Family Plot-1976

Director Alfred Hitchcock

Starring Bruce Dern, Karen Black, Barbara Harris

Scott’s Review #99

Reviewed July 9, 2014

Grade: B

Family Plot is sadly Alfred Hitchcock’s final film, made in 1976.

It is certainly not one of his greats, but it is not bad either, and it is a fitting way for a viewer to conclude his career.

The film is a jewel caper and has a vastly different feel from many of his other, earlier films. It has a slick quality to it and is reminiscent of a 1970s television movie, which is not a knock.

It feels more television-like than film, perhaps because it stars notable television stars, William Devane and Katherine Helman.

It also features some big film stars of the time- Karen Black, Bruce Dern, and Barbara Harris.

The film is a departure from other Hitchcock films in that it is a macabre comedy. It is a tongue-in-cheek story of a fake psychic (Harris) and her boyfriend (Dern) who become involved in a search for a missing heir, a jewel heist, and a murder.

All of the characters intersect as the film moves along, and it contains some nice Hitchcock elements- the speeding car with no brakes down a hilly road is pure Hitchcock.

For me, the film has a slightly melancholy feel, as it is, sadly, Hitchcock’s final farewell.

Golden Globe Nominations: Best Actress-Comedy or Musical-Barbara Harris