Fraternité mortelle

Yes, without Kate Jackson in this, it would have been a total bomb. She saves the day with some fine acting and human emotions, which seems to be lacking in the rest of the cast. Worst of the actors are Kristian Alfonso. made up like a hooker, with over the top makeup and acting as a control freak and Drew Ebersole as Bobby Earl who goes around in the movie like he's out in space somewhere. Looking like a blinded deer most of the time, he doesn't make his role interesting enough to care about what happens to him. Then there's pretty boy Matthew Settle as the best friend who seems to be crying most of the time and Henriette Ivanans as the girl friend who is so plain and dull you wonder why anyone would want to bed the tramp. Originally titled WHAT HAPPENED TO BOBBY EARL? to give some lure as of BABY JANE and SWEET CHARLOTTE, this is far from that classic. Directed by Bradley Wigor who had the sense to leave Kate do her job and written by Joseph Maurer who must have been crazed to the casting of this loser. I give it 2 stars for Kate Jackson and Kate Jackson.

I knew one of the persons involved in the real-life case from which this movie's plot evolved. I remember sitting, stunned, when I found out what had happened. As it appears, I cannot tell you about the case, because it would be a spoiler; yet, I don't think actually spelling out the entire movie in case could spoil it any worse than the company did by shooting it.

Kate Jackson plays a mother whose son has disappeared. She does an OK job, I guess, but she isn't given much support in either the plot additions or the making of the movie. The acting was flat; and the plot was muddied far beyond necessary by extra commentaries that really had nothing to do with the storyline. Maybe it was worse for me to finally view this movie, after years of looking for it, because I've been following the real cases and the shocking developments for almost 20 years now and know that there was more drama than imaginable from which to pull a gripping crime movie. There was so much heartache that followed the actual events that I did indeed lay awake some nights wondering about my friend. How could any movie so poorly relegate the actual tone that enveloped the actual crime? For anyone who really wants to be saddened and shocked, I suggest reading about Edward Swiger. Check him out on Google and do some research for yourself. You will understand my disappointment of this movie.

Poor Bobby. If only he went to a two year technical school.

Okay, this film is not very good. But, I happen to be a great fan of Kate Jackson. I always hope her next film will be an independent art house film directed by someone like Todd Solondz, or a European project. Somehow few people seem to realize what a great actress Kate Jackson is, who would do great in a film like Happiness, or Billy Elliot. At the same time I am surprised that block buster directors do not notice her. Show a little courage, casting directors!

On the other hand, it could be that Jackson always shows up in television films voluntarily. She is doing a good job and has been very productive over the years, so it is not really a loss. And these television films are sometimes not even that bad. Coming from the Netherlands I have seen a lot worse. I am genuinely impressed by her performances in The Stranger Within, Armed and Innocent and Empty Cradle.

As I said earlier, What Happened to Bobby Earl ( a typical t.v. movie title) is not a very good film. The characters are quite flat and the best example of this is the 'bad woman' who tempts Bobby to walk the criminal path. She is the stereotypical femme fatale, dressed in black and red designer clothes and living a meaningless, expensive life.

Teaming up Rose, Jackson's character, with the insurance agent who is after the bad ones is very unrealistic. His character, I don't care whether based on reality, should have been left out altogether and is just one of the numerous weaknesses in this film. Lack of events, bad plot structure, length, needless melodrama, uninteresting filming locations and bad actors in supporting roles are others.

However, I very much am in favor of the social point that is being made in this film. When Bobby is given a revolver for his graduation by his friend, his mother Rose (Jackson) is astonished and shocked and cries out "What the hell kind of a gift is that to give to a college graduate!" and "Criminals have guns. Criminals and the police..."

I don't think we would see Rick Schroder or Charleton Heston in a film that makes a social comment like that.

'Movie of the weekend' flashed across the screen, "Cool!" I thought I can watch a movie while I'm feeding the baby. It started out well and then just seemed in the first segment, (after giving away the story way too early) that it started to go down for the count. Shame on the director, for not giving the story the attention to directorial detail that it really needed.

The story was sort of interesting, like murder mysteries are, however they have been doing the same types of stories for years. Because of the lack of strong directing and carrying the acting parts through, it suffered heavily. Not one of the actors were that convincing, except, maybe the father of Bobby Earl (Sean McCann over 35 years of experience in movies and television, should have had a bigger part too!). Bobby was just always a little too happy-go-lucky (Just like an old-time milk commercial)it was just add-nauseous...and I mean 'Nausea'. The writing seemed in certain spots, very weak. Poorly written. The reactions to the events and the actions of others just seemed, very 'plastic' at times too. I think that the mother, living in the mid-west should have had just a little bit more weight on her bones than Kate had, to be a mother of two, with one in college. {This is not a slam on the mid-west or mothers of two or three or four or any other number of children.}

Kate Jackson in one scene at the city morgue, even though this was not her son that they had found, she seemed 'mechanical' even when she was trying to show relief, that the body was not Bobby's. It just did not come across as she really 'owns' the role, as some of the actors will do in different films, different directors too. In example, Kristian has been around the actor's table for many years, and she is young enough to pull off a 'Sexy' female, antagonist predator/love interest, who is mature, but not too old right? She is only in a soap opera, where that stuff is served up for breakfast lunch and dinner. The director may have had a conversation or two with her about her character, asking her advice even. She has been trained in that arena, so it would make her the one to ask. Maybe just maybe it doesn't translate to 'film' as well as one might think.

It is sad with such a good cast, that they fell this short. The camera work, was good standard for a television movie, nothing really above the regular 'par'. The scenery the place that the story took place was a very nice area as well.

On top of it, Kristian Alphonso, was beautiful, in this movie. Although the acting was facetious. She looked even better then because, she just looks to skinny now a days.

I recommend if you want to kill time and you enjoy MS. Alphonso, she was a very wonderful addition to the casting for this story of 'murder'. (**)