Main Cast: Karl Malden, Eva Marie Saint, Gary Cole, Barry Newman, Andy Griffith
Release Year: 1984
Country: US
Run Time: 192 minutes
Plot
Convicted murderer Dr. Jeffrey MacDonald had hoped that, by telling his side of the story to investigative journalist Joe McGinniss, the authorities would be persuaded of MacDonald's innocence. Instead, McGinniss ended up unswerving in his belief of MacDonald's guilt, and the result was the devastating best-seller Fatal Vision. In this two-part TV adaptation of McGinniss' book, Gary Cole plays MacDonald, a former Green Beret officer, while Frank Dent essays the role of McGinniss. MacDonald's wife and two children are brutally murdered in their Fort Bragg, North Carolina home on February 17, 1970. The prime suspect, MacDonald insists that the killings were committed by a gang of stoned-out hippies, a story that at first is accepted in toto by the doctor's father-in-law Freddy Kassab (Karl Malden). But after MacDonald is officially exonerated, Kassab notices several holes in his son-in-law's story, and becomes convinced that MacDonald was in fact the murderer. Through Kassab's persistence, as well as the uncovering of new forensic evidence, MacDonald is ultimately convicted for all three murders in 1979. Since the TV premiere of Fatal Vision on November 18 and 19, 1984, there has been a growing movement by MacDonald's sympathizers to discredit McGinniss' book and to retry the case--a movement that has been hampered time and again by MacDonald's own erratic behavior. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Gary Grubbs - James Blackburn; Carmen Argenziano - Colonel Pruett; Judith Barsi - Kimberly (age 3); Anne Betancourt - St. Mary's Sister; J.P. Bumstead - Colonel Rock; Eugene Butler - Captain Somers; Barry Corbin - Franz Grebner; Robert Clotworthy - MP Sergeant; Frank Dent - Joe McGinniss; Patricia Duff - Joy; Paddi Edwards - Mrs. Perry MacDonald; Matthew Faison - Dr. Bronstein; Brandy Gold - Kimberly (age 5); Lance Gordon - CID Captain; Laurence Haddon - General Flanagan; Ken Hill - Neighbor; Billy James - TV Interviewer; Richard Lineback - MP Captain; Fred Morsell - Agent; Scott Paulin - William Ivory; Joel Polis - Brian Murtagh; Jack Rader - Provost Marshal; Dennis Redfield - Peter Kearns; Mitchell Ryan - Paul Strombaugh; Rex Ryon - Jay MacDonald; Albert Salmi - Judge Dupree; Miguel Sandoval - MP in Jeep; Wendy Schaal - Colette MacDonald; Tom Tarpey - Psychiatrist; Kenneth Tigar - Pathologist; Nadine Van Der Velde - Randi; Bill Vint - Dr. Sadoff; Andy Wood - Robert Shaw; Roy London - Dr. Thornton; Brian Thompson - Lieutenant Harrison; Norman Alexander Gibbs - News Reporter; Allan Kolman - Reporter; Joe Mays - William Posey; Wesley Thompson - Sergeant McPherson; Paul Ryan - Talk Show Host; James Morrison - Green Beret; John Rose - FBI Agent; Arnold Turner - Lab Technician; Peter Vogt - Jury Foreman; Steve James; Grayce Spence - Court Clerk
Credit
Jacqueline Saint Anne - Costume Designer, David Greene - Director, Parkie Singh - Editor, William B. Stich - Editor, Dan Wigutow - Executive Producer, Gil Melle - Composer (Music Score), James Allen - Production Designer, Stevan Larner - Cinematographer, Richard L. O'Connor - Producer, John Gay - Screenwriter, Joe McGinnis - Book Author
