Gone in the Night

Why do so many made for TV films stink on ice? Why do actors like Shannen Doherty and Kevin Dillon get cast as PARENTS? This film is a dramatization of a true story - so why cast two people who are not in the least parental or even very good actors for that matter?

Kevin Dillon spends the entire film with this look of terror and bewilderment on his face. Is he being dramatic and trying to behave the way he thinks a father who was accused of murdering his own child would behave, or is he frightened that the producers of the tripe will use his real name and thereby informing the world that his movie career is officially OVER. The more I think about it, Kevin looks like he's eaten some bad clams or drank spoiled milk...it's probably the horrific dialogue.

Shannen Doherty, while very attractive, is totally miscast as the mother of the dead girl. I'm trying to think who might be even more inappropriate as the mother, and besides fellow 90210 alum, Tori Spelling, I'm coming up blank.

Ed Asner and Dixie Carter are completely wasted in this slop...As a matter of fact, it looked like Dixie WAS either wasted or phoned it in during filming. Only Hollywood could take a true, VERY dramatic story and foul it up like this. I'm amazed that so many other user comments have been positive. It's an important story that deserves MUCH better treatment than it got.

This is based on a true story of the Dowalibys and the murder of their 7 year old daughter, Jaclyn, for which they stand accused. What happens to them, how the "system" tries to beat them down to submission and the lengths to which the prosecutors are willing to go to win, is the basis of the movie. Shannen Doherty delivers a gripping portrayal of Cindi Dowaliby, as first she fights the system, then she has to fight her husband. This may well be her best performance. I don't know how you pick the supporting cast in this story. There were no "small" parts (I watched the movie initially because a former newscaster from my home town was in it and may have had the only small part). Ed Asner, Dixie Carter, etc., would be classified as supporting cast, I guess, and they played their roles to perfection, Asner as the retired detective and Carter as the mother-in-law who finally comes to grips with her shortcomings and discovers that she has great affection for her daughter-in-law. The circumstances surrounding the investigation, the arrests, trial, and unexpected outcome all tie together so quickly that there are no "slow moments" where your mind can wonder without losing part of the plot or the puzzle pieces. But this isn't Hollywood, this is real and you feel you're watching a retrospective news report, except for the personal exchanges between the Cindi and David. When they can't agree on how to handle the initial verdict, your not sure David will listen and it might cost him dearly. If you don't know how the situation ended (as I didn't), you might think it had a much different ending. A truly riveting movie, I found myself wishing I knew what subsequently has become of the Dowalibys. I could definitely watch it again.

I viewed this movie today for the first time. It really made me think about how blessed my family has been. It was well acted...and made me feel the real family's pain. It also made lost children more real to me. It was real to me yesterday....now it's even more real to me today. Praying for lost and abused children the more....

What if a young husband and wife with two small children (and another child on the way) have their home broken into one night and have their daughter kidnapped and killed? And what if the police, detectives, doctors and district attorneys all act in an unskilled and/or unethical way and submit the husband, wife and even the surviving child to horror after horror? What if the very expensive lawyers the innocent family hire to save themselves are too inept and uncaring to help the family escape their nightmare?

Based upon a true story, GONE IN THE NIGHT is set in Chicago. The acting is fine, although the actor playing the husband seems to have a New York accent more than a Chicago accent.

Watching this TV movie back-to-back with another Chicago based movie, THE FUGITIVE, will take away all faith the viewer might have in the criminal justice system.

Without giving anything away, at the end of this movie drama turns to real life. The impact of this kind of ending is completely effective. Watch the whole story, and then hold on.

A very good effort for a made for TV film.

I just saw this movie... they divided it up. So the first half they showed last Tuesday and the last one today. I thought that I would watch it, I dídn't really know what it was. I just read that Shannen was in it, and I thought: Hey, Shannen's great so this movie outa be great too. And it really was great, but also very very sad. I mean I cried throught the whole movie. Cindy was a very strong person who didn't give up, she's a fighter. If you haven't seen it, I sugjest you go rent it, it's a very good movie... and I too would like to own it on tape