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Karen Black, Bruce Dern, Barbara Harris, William Devane, Ed Lauter ... see more see more... , Cathleen Nesbitt , Katherine Helmond , Warren Kemmerling , Edith Atwater , William Prince , Nicholas Colasanto , Marge Redmond , John Lehne , Charles Tyner , Alexander Lockwood , Martin West , Louise Lorimer , Kate Murtagh , Clint Young , Warren J. Kemmerling

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 play... read more read more...s 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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6,823 ratings

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21 critics

PG, 2 hr. 1 min.

Directed by: Alfred Hitchcock

Release Date: April 9, 1976

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DVD Release Date: March 6, 2001

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Flixster Reviews (371)

  • fb1664868775
    December 11, 2011
    fb1664868775
    Hitchcock's final film is an outstanding finish to a brilliant career. Hitch was obviously still sharp as a tack directing this one.
  • blkbomb
    December 7, 2011
    blkbomb
    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 st... read moreill 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.
  • dunmyer
    October 20, 2011
    dunmyer
    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 b... read moreastard 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.
  • spielberg00
    June 24, 2011
    spielberg00
    A comedy that's not funny, and you can't even see it being funny. Hasn't happened often since the 1940's.
  • SirPant
    May 16, 2011
    SirPant
    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 entertaini... read moreng, 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.
  • ajv2688
    January 3, 2011
    ajv2688
    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.
  • moonrivers
    July 8, 2010
    moonrivers
    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. w... read moreas anyone really trying? oh yeah, cathleen nesbitt, but sadly only her.
  • ythelastman89
    April 29, 2010
    ythelastman89
    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 t... read morehe 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.
  • 76Majikat
    May 17, 2009
    76Majikat
    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.
  • matertenebraum
    December 14, 2008
    matertenebraum
    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... read more 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.

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Critic Reviews

Roger Ebert
October 23, 2004
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. Full Review

Vincent Canby
January 1, 2000
Vincent Canby, New York Times

A witty, relaxed lark. Full Review

Emanuel Levy
April 25, 2011
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. Full Review

Dennis Schwartz
August 25, 2010
Dennis Schwartz, Ozus' World Movie Reviews

It's the perfect crime picture. Full Review

Tony Macklin
April 12, 2009
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 tin... Full Review

Jeffrey M. Anderson
October 18, 2008
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. Full Review

Dan Callahan
February 14, 2006
Dan Callahan, Slant Magazine

It's a movie that's haunted by death, with lengthy sequences played out in cemeteries. Full Review

Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat
January 18, 2004
Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat, Spirituality and Practice

An Alfred Hitchcock thriller with many interesting things happening in the movie's small places Full Review

Ken Hanke
June 10, 2003
Ken Hanke, Mountain Xpress (Asheville, NC)

Hitch's swan song and a pretty good one.

Jeremy Heilman
March 5, 2002
Jeremy Heilman, MovieMartyr.com

Once you tap into the film's gentle satire of its characters and genre, its strengths become apparent. Full Review

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Family Plot Trivia

  • Which movie is this plot outline? While emigrating to the United States, a young Russian mouse gets seperated from his family and must relocate them while trying to survive in a new country.  Answer »
  • What was Alfred Hitchcock's last film?  Answer »
  • A Chicago man's hope for a peaceful family vacation in the woods is shattered when the annoying in-laws drop in. The above plot outline is from what 1988 movie staring John Candy and Dan Aykroyd?  Answer »
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