INCIDENT IN A SMALL TOWN
US, 1994, 85 minutes, Colour.
Walter Matthau, Harry Morgan, Stephanie Zimbalist, Nick Stahl.
Directed by Delbert Mann.
Incident in a Small Town is a telemovie follow-up to the 1992 Against Her Will: Incident in Baltimore. The film focuses on a lawyer and a judge, law partners who become involved in a case with the judge’s daughter.
The daughter is estranged from the judge, has a young child from a violent rape during World War Two. When the husband returns, he menaces the family and is killed. The judge is accused of murder.
The film focuses on the court case, the testimonies, some twists with different people taking responsibility for what really happened. Walter Matthau is at ease as the lawyer. Harry Morgan is earnest as the judge. Stephanie Zimbalist, who had some fame on television with Remington Steele with Pierce Brosnan, is the mother and a very young Nick Stahl (Man Without a Face, Bully, Sin City, Terminator III) is the young son. Veteran Delbert Mann (Oscar winner for Marty) directed a number of very humane telemovies during the 70s, 80s and 90s.
1.The appeal of this kind of television movie? The characters, the situations? A murder mystery?
2.The setting in the 1950s, the small town, the slower way of life? The streets, homes, décor? Musical score?
3.The focus on Harmon Cobb, Walter Matthau’s style, lawyer, partner with the judge? His laconic way of responding to people? The character of the judge, his reputation in the town? The decision for them both to go to Lily’s help?
4.The situation in the small town, Lily and her son John, domestic life? The return of Frank Trenton? John and his eagerness to see his father? Lily and her resistance? Lily as a strong character, trying to protect her son? Her concealing the truth about the rape and his conception? Trenton and his pressures on Lily? The getting of the restraining order? His plausible manner? His appearance in the court? The sudden news of his death? The judge’s arrest? Lily and her presence in the court, her then taking the blame for killing Trenton? The testimony? Her not allowing the information about the initial rape to be brought forward to protect John? Her claiming that she killed her husband? The eyewitnesses? The gradual revelation of the truth, protecting John, his version of what happened? His killing his father? His knowing what had really happened in the past? Lily and the bond with John?
5.John, his age, in the town, the paper round, relationship with his mother? Eager to see his father, turning against his mother for her attitude? His reaction to the court case, to Harmon Cobb, to the judge – antipathy? The gradual mellowing? His helping to get the addresses for potential witnesses? The truth, his seeing Trenton attack his mother, hitting him, killing him? The judge’s final summation and the prosecutor making clear to him what had happened?
6.The restraining order, Harmon Cobb and the local police and their lackadaisical attitude? In the court? His being unable to use the key testimony? Antagonism with the presiding judge? Friendship with John, support of Lily? The revelation of the truth?
7.The judge, his being accused of murder, his description of what happened? His shielding Lily? His attitude in the court, wanting to interfere?
8.The local judge, the presiding over the case? The prosecutor and her inexperience, Cobb and his support of her?
9.The atmosphere of the town, the witnesses, the police? A quieter time in the 1950s?
