Warning do not read unless seen movie.
It's always the last thing you would think would happen and even want to, but for all families it's a terrible reality we must face because it does. What makes this even more devastating is sometimes the perpetrator is someone within your circle of trust.
This is one of my favorite TV miniseries and True Crime films, and an under the radar gem. It wasn't overlooked, this film was a big hit by the time it aired in 1984 but sadly as time went on it became forgotten, like most other TV movies and mini-series. Also, it became a bit of a lost gem as it's only had a VHS release from that wonderful company "Star Maker" which also rereleased other mini-series like "Donner Pass" and "Echoes in the Darkness", which will be stories for another time; however, this never a DVD or Blu Ray release. "Mill Creek Entertainment" should think of rereleasing this mini-series since this company has rereleased a long line of others so this should be next.
This may sound strange but, in a way, this is also one of my favorite Father's Day films. I know, know strange as this isn't really an uplifting film (true crime never is) though it's kind of is by the end of the film. If you think about it, it makes sense as the film is mainly about a grandfather/father on a long crusade to seek justice for his lost daughter and grandchildren, this to me makes the film uplifting because he's doing what any good father figure would do.
I really like the production value of this film, you can easily tell there was a great amount of effort and professionalism to this film as there are some good bits of cinematography, pacing, I even like some of the music in the film. One piece of music was in the promos, I know they weren't part of the original track though should of, but anyway that music just really gave me chills just really hammered the fact on how heinous and series the crime the film is based on truly is.
But what really powered this film was in its level of intrigue and even a little dash of suspense. Despite this film about a real case from a long time ago and anyone that has read Joe McGuiness's true crime book or learned about this case in any other way, you probably already know how things turn out in the end. But the way the film just steadily unfolds it really puts you right back in that decade long gone and gives you a feel on the long and hard crusade to put a monster behind bars.
This film has a very good cast which consists of a lot of familiar faces from veterans of TV and movies or even a few before they became familiar faces today.
From Andy Griffith who was solid in this film despite not really in the miniseries that long though it makes sense due to what happened in reality to Victor Worheide. But it was just interesting just seeing him in a really serious role and movie and shows how underrated an actor he really is. Really like how he has a dry sense of humor but also is downright serious when he gets down to business. Though also the role he's in you can say is a foreshadowing for the other show he's famous for "Matlock" which came two years after this mini-series.
Gary Cole who is another on my list of underrated actors, he is very solid in this film. This film was one of his debuts and a lot of famous and well-known faces have had their start playing bad guys. Gary is always good at playing both good guys and bad guys but this kind of bad guy he play's is different because he's one that exists and once again reminds us how monsters don't have to look inhuman to be monsters.
We never really know the reason why Jeff did what he did, that is the billion-dollar question to this day that I honestly still have no answer for along with a lot of other serial murderers where reason is nonexistent. By the end of the film, we see a small montage of photos of Jeff MacDonald over the years and from those you can't help but ask the question how can someone that has achieved so much throughout life, making him almost the ideal guy turn out to be a monster. I don't know if something somewhere along the line made him turn this way or bring it out of him; or if he was always a monster, he just better at hiding it than others, which I'll admit that possibility chills me the most.
It's understandable as to how no one could have suspected this guy of the inhuman acts he's done. You see him as a nice guy that is clean cut that pretty much has everything he wants and needs that doesn't seem like he hasn't told a lie in his life and has good relations with is family and everyone. From all those things it's easy to see how some people could easily dismiss this guy.
But of course, as Robert Frost once said, "Nothing Gold Stays.", we see latter see from Jeff some of that golden boy mask begin to slip off, and we see those slip ups. Like in one scene, I'll admit just seeing the scenes of him living it up in California was just disgusting as if the guy hasn't lost anything despite the fact his loss took place one or two years ago; I've heard of bouncing back but no one who is human and has grieved deep loss can bounce back that fast.
There is another moment when in a way he gives himself away to his lawyer when there is this overaggressive outburst when he makes a derogatory and non-ironic remark to the opposing lawyer who passed away years ago. That moment you can say he's shown his true colors which aren't gold but also if there is irony it's mainly toward himself as just like with Jeff the Nazi's have killed families without question, feeling, and no reason at all.
However, what really gets to me is that after the tragedy throughout the film from beginning to end, he never really talks or acknowledges his wife and two children at all or much; some would see it as someone that finds it too painful to talk about but here it's like they never existed at all to him which I'll admit really made my guts boil.
I like there is this one cinematography shot which is at the end of part one of the mini-series, we see him wave goodbye to his mother, but we see his mom along with ourselves are looking though a grated window. We see Jeff though that window at first clearly but then the camera slowly zooms out and window obscures our view of him, making him out of focus where we can barely see him at all. This in a way reflects both his relationship to his mother but also to everyone around him, how he was never a very close person at all. Throughout the years had this veil of illusion that has divided him from us, to see him for who he really is.
Karl Madden another underrated actor is great as Freddy Kassab in a way he's the main protagonist in this whole film from beginning to end and one you feel deep pathos for as he's a grandfather having to endure an unthinkable loss. It's interesting how at first this guy was one of Jeff's strongest supporters which is understandable, Jeff was his friend and almost like the son he never had. To suspect your best friend or someone in your circle of trust of murder is almost unthinkable and hard to swallow.
But then of course after a while Freddy and we begin to see one by one some of the red lights turn on. Like in one scene where Jeff is in this talk show and we present some facts, like the number of wounds he received, Freddy and we see that red light because we both know that's not the correct number. It also is another give away by Jeff, despite being highly intelligent he's not that good of a liar or at least not as good as he thinks.
And this shows once Freddy goes over the testimony in the hearing of Jeff and here, he notices there are inconsistencies in his testimony and he's right things just aren't adding up. Like the fact there was blood in three rooms of the home but not a single speck in the area where Jeff was, which makes no sense. Just seeing Freddy work he really should have been a Police Detective as he's got the right stuff as we see him investigate the house and goes over the fact and Jeff's testimony to get physical positive conformation of his suspicions.
But also see his determination and the reality he faces in dealing with how hard it is to prosecute and retry a suspect. And of course, there are some bumps along that long hard crusade which gives Freddy along with his wife longer aching grief. That just even more makes us want them both to win, despite the fact we know the results, the amount of intrigue and suspense the film creates really puts you with them and in their place.
There are some emotional moments, like those flashbacks which I'll admit really tug at my heartstrings as we see both Freddy and Mildred (Eva Marie Saint) remember their times with their daughter and grandchildren and knowing those were the very last times, they had with them. I'll admit seeing those scenes made me grateful and thank God, that I had the time with my grandparents, and they saw me grow up to be an adult.
But there is one moment which is haunting when the Criminologist describes in graphic detail which I'll admit made me sick. But also, just what happens after it's done when we see Freddy just break down and cry. I'll admit that part really made me cry and want to hug the guy. I can't really imagine how hard it was for him to hear all that, but the truth is the truth, it never is. It also is one of those times I honestly wish I could of been there, done something anything to stop it from happening but the sad reality is there really wasn't anything I or anyone else could of done because we weren't nor could we have known.
What you see truly isn't always what you get, because you could be missing a bigger, darker, and sinister picture.
Rating: 4 stars.
