In Broad Daylight

The town bully, a dangerous thug, runs roughshod over the entire town including the ineffective town marshal. Fear of this oaf and his cruel family allowed him to intimidate and injure several folks. Ultimately, these animals are dealt with by the only means they will ever understand...brute force. When dealing with trash like this man and his family, the decision to quell his activities should not be long in making.

Brian Dennehy paints a portrait of a truly sociopathic personality in this film. Plot twists are minimal simply because this is a true story. His characterization is all he has to work with, and Brian makes the most of it. He is by turns charming, threatening, homicidal and, all in all, just plain evil, a spoiled redneck who just can't imagine ever being called down for his activities.

Worse, he has intelligence to go with his warped mind.

We live in this character's part of the country and, believe me, people like this exist.

Not a great film, but the characterization will not only engross you, it'll probably scare the hell out of you.

I have to watch this movie once in a while just to send chills down my spine. Naturally, the names were changed to protect the innocent. This movie is based on a true story and the movie closely represents the actual events. I knew the man who wrote the original story. We watched original TV showing together and I was able to get his take on the whole thing. This story was presented almost exactly the way it happened. We both thought that Mr. Dennehy's portrayal of Len was excellent. The killing at the end of the movie was extremely accurate and was witnessed by the fellow sitting next to me. I read the original manuscript. This movie may not have all the typical Hollywood bells and whistles, but it correctly represents what really happened. (Great work Chris and congratulations again!) We rarely get to see movies that tell the original story so well...

The names were changed but it's based on a true story of the events in Skidmore, Missouri and the real villain was Ken McElroy who was very much like John Gotti without the class, style, and grace of his demeanor. He had fathered children with two women who lived together. No, not because he's a polygamist. In this movie, the McElroy character is played chillingly by Brian Dennehy who is one of America's finest actors on stage, film or television.

Oscar Winner Marcia Gay Harden plays one of his wives with a depth that is easily overlooked. Oscar Winner Cloris Leachman plays one of the man's many victims. No matter what this character did, the law and justice system failed to protect this small Missouri town so they took justice into their own hands. As Leachman's character states at the end "If you live by the sword, you die the sword." The book entitled In Broad Daylight is equally riveting but adds another level of understanding of how a man like this can exist in the first place.

I want to chime in on this film because it really scared the H-E-Double Bamboo Sticks out of me, motivated me to read the Playboy article about the incident, and then the well-researched book by the same name.

Brian Dennehy is perfectly cast as the villain -- although the real guy was even creepier, more violent and sociopathic. The film doesn't give any real back story, which is a possible but negligible shortcoming. The book, however, does a good job of illustrating how this poor country boy developed into the alienated monster he was, and how he fit (or rather didn't fit) into the community.

This story could have taken place in any small town. I happen to be from Missouri, and every summer I pass through and visit similar one-light towns in the Ozarks. (Just so we're straight on the geography, Skidmore, where this took place, is NOT near Springfield, per one reviewer, but in the northwest corner of the state.) The impression I always get is that because the townsfolk know each other, they are careful to get along with their neighbors. IBD is about how to deal with someone who has no intention of getting along with the neighbors.

I won't spoil the ending, but it is shocking, and a relief, when it comes, especially after the buildup of suspense and terror -- and it really does seem to render "justice." Love the line from the old farmer: "I didn't see nothing. And if I did, I wouldn't tell you."

This is an atmospheric TV movie that works as quality cinema.