- Going in, I had fairly low expectations for Family Plot. The film has essentially no critical reputation and never gets mentioned outside of the fact that it was Alfred Hitchcock's final film. Furthermore, although I admittedly love Frenzy, it's tough not to acknowledge the gradual decline in the esteemed director's post-Psycho filmography. Imagine my surprise, then, when Family Plot turned out to be a thoroughly entertaining film. Sure, it's not one of Hitchcock's greats, but it is certainly his most fun picture since North by Northwest and an appropriately witty punchline to an impressive career.
- As the story opens, the wonderfully emotive Blanche Tyler (Barbara Harris) is channeling a voice from beyond the grave. Perhaps unsurprisingly, the voice is trying to convince the elderly widow Mrs. Rainbird (Cathleen Nesbitt) to cough up some dough. You see, Blanche and her conniving boyfriend, George Lumley (Bruce Dern), are small-time con operators who use sham psychic readings to squeeze cash out of their clients. With Rainbird it looks like they've finally hit it big, with a promised payout of ten grand if only they can find her long lost nephew. Now you might picture this missing orphan as a rosy-cheeked cherub, but it turns out that he's considerably more grown up than that.
- As it happens, the absent nephew is an archcriminal named Arthur Adamson (William Devane) who, along with his demure girlfriend Fran (Karen Black), kidnaps people in order to demand certain sparkling ransoms. It's no accident that Adamson has been hard to find -- he and an exceedingly sketchy accomplice named Maloney (Ed Lauter) launched their careers with the murder of Adamson's parents. As a result, the two grow immediately suspicious when Lumley stops by Maloney's gas station to make some characteristically amateurish inquiries. Don't let the pipe fool you: Lumley is no Sherlock Holmes. Of course, while the seasoned criminals are trying desperately to rid themselves of Blanche and Lumley, the two bush-league grifters only want to reunite Adamson with his wealthy aunt.
- Family Plot succeeds in part because it doesn't take itself too seriously. The plot is so fundamentally absurd that it quickly would have fallen prey to Hitchcock's dreaded "implausibles," had it been attempted with a straight face. Instead, the film uses its plot to play a cosmic joke on two sets of criminals, one of which is far more sinister than the other. Of course, an additional component for success is the film's excellent cast. Barbara Harris and Bruce Dern are perfect petty criminals, and William Devane is as enjoyably phony a master criminal as one could imagine. Sprinkle in a few memorable scenes, including one that involves a surprisingly funny runaway car, and you have a film that reminds us that Hitchcock's talent at generating thrills was matched only by his remarkable sense of humor.
- I spotted Hitchcock's famous silhouette at the "Registrar of Births and Deaths."
- As noted, this was Hitchcock's final film. Incidentally, it was the 40th film of his that I have watched.
- The musical score, which was quite good, was by John Williams.
