The Morrison Murders: Based on a True Story

After watching the Morrison Murders I was greatly disappointed in this movie. The acting and directing were very dull, flat and boring. I think that the script had to be very poorly written because the whole story dragged itself on and on and...Even the motive of the killer was unconvincing. When the killer was taken away to his cel he looked at the camera with a very astonished face hardly believing what he had seen or heard the past 90 minutes. And so did we!

The musical "score" quote in this TV movie to me right back to the mid-90s. It could have been Matlock or in the heat of the night.

The score did nothing to enhance the cinematography, branding it as a mid-90s TV movie and leaving no doubt, but the story was interesting if not captivating. It's pretty standard mid-90s TV movie fare. I generally like many TV movies and a six is not a bad rating for one.

ABOUT MY REVIEWS:

I do not include a synopsis of the film/show -- you can get that anywhere and that does not constitute a meaningful review -- but rather my thoughts and feelings on the film that hopefully will be informative to you in deciding whether to invest 90-180 minutes of your life on it.

My scale: 1-5 decreasing degrees of "terrible", with 5 being "mediocre" 6- OK. Generally held my interest OR had reasonable cast and/or cinematography, might watch it again 7 - Good. My default rating for a movie I liked enough to watch again, but didn't rise to the upper echelons 8- Very good. Would watch again and recommend to others 9- Outstanding. Would watch over and over; top 10% of my ratings 10 - A classic. (Less than 2% receive this rating). For Lifetime Movies for Chicks (LMFC), drop the above scale by 3 notches. A 6 is excellent and 7 almost unattainable.

TV churns out dozens of true-crime movies every year. You can see 3 or 4 every Saturday on Lifetime, and Court TV can be relied on for a few every weekend. So I started watching The Morrison Murders thinking I knew very well what to expect: a more or less competent retelling of a real-life family murder. What I got was a subtle, beautifully acted drama that engrossed me from start to finish.

Both the brothers were totally convincing, and Jonathan Scarfe was perfect in the challenging role of Luke. The look and feel of Georgia was in almost every frame. If I had any complaint, it was Gordon Clapp as the sheriff. He just doesn't look or act like a small-town Southern lawman named Byron Calhoun. He looks and sounds like Medavoy, and Medavoy is not right for this part.

But this is a minor quibble: The Morrison Murders is well worth watching, and not just on a rainy Saturday afternoon. If you're going out, tape it. You won't regret it.

Very good for a TV movie! Good acting & directing. Walker's wife was particularly good (thought she was Charlize Theron). The story was told with some subtlety and portrayed the anguish when one's sibling turns out to be VERY troubled.... and the conflict between justice and mercy in trying to get closure. We've seen so many depictions of cruel, autocratic bible-belt fathers and the damage they can do to their families, but this was a sensitive and subtle version of a much-repeated story.

(When you're having a rough day, and all you have energy for is watching TV movies, it's a lucky break to find one this well done. Of course, I am biased. Can't help but feel a bit favorable toward anything with the delightful "Chris Stevens" in it)!

This true story is one of my favorites this was executed excellent. I remember first seeing this when it came out in the 90s and I see it on TV often, I have the DVD. All the actors were great, especially the brothers. The ending is a shocking sad twist. Very good! I don't like giving away spoilers so you have to see for yourself. Bottom line, one of my classic favorites I gave it a 10 because I thought it was excellent from start to finish!