Title: Blood Crime
Stars: James Caan, Jonathon Schaech,
David Field, Sydney Jackson, and Paul Glover
Writers: Mark Lawrence Miller
and Preston A. Whitmore II
Director: William A Graham
Executive Producer: Elizabeth Guber
Stephen
Running Time: 88 minutes without
commercials
Media: USA Network Original Crime
Friday Movie (NTSC VHS Screener)
World Premiere Friday, September 13,
2002, at 8pm (ET/PT)
Network: USA Network (Check your local
cable/satellite listings for channel)
TV Rating: PG 14, V
Reviewer: Mark A. Rivera
Leaving Seattle Homicide after one too
many close calls, Daniel Pruitt (Jonathan Schaech) and his wife Jessica
(Elizabeth Lackey) head out into the country in search of a more peaceful life.
After an evening of making love under the stars, Daniel steps away from his wife
to pick up some groceries only to find her bloody and hysterical on the road.
Rushing to take her to the hospital, he has a near run in with a truck driver,
who his wife identifies as the attacker. After pistol-whipping the driver,
Daniel leaves him for dead and arrives at the hospital only to find out that
Jessica is so hysterical that she thinks she sees every man aside from her
husband is the attacker. Guilt ridden, Daniel meets with the local Sheriff
(James Caan) only to find the innocent man he left behind is not only dead, but
he was also the Sheriff’s son.
USA Network’s kicks off their
“Crime Friday” with this original move starring James Caan, who can also be
seen this September in the A&E Network’s remake of “Lathe Of
Heaven.” The
premise is intriguing and the first 45-minutes of this crime drama/thriller had
me hooked, but it never retains the dark premise long enough to standout as an
above average made for basic cable television movie. James Caan delivers a
reserved, but intense performance as a father who is just as willing to take
justice into his own hands to avenge his son’s death and the fact he is a
Sheriff, who in not so many words lets it be known that he expects his
colleagues to turn the other cheek if he should catch the killer should have
made this all the more dark and intriguing if not tragic. Unfortunately the
triangle between a father out to avenge his son’s death, the cop who is hiding
the fact that he might be responsible, and a woman whose testimony may never
hold up in a court of law if she can’t ID the attacker just doesn’t pay off
the promise the first half yields. They should have kept the story dark.
“Blood Crime” will premiere on the
USA Cable Network as a part of “USA Crime Fridays” on Friday, September 13,
2002, at 8pm (ET/PT).
© Copyright 2002 By Mark A. Rivera
All Rights Reserved.