FINAL VISION

US, 2017, 100 minutes, Colour.
Scott Foley, Dave Annable, John Doman, Lochlyn Munro, Jessica Harmon, Caroline Aaron.
Directed by Nicolas Mc Carthy.

Final vision is based on a book by successful journalist, Joe Mc Ginniss. It was called “Fatal Vision� which was the title of a typical television miniseries in 1984 with Karl Malden, Eva Marie Saint and Gary Cole. It was screened in 1984.

This is a more modest version, with Scott Foley in the role of the accused doctor and Green Beret soldier, Jeffrey Mac Donald. The story is told from the perspective of the journalist, Joe Mc Ginniss, played by David Annable. He leaves his wife and child for some time after being invited to write Mac Donald story, living with him, hearing his stories, visiting with his parents, meeting the lawyers. He also attends the court case with some selected scenes over the weeks of the trial, initially favourable to Mac Donald. However, the prosecution has an expert on blood analysis, wounds, blood spilt, making a substantial case against the story that Mac Donald told. There was a magazine in the house with story of the Manson murders and Mac Donald stated there was a parallel.

For those who don’t know the story, there is a great deal of suspense, the screenplay testing the audience response, Foley’s performance, indicating both innocence and guilt – but Mac Donald is ultimately unmasked as a psychopath, an attention seeker, a surgeon who worked under the influence of drugs.

1. A true crime story? The trial, records, Joe Mc Ginniss’s book? The previous miniseries from 1984?

2. Audience knowledge of the story or not, information for those in the know? Suspense and making a judgement for those unfamiliar with the characters and story?

3. The California settings, homes, hospital? Fort Bragg, the Army base, the courts, apartments? The musical score?

4. The title, the book “Fatal Vision�? Joe McGinniss? and his career, success, bestseller, relationship with his sister, the discussions? His previous marriage? His current marriage, wife, son? Devoted? Mac Donald approaching him? The offer, thinking about it, being way from the family, agreeing?

5. Living with Mac Donald? Joe, his skills, personality, observing? With Mac Donald, with the lawyers, the discussions, the lawyer attacking him for his exploiting the situation?

6. The background detail, Mac Donald and Collette, 1960s, marriage, children? Mac Donald as a surgeon, his reputation? With the Green Berets? His skills? The stages of his marriage? His parents, the giving information, the home movies?

7. Selected scenes, over the period of the court case? The initial witness favourable to Mac Donald? His story? The judge and excluding psychological background and wanting no war between shrinks? The prosecutor, building up the evidence? The expert on blood, the further information, where the blood was found, how we shared? The footprint in the blood? The response of the jury, of Mc Ginniss, of the audience watching?

8. The lawyers, investment in the case, believing Mac Donald’s story? Their trying to find the woman allegedly present in the Manson style killing? Finding her, her refusal to corroborate?

9. Mac Donald and his testimony, the witness of his parents, their stories? The boxes of evidence? The story about preparation for the boxing match in Russia and his being absent? Lies?

10. The summing up, the intercutting of the prosecution and the defence? The performance indicating the possibilities that Mac Donald was guilty?

11. The verdict, the response? The satisfaction of Collette’s parents? The dismay of Mac Donald’s parents?

12. Mc Ginniss continuing his research, the boxes full of documents, the stories, the lies, ringing the psychologist, the suggestion of reading the book about the mask? The psychopath? Anger, on drugs?

13. The reconstruction of the events at the end, graphic, plausible?

14. The final information, Mac Donald’s suing Mc Ginniss? His career? Mac Donald in prison?