Le crime dans le sang

"A Killer in the Family" is a made for TV movie that I saw when it first aired in 1983. I remembered how menacing and evil Robert Mitchum was in the lead and when I discovered it on YouTube, I knew I had to see it again.

The story is a real sad one to watch because it's based on a true story. Gary Tison (Mitchum) was serving a life sentence for murder, among other crimes. Oddly, despite this, he seemed like a decent father...and the family visited him often in prison. However, underneath his fatherly exterior, he was a manipulative, vicious and thoroughly despicable man. And, this manipulator was able to convince his teenage sons (Eric Stoltz, James Spader, Lance Kerwin) to help him and a friend escape from prison in Arizona...leading to a huge manhunt. What made this such a big story was following the escape, where Gary Tison senselessly murdered folks and terrorized his sons to keep them in line.

While I could tell you how all this ends, I recommend you just see the film. Then, later, you might want to read up on the case through Wikipedia to learn more that wasn't in the epilogue...such as the status of Gary's friend, Randy (Stuart Margolin).

All in all, this is a well acted and scary movie...a bit more violent and vicious than the stuff you usually saw on TV in 1983...but also incredibly compelling.

Robert Mitchum stars in this fine made for TV film, A Killer In The Family as true life serial killer Gary Tison. This one should have been given theatrical release. Mitchum really pushes himself in the acting department playing Tison, a man who made killing a family project.

I did a bit of checking on Gary Tison and Randy Greenawalt played here by Stuart Margolin and their escape from state prison in Arizona and the subsequent crime spree they indulged in and the facts are pretty accurate in this prison. But an actor of Mitchum's ability and charisma are needed to put over a part where a guy who is in prison persuades his three teen sons to leave the straight life and help him escape from the correctional facility which Mitchum is incarcerated in.

You can see it in the family picnic atmosphere where Lynn Carlin brings her three boys to visit dear old dad who acts like a concerned father, even proud of his eldest James Spader who is in college and thinking about a career in law. The other two are nothing special except to their parents, the middle child Eric Stoltz is none too bright and Lance Kerwin is one mixed up teen, but nothing if not normal.

But the two younger ones feel a sense of duty to a father whom they think due to Mitchum's stories is a man wrongly put upon by society. And Spader in the end goes along with the younger ones out of a sense of duty to them as well as his father. But he knows better.

It's quite a jailbreak they pull off, of course planned by Mitchum and Margolin. Once out in society it doesn't take long for both these guys to reveal the kind of amoral sociopaths they are. And the kids are now trapped in Daddy's web of killing.

For a made for TV film it's quite graphically violent, but over 30 years later it still is a powerful film with a powerful performance by Mitchum.

I always liked Robert Mitchum in the movies I saw with him as it always looked very natural and convincing in every role. And when I found this movie on YouTube and seeing that it stars James Spader and Eric Stoltz (two actors I usually like because they are too very natural), I had to see it, and I was right.

Gary Tison (Robert Mitchum) was serving a life sentence for murder and various other crimes. Despite this he looked like a good father and his family went often to visit him in prison. Under his fatherly exterior he was a manipulative and despicable man. And this manipulator managed to convince his three sons (James Spader, Eric Stoltz and Lance Kerwin) to help him and his cell mate escape from prison to the Arizona wilderness, leading to a manhunt. The best part is that after the escape Gary Tison murdered folks (including an entire family for stealing their truck and their stuff) and terrorized his sons for keeping them in line, and they will finally see that their father is NOT the man they thought he was (innocent and loving). All goes well and unpunished not until a final showdown with the police in the desert at night (possibly the coolest scenario).

The main reason for watching this is for the acting. Mitchum is great as a very menacing and evil man that knew how to kill people and how to force his sons for doing his deals. James Spader and Eric Stoltz were very good, while Lance Kerwin was a bit annoying.

In the end, a well acted and scary TV movie, but still a must see for its compelling plot and characters.

Remember when American TV movies were decent? It's been 30 years now since those days, but occasionally they'll show up on DVD or on the TV and you'll remember just how compelling and, well, adult they were back then. Certainly not watered down to avoid upsetting anybody, like the ones since then have been.

A KILLER IN THE FAMILY is a great little movie, a wonderful thriller with some truly memorable moments. It's based on a true story too, showing how a murderer's three teenage boys help him to escape from prison, before joining him on what becomes a journey of horror. There are some shocking moments in this, all the more surprising because they come totally out of the blue.

The cast is excellent. Robert Mitchum is still completely menacing as a bad guy, decades after he excelled in the likes of NIGHT OF THE HUNTER, but the actors playing the children are just as good. James Spader is the voice of conscience, Eric Stoltz the go-along, and Lance Kerwin (SALEM'S LOT) the youngster who's completely out of his depth. To say too much about this film would be to spoil it, other than to say it's completely compelling and well worth tracking down.

This wasn't Robert Mitchum's best work. The movie based on a true story is well worth watching if you should see it listed. It was a TV movie and not available on VHS or anything. Both Robert Mitchum and Stuart Margolin (Angel - Rockford Files) give good performances in their roles.