In Broad Daylight

I 1st read the book In Broad Daylight when I was a kid (GREAT book) & after hearing there was a movie based on the book, I just had to see it.In my opinion, the movie was almost as good as the book was.If you liked the movie, pick up the book & if you liked the book, watch the movie.I say it a lot in my old Made For TV movie reviews, they don't make Made For TV movies like they use to & here's another.In Broad Daylight had my attention right from the start & had me on the edge of my seat till the very end.Brian Dennehy was absolutely evil.If I had a list of movie villains I LOVE to HATE, Brian Dennehy as Len Rowan would be 1 of them.I don't understand why In Broad Daylight & some other Made For TV movies as well were never released on DVD.If it ever is, I'd pick it up.I can't imagine everybody liking this movie but I think that most people that watch it will

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...

Well I would like to comment on Chris's comment about this movie was dismal and the plot was shallow. How can something that happened in REAL life be shallow and dismal. How do I know this actually happened? I used to live in a small town next to the town in which this event took place and friends of my family and some of my family had run-ins with the guy in which Brian Dennehy portrayed. As for the movie I thought it was very good. Brian Dennehy played the part perfectly and I also thought the plot told a pretty accurate story of how this family tormented the people in that small community . And to this day those people have not said a word about what happened that day. Now that is justice

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.

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.