Dramatization of Joan Barthel's book by writers Thomas Thompson and Spencer Eastman is a fact-based account of a murder which occurred in Canaan, Connecticut in 1973. Teenager comes home one night after band practice to find his single mother--the town drunk last seen at the market flashing a wad of cash--on the floor, dying, after an attack by an intruder. He calls his friend's family and then for an ambulance, but once the police arrive, they immediately suspect the kid even though he has no marks on his body, no blood on his clothes, and he has a tight alibi (which no one in charge appears to take into consideration). But this isn't a story about catching mom's killer--rather, it's a document about how police sway, persuade and coerce an innocent, naïve, easily-led kid into incriminating himself. Director Tony Richardson (of all people) goes heavy on the villains of the piece: the police chief, his subordinates, even the conductor of the lie detector test (who exchanges knowing smirks with the chief once they've got the boy where they want him). Meanwhile, Stefanie Powers (as Bethel) and the townspeople rally to the teen's defense. It's hard to be infuriated by this movie for the reasons intended. Obviously, the miscarriage of justice (which includes a hard-ass judge in the courtroom) gets our blood boiling, though the slant Richardson and the writers take is even more aggravating. As the accused, Paul Clemens is likely giving Richardson what was intended here, yet his character has been made sketchy, often acting benumbed and open-mouthed vacuous. Powers' casting is another problem: she does little but write in her notepad, agree with the locals with a reassuring smile, or toss off clichéd dialogue such as, "There's a story here and I'm going to get it!" There's definitely a story here but I don't think anyone really got it. ** from ***
