Family Plot (1976)

95% of critics liked it
(21 reviews)
57% of users liked it
(6,825 ratings)

Alfred Hitchcock's final film was adapted from Victor Canning's novel The Rainbird Pattern by Ernest Lehman, who previously wrote the screenplay for Hitchcock's North by Northwest. Barbara Harris plays Blanche, a phony psychic, hired by wealthy Julia Rainbird (Cathleen Nesbitt) to trace the… More Alfred Hitchcock's final film was adapted from Victor Canning's novel The Rainbird Pattern by Ernest Lehman, who previously wrote the screenplay for Hitchcock's North by Northwest. Barbara Harris plays Blanche, a phony psychic, hired by wealthy Julia Rainbird (Cathleen Nesbitt) to trace the whereabouts of her nephew, who'd been given up for adoption years earlier and who is now heir to a fortune. Blanche's cohort is "investigator" Lumley (Bruce Dern), who is fully prepared to milk the last dollar out of Julia before locating the long-lost nephew. Meanwhile, we are introduced to elegant kidnappers Adamson and Fran (William Devane and Karen Black). The fates of the two couples are inextricably intertwined by the search for the missing heir. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

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Rating, Runtime: PG, 2 hr. 1 min.
Directed By: Alfred Hitchcock
Written By: Victor Canning, Ernest Lehman
Genres: Drama, Mystery & Suspense, Comedy

In Theaters: Apr 9, 1976 Limited
On DVD: Mar 6, 2001
Studio: Universal Pictures

Critic Reviews

Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times
Hitchcock has a deviously complicated tale to tell, and he's going to tell it with labyrinthine detail, and he's not going to cheat.
Vincent Canby, New York Times
A witty, relaxed lark.
Emanuel Levy, EmanuelLevy.Com
Hitchcock's last (53rd) film is a post-modern, self-reflexive work, which deserves a more serious look and better grade than granted by many critics.
Dennis Schwartz, Ozus' World Movie Reviews
It's the perfect crime picture.
Tony Macklin, tonymacklin.net
... full of allusions to past Hitchcock. A car is parked on Bates Avenue; a gas station man tells a cab driver it is dangerous to light a match; the kidnapers tell each other how danger makes them tingle; and the female kidnaper used a blonde wig.
Jeffrey M. Anderson, Combustible Celluloid
It's not exactly top-tier Hitchcock, but it features enough good stuff to make it at least worth one viewing.
Dan Callahan, Slant Magazine
A minor but worthwhile swan song for Hitchcock.
Dan Callahan, Slant Magazine
It's a movie that's haunted by death, with lengthy sequences played out in cemeteries.
Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat, Spirituality and Practice
An Alfred Hitchcock thriller with many interesting things happening in the movie's small places
Ken Hanke, Mountain Xpress (Asheville, NC)
Hitch's swan song and a pretty good one.

Read all 10 critic reviews

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Featured Audience Ratings

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.
moon r

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.
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.