Common Sense Media Review
By Barbara Shulgasser-Parker
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Hitchcock's last film disappoints; mild violence, language.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 13+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
Videos and Photos
Family Plot
Parent and Kid Reviews
What's the Story?
In FAMILY PLOT, Blanche (Barbara Harris) is a phony psychic who lands an elderly wealthy client, Julia Rainbird (Cathleen Nesbitt). Julia reveals that 40 years before, when her now departed sister had a baby out of wedlock, Julia gave the baby away to an unknown adoptive couple to protect the elite family from scandal. To make amends, she now wants to find that child, welcome him back to the family, and leave her entire inheritance to him. Julia offers Blanche an incentive as well, a $10,000 reward for locating him. Blanche tasks George (Bruce Dern), her cab driver-private detective boyfriend, with doing the legwork and he finds a windy path to the dead adoptive parents and a headstone with no body under it. Hints that the missing boy died with his adoptive parents in a fire fall away and leads take them right up against suave kidnappers (William Devane and Karen Black), one of whom won't shy away from committing murder if necessary.
Is It Any Good?
Family Plot is a feathery concoction. Sorely missing is the sure hand customarily wielded by the cagey Hitchcock, the director who loved to terrorize his audiences. This is overlong and plodding, about as clever as a mediocre sitcom, looking like a parody/knockoff of one of Hitchcock's better efforts.
Casting accounts for some of the problem. Harris as Blanche reverts to "cute" mode with a dash of ditz, probably just to keep things interesting for herself. Both Black and Devane as the suave and villainous couple have little to do, exposing weaknesses in Ernest Lehman's script. Direction is just as sloppy. A car has a major accident and a day or so later it's miraculously up and running. During a harrowing car ride, a woman grabs the stressed-out driver by the necktie, nearly strangling him, hardly a helpful move in a crisis. When the man emerges from the crashed car, his tie is perfectly tied. The film closes with a character winking into the camera, a sure sign no one knew how to end the story.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the way in which subplots can give away too much information too soon, making the movie feel less exciting and unpredictable.
Hitchcock was famous for seeking to terrify his audience. Why do you think we enjoy scary or suspenseful movies?
Blanche does a number of unwise things that make us question her good sense and intelligence. How does watching characters who struggle to make good choices affect the movie-viewing experience for you? Do you find it funny? Enjoyable? Annoying?
Movie Details
- On DVD or streaming : March 21, 1976
- Cast : Barbara Harris , Bruce Dern , Karen Black , WIlliam Devane
- Director : Alfred Hitchcock
- Inclusion Information : Female Movie Actor(s)
- Studio : Netflix
- Genre : Thriller
- Run time : 120 minutes
- MPAA rating :
- Last updated : June 12, 2025
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