liked her in other stuff but have felt a bit uneasy-when she smiles it seems like she is conning me. This works against her in "good girl" roles ("Maniac Mansion" and "Splendor") but could actually work for her in "bad girl" roles. And it certainly really works for her here where her character is as ambiguous as any you are likely to find.