THE KILLING OF RANDY WEBSTER
US, 1981, 100 minutes, Colour.
Hal Holbrook, Dixie Carter, James Whitmore Jnr, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Nancy Malone, Gary Mc Cleery, Barry Corbin, Chris Mulkey, Sean Penn.
Directed by Sam Wanamaker.
The Killing of Randy Webster is a telemovie based on an actual story. Randy Webster was shot and killed in a struggle with the police in Houston. The police cover up the incident but the father, who does not believe their testimony, starts investigating on his own. The truth is revealed.
Hal Holbrook was a great stand-by in many television movies as well as feature films (The Firm). The film also offers smaller roles at the beginning of their careers to Jennifer Jason Lee and Sean Penn.
The film was directed by Sam Wanamaker, an actor who was blacklisted in 1952 and remained in England where he worked for theatre, the Royal Shakespeare Company. He was instrumental in the rebuilding of the Globe Theatre. His directing career was mainly in television in the 1960s and 1970s. He directed a small group of telemovies in the 1980s but, until his death in 1993, he worked for the rebuilding of the Globe.
1. The impact of the film? True story? Police? Cover-ups? Investigation? The information concerning the death, the police information? The voice-over?
2. Randy Webster as a boy, CB, haircut, school? The airport? His range of friends? His relationship with his father? His problems, heading nowhere? Suspension? Being seen as a loser? His being urged to face the real world, not some kind of picture show in which he could lose himself?
3. John Webster, his relationship with his wife? Concern about his son? The interview, urging Randy to be part of something, to relate to friends, girlfriend? To Don, to Amy? The clashes? Going to Houston?
4. The school van, the accident? Drugs? The father’s inquiries, drugs and Don? The autopsy – and the direction of the bullets? The discussions with Amy? The mother telling the father the truth?
5. Houston, the guns and reports, the police reports and their being visualised? The cab and its being seen? The district attorney inquiry, the delay concerning the Grand Jury? Tom’s mother?
6. The newspaper, Tom Curtis and his investigations, civil rights? His representing civil rights inquiries? The selling of the house? The autopsy information, the pressure of the DA? Tom as a witness?
7. The hearing and the evidence?
8. John Webster’s obsession, not accepting the information, pursuing the goal of finding the truth about his son?
9. The guns and the investigation, the suicide gun? The police chief and the information about guns?
10. Amy’s grief, her concern about being ‘no good’? The van?
11. The emerging of the truth, the bashing, the final shooting? The overall impact of the film as a human drama, family and difficulties, friendship, low self-image, depression, violence and the police?
