Jesse Stone: Benefit of the Doubt (2012)

Jesse Stone comes out of involuntary retirement after the sheriff who replaced him exploded in their police car. The other officers Jesse worked with have left the department so he is forced to solve the crime on his own.

Director:

Robert Harmon

Writers:

Robert B. Parker (based upon characters created in Jesse Stone books), Tom Selleck

Stars:

Tom Selleck, Kathy Baker, Kohl Sudduth

2 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Tom Selleck	...	Jesse Stone
Kathy Baker	...	Rose Gammon
Kohl Sudduth	...	Luther 'Suitcase' Simpson
Gloria Reuben	...	Thelma Gleffey
Stephen McHattie	...	Captain Healy
William Sadler	...	Gino Fish
Robert Carradine	...	Arthur Gallery
Jeremy Akerman	...	Councilman Carter Hanson
Christine Tizzard	...	Amanda
Jeff Geddis	...	William Butler
Vito Rezza	...	Anthony D'Angelo
Saul Rubinek	...	Hasty Hathaway
William Devane	...	Dr. Dix
John Beale	...	Doc Perkins
Brian Heighton	...	Stan

Storyline

When the man who replaced Jesse as Paradise Police Chief was killed when his car exploded, Jesse is asked to return and he does. So he goes to the crime scene and the evidence leads people to believe that the man may have been corrupt. And Jesse, who didn't like him because he took his job, says that he is allowed the benefit of the doubt. Jesse finds himself alone because Suitcase and Rose left when the other Chief was there. Jesse suspects that Hasty might know something, and a guy is following Jesse.

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Plot Keywords:

ocean | looking at oneself in a mirror | ruse | flashlight | derelict ship | 

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Genres:

Action | Crime | Drama

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Did You Know?

Trivia

A couple of times Jesse Stone says that he knew he'd get his job back, not getting it back was out of the question as "fate wouldn't do that to me". The same quote is in the first episode of Magnum PI, when Selleck's character (Thomas Magnum) said he knew he'll be able to break into Robyn Masters' Ferrari and therefore get to live in the guest house and use the Ferrari. Not breaking into the Ferrari was out of the question as "fate wouldn't do that to me". Tom Selleck was co-writer of "Benefit of the Doubt" and probably liked that quote from his Magnum character 32 years earlier.

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Goofs

The Massachusetts automobile inspection sticker is on the wrong side of the windshield. The sticker has been on the right (passenger) side of the windshield since at least 1960.

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Quotes

Jesse Stone: Hello, Gino.
Gino Fish: Oh, I see your PPD hat has found its way back onto your head.

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Connections

Followed by Untitled Jesse Stone Project

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Soundtracks

Intermezzo, Op.118, No.2
(uncredited)
(1893)
Written by Johannes Brahms

User Reviews

In grisly fashion

This latest in the Jesse Stone series contains little suspense as the only new character introduced in the anthology turns out to be the perpetrator or at least one of them. Part of the problem is that you really would have to see the previous film to get into what is going on here.

In that previous film Tom Selleck who steps on a lot of toes in the small ocean town of Paradise, Massachusetts got fired as police chief and the snot nose son-in-law of one of the town councilmembers took his job. Well in this episode the new chief and another officer are killed in a most grisly fashion, a bomb thrown under their police car blows them up. You'd think it was Afghanistan.

In fact Selleck who is brought back as chief thinks it's not terrorism and so does Stephen McHattie from the Massachusetts State Police homicide squad. They think it's local and personal and it turns out it is.

One problem Selleck does have is that he IS the Paradise police because the others quit when he left and the two deceased were the previous force. He could have used a little help, but Kathy Baker and Kohl Sudduth just aren't ready to return.

These two hour Jesse Stone movies give Tom Selleck a chance to get into his deeply flawed alcoholic character. The enforced idleness in his absence as chief have put a lot of temptation to return to his drinking ways.

Fans of the series and of Selleck should like this film.

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

20 May 2012 (USA)

Also Known As:

Jesse Stone: Le bénéfice du doute

Filming Locations:

Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada

Company Credits

Production Co:

Brandman Productions, TWS Productions II, Sony Pictures Television

Technical Specs

Runtime:

90 min

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

16:9 HD