Family Plot

A unique movie, that was written very well, with Hitchcock giving his all at the helm. The story here shines in a way not unlike Hitchcock's best; this entire effort proves that Hitchcock--like wine--improves with age. If only he would have graced us with about twenty more years. On that note, this was his final film--and even though that's sad--it ends with a note that will leave the fondest final memories in any Hitchcock fan's mind.

Hitchcock always had to make compromises in order to get what little bit of artistic freedom the studio system could afford. But in the decade where artistic freedom was taken for granted, his work felt compromised. I don't know. I guess that was clever of me. Really, Family Plot is a good movie that makes me sad. Hitch was in the Fry's dog stage of his career. Christ, why did I type that?

Hitchcock's best dark comedy.

This was actually better and more fun on a second watch.

Frenzy felt like Hitchcock updating his style to adapt to the 1970s landscape. It felt more akin to De Palma, that the subtext of Hitchock's earlier work becoming text. However, this film feels like one of his older works that just happens to have 1970s cinematography/production. It doesn't fit, even though it's still worth a watch. It feels weird to know that this was released the same year as Taxi Driver.

Hitchcock didn't exactly go out with a bang, but he did end his career with a wink, which seems appropriate. A bit of a lark with four entertaining performances in the main roles - I particularly enjoyed Harris's fake medium and Devane's conniving jeweller. The sabotaged car on mountain road set piece is a highlight in a fluffy but pleasant romp.

A pretty good swan song for the master of suspense. Has some decent amount of tension and I kind of laughed at the car with no brakes. The cast was very good in this as well. Worth a gander if you are a fan of Hitchcock's.

It have a lot of falling this movie like a scene with a car but still has a Hitchcock note...

Very much of its time but not of Hitchcock's time so some scenes seem forced and dated now.

Frenzy would have been a much better one to go out on. I guess it's alright....the acting gives it a bump.

Hitch's swan-song is fine entertainment, but not up to his best work; fine performances from Harris and Devane liven convoluted mystery, which kicks into a higher gear in the second half. It is clear that Hitch knew the state of modern film at the time as the film feels convincingly 70s, despite being made by a man who perfected his technique during the silent era; a signature mark of Hitch no matter which decade he was working in!

This works only as a typical thriller. Given that Hitchcock was gifted with a kind of magical touch, this could have been perfect. But, simply, this touch does not exist here. He seems no longer interested in making character studies - besides, the script's characters are too weak to do so. "Family Plot" is good but, without being too strict or demanding, I see it as just a minor addition to an already brilliant filmography.

A pretty good film, if it was a 70's TV movie thriller.

A farcical comedy to be sure. A lot of laughs and sight gags.

Definitely a lesser Hitchcock, but Dern. Black, Devane and Harris are each very funny.

While I think Family Plot had one of the best ideas of most of the movies of Hitchcock's later work, the movie itself failed to live up to that idea. As much as I enjoyed Lehman's writing in films like North by Northwest, here I just thought it fell flat. The characterizations were flimsy and somewhat uninteresting, despite the potential - which falls in line with the movie itself.

positives: interesting cast filled with not so big names, loved george and blanche, the car scene, the ending. negatives: interesting cast in need of a big name, would have preferred that the film be darker and less comical.

This is a fun movie. I dunno this sort of thing needs to be perfect to really pull it off and Hitch does.

Agreeable crime/suspense flick, but you need to be told it's Hitchcock. Except for the mountain road sequence, it's not apparent in the least--it looks like a television show. As is usual with Hitchcock, the men fare better than the women. Dern and Devane are good, and appealing. Harris does her best to bring inventiveness to her performance, but her character is such whiny, bossy twat that it's mostly wasted effort. It's fun to see Marge Redmond in an actual movie, not just "The Flying Nun".

Goofy, but kind of fun.

I really enjoy the humor in Hitchcock's later films. It's a delightful little romp, with all four leads giving light and fun performances.

82.00

81.000

Not bad. A dark comedy about a pair of two-bit losers getting increasingly tangled in a web of greed, kidnap and murder - it feels positively Coenesque at times! Hitchcock was getting pretty old by now, but it's clear he's still having fun with the plot twists and all the double entendres in the dialogue. It's fitting that his final film ends with a sly wink at the audience.

watched: 2012, 2023

Granted, this isn't top-tier Hitchcock, or even 2nd-tier. However, it sure isn't as bad as its reputation. It feels rather like a TV movie, and the humor is mostly pretty dumb, but it's a fun time.

hitch resoundingly did *not* save the best for last.

"Hitchcock's final picture is not one of the classics but has many of the elements that made him great."

Em honra de Barbara Harris (1935 - 2018). A cada revisitada acabo achando esse filme melhor e certamente é meu favorito do old Hitch desde Os Pássaros, apesar de já debilitado à época o diretor ainda conseguia conduzir com sua usual maestria com a ajuda de um elenco quadruplamente carismático. Coleção Universal Alfred Hitchcock Volume 2

81.500

The premise, that a huckster psychic and her boyfriend stand to earn a reward for locating a long lost heir, who happens to be a murderer and criminal who thinks their pursuit is over his misdeeds, is generally humorous but Family Plot is too long, too full of standard thriller investigation for the comedy to come alive. Good dialogue, and Hitchcock even dips his toes into selfparody, but it tries to tread the line too much between traditional thriller and comedy and much is lost on both sides

The movie is fun, but the acting is terrible. The plot? Not so good. And what about that road scene? Simply ridiculous.

sorry Hitch, but this one's just stupid

Not really funny and not really exciting. Very lazy direction despite amusing perfomances from Bruce Dern and Devane.

More Movie of the Week than swan song for the master of suspense. Still a fun, brainless romp. SPOILER? Is this the only Hitch film where no one dies?