A phony psychic and her cab driver boyfriend encounter a pair of serial kidnappers while trailing a missing heir.A phony psychic and her cab driver boyfriend encounter a pair of serial kidnappers while trailing a missing heir.A phony psychic and her cab driver boyfriend encounter a pair of serial kidnappers while trailing a missing heir.
- Awards
- 2 wins & 6 nominations
Elisabeth Brooks
- Woman in Cafe with Priest
- (uncredited)
Carl Byrd
- Lieutenant Peterson
- (uncredited)
- Director
- Writers
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaAt one point during filming, Bruce Dern questioned Sir Alfred Hitchcock about why he was cast. Hitchcock replied, "Because Mr. Packinow wanted a million dollars, and Hitch doesn't pay a million dollars." It took Dern a while to realize that "Mr. Packinow" was Al Pacino.
- GoofsWhen the runaway car is careening down the mountain, George is almost strangled by Blanche as she hangs on to his tie while flailing around in the back of the car. George's tie is clearly loose around his neck in several shots. When he crashes and climbs out of the car, the tie knot is perfect.
- Crazy creditsThe Universal logo does not appear anywhere on this film.
- ConnectionsFeatured in Marlene (1984)
Featured review
A Tale Of Two Con Games
Alfred Hitchcock's final film Family Plot is a story of two male and female criminal partnerships. The first pair is Bruce Dern and Barbara Harris who are a pair of small time grifters and we meet them in the process of fleecing a rich old spinster Cathleen Nesbitt with a phony psychic act.
The second pair are William Devane and Karen Black who have a lovely line in ransom kidnappings. They've really got it worked out to a science, including a soundproof hidden room in Devane's basement where the victims can be stashed until the ransom is paid.
Nesbitt confesses that she had her late sister give up an out of wedlock child during a séance and now she'd like to make amends by finding him and making him her heir. So with a finder's fee in mind Dern and Harris start digging.
Their paths cross Devane and Black as the police are hunting them so it becomes quite an interesting set of circumstances as Devane and Black suspect the others of being police operatives.
Hitchcock cleverly interweaves the stories of the two couples into a very cohesive plot. The players all hit the mark with their roles,] especially Devane, a smooth talking killer in the Hitchcock tradition of Otto Kruger in Saboteur, Tom Helmore in Vertigo, and James Mason in North By Northwest.
The ending is a bit of a surprise though, it comes rather abruptly. I have to confess I didn't like it at first, but it does kind of grow on you with repeated viewings.
Family Plot is a good for the master of suspense to go out on.
The second pair are William Devane and Karen Black who have a lovely line in ransom kidnappings. They've really got it worked out to a science, including a soundproof hidden room in Devane's basement where the victims can be stashed until the ransom is paid.
Nesbitt confesses that she had her late sister give up an out of wedlock child during a séance and now she'd like to make amends by finding him and making him her heir. So with a finder's fee in mind Dern and Harris start digging.
Their paths cross Devane and Black as the police are hunting them so it becomes quite an interesting set of circumstances as Devane and Black suspect the others of being police operatives.
Hitchcock cleverly interweaves the stories of the two couples into a very cohesive plot. The players all hit the mark with their roles,] especially Devane, a smooth talking killer in the Hitchcock tradition of Otto Kruger in Saboteur, Tom Helmore in Vertigo, and James Mason in North By Northwest.
The ending is a bit of a surprise though, it comes rather abruptly. I have to confess I didn't like it at first, but it does kind of grow on you with repeated viewings.
Family Plot is a good for the master of suspense to go out on.
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- bkoganbing
- Jan 7, 2007
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Details
- Release date
- Country of origin
- Language
- Also known as
- Alfred Hitchcock's 53rd Film
- Filming locations
- Angeles Crest Highway, Angeles National Forest, California, USA(runaway car downhill sequence)
- Production companies
- See more company credits at IMDbPro
Box office
- Budget
- $4,490,375 (estimated)
- Gross worldwide
- $111
- Runtime2 hours
- Color
- Aspect ratio
- 1.85 : 1
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