Murder in a Small Town

I love this movie.The time period sets & characters were very engrossing.I was truly surprised as to the outcome of this movie.I thought I had it all figured out.This film reminds me of the board game "Clue".I will probably purchase this movie.There is a little bit of "CHINATOWN" in the movie's plot.Terrific acting & use of guile to fool the viewing audience.Very entertaining.I hope WILDER reprises his role.

You can tell that Gene Wilder was doing exactly what he wanted to do when he wrote and starred in the 1999 made-for-TV film, Murder in a Small Town. Directed by Joyce Chopra and starring Wilder along with Mike Starr; Murder in a Small Town is a campy little TV movie set in the 20's reminiscent of the movie mysteries that commanded the screen in the era. When a string of murders begins to occur in the quiet Connecticut town, a widowed playwright will become influential in solving the crimes. I'm happy for Wilder that he became successful enough to do the kind of stories he wanted to do later in his acting career, Murder in a Small Town definitely fits into this category.

After his wife was murdered, Larry "Cash" Carter left his successful post in Broadway churning out success after success as a playwright to move to the sleepy town of Stamford, Connecticut. Since his move, he transitioned to work in community theater as a writer/director which left him plenty of time to pursue other interests of his. With a superb eye for detail and a knack for getting into the mind of a criminal, Cash became fast friends with a local detective Tony "Bologna", even helping him solve some of his cases. When the wealthy town jerk, Sidney Lassiter (Terry O'Quinn) is found dead, Tony enlists Cash's help in order to solve the case. When a second, yet intertwined murder is committed, Tony and Cash must work quickly to solve the time and protect the small town before it becomes any smaller.

Stamford Connecticut is where Gene Wilder moved to after he left Hollywood and all but retired from acting in the early 90's. It doesn't go unnoticed that this film takes place in Gene's hometown. He also worked on the script with his brother-in-law, Gilbert Pearlman. I've also seen enough interviews of Gene Wilder in where he admits that he enjoys watching mystery movies on TV. All of this data goes toward suggesting that Gene Wilder was doing exactly what he wanted to do with Murder in a Small Town. Although the movie is nothing to write home about, and although it's fun, you won't miss out if you skip it; it's still worth watching knowing that Wilder had worked up to the point in his life and career that he could only take on the jobs he really wanted to do. The later TV works of Wilder's, like this one, are a nice contrast to his more well-known work of the 70's and essential viewing for great fans of the veteran actor's.

In a mostly straight role, with only occasional moments of humor, Gene Wilder is surprisingly good; his warm and insightful theatrical director/amateur sleuth is like a more humane Hercules Poirot. The film is well-cast right down the line and has a reasonably intricate plot, but it suffers from the usual limitations of most TV productions, including bland cinematography and slow pacing. Enjoyable overall, but mediocre. (**1/2)

This is a delightful well executed period murder mystery. The suspects are developed in the traditional manner early in the movie. The interaction between the detective and a drama producer is done with understated humor. There is in fact a lot of between-the-lines humor which Gene Wilder plays off in a brilliant manner. It is great to see Wilder in a role such as this, contrasting with his more over-the-top style of comedy acting in his early films. So what is there not to like in a well written story, well acted and with an evocative 1930's setting?

Gene Wilder is terrific in his over-the-top comedic triumphs ("The Producers", "Young Frankenstein", "Blazing Saddles", and more), but hasn't always been wisely used in more moderate roles. "Haunted Honeymoon" comes to mind!

This one, though, is extremely enjoyable, and I hope it's the beginning of a series. His performance is smart, restrained, believable, professional, and witty. The movie, a lovely period piece murder mystery, is a surprisingly effective vehicle for him. It has everything for a satisfying couple of hours on the sofa: 1930s costumes and cars, detective work, romance, and light comedy.

Let's have more of Wilder in this kind of role.