STRANGER IN TOWN

US, 1998, 95 minutes, Colour.
Harry Hamlin, Rebecca Jenkins.
Directed by Stuart Margolin.

Stranger in Town is an entertaining, if somewhat routine, television movie - even though it has an unexpected and rather implausible twist at the end. It has the old theme of a family getting out of the big city, trying to make its way in a country town, under suspicion from the locals. It also features the convention of the stranger in town who starts boarding with the family, helping to repair the house, gradually becoming suspicious, especially when a murdered body is found. Graham Green is also in the cast as the town eccentric, wandering around, stealing pies, also under suspicion for the murder. One's suspicions actually fall on the sheriff, who is quite ingratiating to the family. This is only to find that the minor character of his middle-aged female assistant is actually the murderer, leading to a rather melodramatic finale in a used and abandoned car area, with Harry Hamlin to the rescue of the son who has been suspicious of him all along, but has fallen into the clutches of the murderer.

1. An entertaining telemovie? Family themes? City versus country? Murder, suspicions, melodrama?

2. The city, the countryside, the small town, the details in the small town, shops, police station, cinema? The house and its needing renovation?

3. The title - for the family, for Jack?

4. The portrait of the family, Katherine and her being a widow, taking the children to the countryside, trying to get them settled in, the support of the son and daughter? Her having to cope, decisions about Jack, the builders cheating her? Jack finishing the house? The dead body, the growing suspicions? The danger to her son? The happy ending? The young boy, settling into the town, friendship with the young girl, his growing suspicions, protection of his mother, the little girl and her being brash, giving out information easily? His growing to depend on Jack, the fixing of the bike, working on the house? His becoming suspicious again, with the girl, trying to prove Jack guilty? His being with the policewoman, the revelation of the truth, her taking him to the car lot, trying to kill him, the rescue? The happy ending?

5. Jack, the stranger, the wanderer, the flat, helping with the house, violent outburst against the cheating workmen? Apologies, friendship with Katherine, friendship with Aaron, fixing the bike, helping him to work, being a father figure? Under suspicion, trying to explain himself to Aaron? His coming to the final rescue?

6. The man wandering around the town, stealing the pies, the townspeople's suspicions, wanting him imprisoned? The attack on him, his being innocent?

7. The sheriff, liking pies, always calling in, genial? His assistant - and her revelation of why she had committed the murder?

8. A satisfying popular entertainment with a range of ingredients from family life to murder and melodrama?