Featured Audience Ratings

• Clintus M

  
  An appropriate swan song for Alfred Hitchcock's career, Family Plot is light and thoroughly entertaining. It's a clever mystery involving multiple identities and ensuing confusion with the master's comedic touches as well. Family Plot may not seem typical Hitchcock to… More
  An appropriate swan song for Alfred Hitchcock's career, Family Plot is light and thoroughly entertaining. It's a clever mystery involving multiple identities and ensuing confusion with the master's comedic touches as well. Family Plot may not seem typical Hitchcock to some, but it reminds me of The Trouble with Harry as a few others. Those only familiar with Psycho and Vertigo would be surprised at his amazingly varied career. Remember how funny Hitch was on his TV show. Family Plot is cast well. I love the chemistry, especially the verbal jabbing, between Barbara Harris and Bruce Dern. William Devane is perfect as the debonair jeweler and kidnapper hiding a dangerous past. Ed Lauter's great too; he usually plays a jerk (think Longest Yard), but here he's even creepier. This film is a greatly nuanced comedy about death. It's a nice contrast with AH's previous film, the R-rated shocker Frenzy. Considered together, I think they typify his career. This isn't deep philosophy, its entertainment. As the master stated, "drama is life with the dull bits left out."

• Graham J

  
  Hitchcock's final film is an outstanding finish to a brilliant career. Hitch was obviously still sharp as a tack directing this one.

• Melvin W

  
  Arthur Adamson: Isn't it touching how a perfect murder has kept our friendship alive all these years.  "There's no body in the family plot." Family Plot is a pretty good going out party for the Master, Alfred Hitchcock. It's lesser Hitchcock for sure, but… More
  Arthur Adamson: Isn't it touching how a perfect murder has kept our friendship alive all these years.  "There's no body in the family plot." Family Plot is a pretty good going out party for the Master, Alfred Hitchcock. It's lesser Hitchcock for sure, but lesser Hitchcock is still pretty damn good. This film brings together a lot of Hitchcock's signature techniques and wraps them up nicely in two hours. Now, years after being made, Family Plot is a pretty good introduction to Hitchcock. It wouldn't be a bad movie to watch first, before diving into his several masterpieces like Psycho and Vertigo.  The movie follows a couple, one a phony psychic and the other, a taxi driver who is a pretty good little investigator. Blanche(the psychic) is asked to locate a family heir who has been missing for several years. Her and Lumley(the taxi driver) don't have to much to go by, but they soon start following up leads which lead them to another couple. These two are jewel thieves and one has a huge secret. The film brings the two couples together in a smart and intricate way. Hitchcock, like usual, doesn't try to keep major details from us. He let's us in on all the secrets and let's the suspense build from the characters mission to find out what we already know.  There's a reason he is known as the "Master of Suspense." He knows how to build it. He knew that suspense isn't built by surprises, but by knowing what's going on, but not what's going to happen. Sure, this isn't the greatest example of that in his work, but it is still a good one. He's not into huge plot twists at the end. Think how Psycho would have turned out in another director's hands. We sure wouldn't have been let in on the Norman Bates/Mother thing that early. There's one thing I have a problem with and it is a dumb ending. I didn't care for it, but it didn't ruin the movie either. Overall, Family Plot is just another solid thriller from Hitchcock. Nothing out of the ordinary there.

• William D

  
  What a mediocrity. It's shocking that Alfred Hitchcock went out on such a lame, superficial note. "Family Plot" was Hitchcock's last film, and it was far beneath him. Barbara Harris (who also starred in "Freaky Friday" that year) plays a fake psychic… More
  What a mediocrity. It's shocking that Alfred Hitchcock went out on such a lame, superficial note. "Family Plot" was Hitchcock's last film, and it was far beneath him. Barbara Harris (who also starred in "Freaky Friday" that year) plays a fake psychic trying to track down the bastard son of a rich woman. She and her boyfriend (a wacky, funny performance from Bruce Dern) stumble into some mild danger. It turns out the bastard son (William Devane), who doesn't realize that he has links to an aristocratic family, is a criminal. He and his wife (a flaccid, whiny Karen Black) specialize in kidnapping semi-prominent people (a bishop, for example) to gain ransom money. It's all very light-hearted and it plays like a 1970s TV show. It's not terrible, and there are some cool moments. But for the most part, this is devoid of any artistry. Not recommended. Just FYI -- Other films that came out in 1976: The remakes of "King Kong" and "A Star is Born," "Carrie," "The Omen," "Taxi Driver," "Marathon Man," "Network," "All the President's Men," and "Rocky," which won the Oscar for Best Picture. I would have voted for "Network" as Best Picture -- it was also nominated. But "Rocky" is a fine choice.

• Alexander D

  
  A comedy that's not funny, and you can't even see it being funny. Hasn't happened often since the 1940's.

• Anthony L

  
  Family Plot is an odd last film from the master of cinema but I quite liked it. It's farcical and humorous, has plenty of tongue in cheek moments which made it quite refreshing considering his last few unsuccessful films. I really liked the characters and it was always… More
  Family Plot is an odd last film from the master of cinema but I quite liked it. It's farcical and humorous, has plenty of tongue in cheek moments which made it quite refreshing considering his last few unsuccessful films. I really liked the characters and it was always entertaining, maybe not as good as his usual high standard but considering his outstanding career, he had got to a point where it was almost impossible to better what he'd already achieved. Still, a pretty good film, it's plenty of fun anyway.

• AJ V

  
  The best of Hitchcock's later films, in my opinion. Again he has a cast of well known actors, and an interesting, exciting story. I love it, and if you like Hitchcock I recommend you see it.

• Universal D

  
  hitchcock's last is not bad is all. it's not the cast's fault, because they're all working (especially nice is the chemistry between harris and dern, both typically typecast as "quirky" actors) but rather it's static camera work that gives the piece… More
  hitchcock's last is not bad is all. it's not the cast's fault, because they're all working (especially nice is the chemistry between harris and dern, both typically typecast as "quirky" actors) but rather it's static camera work that gives the piece an old theater piece feel. was anyone really trying? oh yeah, cathleen nesbitt, but sadly only her.

• Conner R

  
  I really love Family Plot. Black Comedy and Hitchcock have always made a great pair so I can definitely see why he chose to adapt a novel about jewel thieves and con artists. The directing is amazing, what a way for Hitchcock to finish his career. I think itâ??s actually one of the… More
  I really love Family Plot. Black Comedy and Hitchcock have always made a great pair so I can definitely see why he chose to adapt a novel about jewel thieves and con artists. The directing is amazing, what a way for Hitchcock to finish his career. I think itâ??s actually one of the most under-appreciated works. The acting styles of Bruce Dern, Karen Black and the rest of the cast fit in perfectly, giving you a really fun caper.

• Lady D

  
  A little tongue n cheek storyline, with a slightly different style to most Hitchcock films, which was an enjoyable watch, without being one of the greats. There is very much a comical theme throughout.

• Cassandra M

  
  One of Hitchcock's later films, this doesn't really bring anything much to the legacy of the great Hitchcock. This just does not offer anything new. A phony psychic and her taxi driver boyfriend launch a scam to make 10,000 dollars off an old lady by making her think they… More
  One of Hitchcock's later films, this doesn't really bring anything much to the legacy of the great Hitchcock. This just does not offer anything new. A phony psychic and her taxi driver boyfriend launch a scam to make 10,000 dollars off an old lady by making her think they are in contact with her heir. As it turns out, they do make contact with the heir, who is a kidnapper and a jewel thief. The whole last half hour was very predictable, and perhaps showed the signs of a man coming to the end of his career who had made all his great moves on screen already.

• Arash X

  
  Better than other Hitchcock movies that I've seen but still ... , Honestly I'm losing my interest to see his other works

• Pierluigi P

  
  The master's farewell it's a hell of a fun thriller/dark comedy. great cast and memorable winks, like the Barbara Harris' one at the end. great soundtrack by John Williams. It's true Hitch was old and tired while making this film, but many young filmmakers would… More
  The master's farewell it's a hell of a fun thriller/dark comedy. great cast and memorable winks, like the Barbara Harris' one at the end. great soundtrack by John Williams. It's true Hitch was old and tired while making this film, but many young filmmakers would die to have a bit of his talent. the ending and the mountain road scene are classics.

• Drew S

  
  Minor Hitchcock to be sure, but it's still such a well-done film that it outdoes a great majority of mystery thrillers in Hollywood today. Blanche is an adorable character, the villains are exciting, and all of their performances are spot-on. The plot is thoughtful and excitingly… More
  Minor Hitchcock to be sure, but it's still such a well-done film that it outdoes a great majority of mystery thrillers in Hollywood today. Blanche is an adorable character, the villains are exciting, and all of their performances are spot-on. The plot is thoughtful and excitingly coincidental - a little predictable, perhaps, but the movie is a bit of a parody of its genre. However you choose to view it, though, it's still a great success. Hitchcock's a genius.

• The Movie W

  
  Hitch's final film is a convoluted and talky affair which plays more like the TV movies of it's era. The director had prided himself throughout his career on his ability to sidestep plot, dialogue and character, three aspects of film-making that are given far too much… More
  Hitch's final film is a convoluted and talky affair which plays more like the TV movies of it's era. The director had prided himself throughout his career on his ability to sidestep plot, dialogue and character, three aspects of film-making that are given far too much credence today. His last film is brimming with all three, to it's detriment. It plays more like a made for TV Coen brothers film than a work of the master of suspense. Harris is a fake psychic who, with boyfriend Dern, attempts to swindle money from an elderly client by tracking down her long lost son. That son is actually Devane, a jeweller who stays in business through kidnap and extortion, aided by his lover, Black. When Devane realises Harris and Dern are about to expose him he sets out to have them killed. This film is unbearably talky, by anyone's standards, let alone Hitchcock. The opening scene alone contains more exposition than his entire output of the previous twenty years. It's script is written by Ernest Lehmann who penned the great "North by NorthWest", a shining example of visual storytelling if ever there was one. That movie had no plot, it didn't require one. Hitchcock actually mocked plot driven films by having the one moment when a character is about to explain all drowned out by a loud airplane engine. The roar of a jumbo jet would be far preferable over the stream of badly written dialogue offered up here. Naturally there are some impressive visuals but they occur all too rarely. The most famous shot involves a crane into a huge close up of a diamond hidden in a chandelier. Hitchcock was the primary influence on the makers of Italian thrillers in the seventies and here he gives them a nod in a great tracking shot following Black, disguised in the sort of outfit the villain of a giallo might sport, as she picks up a ransom from a police station. Lady Gaga, of all people, referenced this scene in one of her music videos. At this stage in his life, Hitch was in troublesome physical condition. During filming of "Family Plot" he would receive a telephone call from the studio execs each morning who had him place the receiver against his chest in order to determine if his heart rate allowed him to film that day. His lack of mobility is the primary reason for this film's absence of visual inventiveness. By 1976 the idea of filming a scene in a car on a sound stage was old hat but Hitch's health prevented him from location shooting. As a result the scene where Dern tries to control a car with sabotaged brakes resembles something from an Ed Wood movie, the projected backgrounds moving at a ridiculously fast speed. No doubt realising it would look absurd, Hitch has Dern and Harris play the scene for laughs which makes it even more cringeworthy. Another problem is the soundtrack by John Williams, fresh off his iconic work on "Jaws". A criticism often leveled at the composer is that his music is often overbearing and that's certainly the case here. The central harpsichord theme (again familiar to fans of Lady Gaga) is irritating and gives the film a cheap "Movie of the Week" feel. At one point the camera pans to an open window to reveal a character has just made his exit. Williams wanted the score to swell when the window comes into view but Hitch wisely cut the music instead to give the image more impact. He was showing the composer that often less is more but if you've seen any Spielberg movie of the last two decades you can't help but wonder if Williams was paying attention. The first scene Hitch shot on this film was set in a cemetary and the fake tombstones were embellished with the names of members of the press he had invited to witness filming. Bizarrely, this film has a cult following amongst Mormons who believe the director was secretly enamored of their faith. They believe there are references to Mormonism throughout Hitch's films and the cemetary used here belongs to their order. It was clear to everyone around him that this would most likely be Hitch's final film and Dern urged him to make his famous cameo at the end of the film by walking down a set of stairs and winking at the camera in the movie's final shot. Understandably Hitch objected as he felt he would be sealing his faith but he does have Harris end the movie with a wink to the audience. I like to think this is Hitch's way of acknowledging the decades of joy and suspense he and his fans have shared at the expense of his characters.

• Matthew Y

  
  Hitchcock's final film is a comedy/thriller of sorts about two couples living outside of the law whose fortunes merge together. It would have been nice for Frenzy to have been the directors last film but Family Plot is at least a decent flick with a clever plot and several… More
  Hitchcock's final film is a comedy/thriller of sorts about two couples living outside of the law whose fortunes merge together. It would have been nice for Frenzy to have been the directors last film but Family Plot is at least a decent flick with a clever plot and several Hitchcockian elements (the focus on the chandelier, the garage door acting as a prison bar, etc.). Few are lucky enough to exit on a high note and at least Hitchcock was able to leave with a mentionable movie.

• Lesley N

  
  The last Hitchcock film, released in 1976, concerns a phony psychic, her taxi-drviing boyfriend, a rich old lady, the nephew who was given away at birth and a couple of kidnappers. It all unfolds in a HItchcock storytelling way, and while nothing exceptional, is pretty lively.

• Brian R

  
  The last film of Hitchcock and a disappointingly one. The comedy aspect doesn't work and isn't really funny. The performances is sub par I think. William Devane is quite smooth and channels Jack Nicholson, Barbara Harris is sweet and strange as the fake fortune teller and… More
  The last film of Hitchcock and a disappointingly one. The comedy aspect doesn't work and isn't really funny. The performances is sub par I think. William Devane is quite smooth and channels Jack Nicholson, Barbara Harris is sweet and strange as the fake fortune teller and Bruce Dern is the submissive cab driver who is looking for a missing nephew in order to claim money. All the Hitchcock trademarks is present in "Family Plot" but overall the film doesn't really hold up. Would it have been better if Hitchcock made FP more dark and more serious? I believe so.

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