Search/Recent Changes
DBTropes
...it's like TV Tropes, but LINKED DATA!

Family Plot

 Family Plot
type
TVTItem
 Family Plot
label
Family Plot
 Family Plot
page
FamilyPlot
 Family Plot
comment
Family Plot is a 1976 Black Comedy Thriller directed by Alfred Hitchcock, starring Barbara Harris, Bruce Dern, Karen Black, and William Devane. The score was composed by the legendary John Williams, who had recently joined the A-list of soundtrack composers with his score for Jaws.The film starts with a Spooky Séance contacted by Blanche Tyler (Harris). Her latest client is elderly Julia Rainbird (Cathleen Nesbitt), who wants to locate her last living relative: the illegitimate son of her sister, given up for adoption decades ago. Now that boy is supposed to inherit the family fortune, and Julia offers Blanche $10,000 to find her heir. Blanche is actually a Phony Psychic. The facts she reports to her clients are the results of some detective work by her boyfriend, George Lumley (Dern), an unemployed actor and part-time cab driver. The two bumbling detectives now have proper motivation to find that heir.The scene shifts to the heir Arthur Adamson (Devane) and his girlfriend Fran (Black). They are both Wicked Cultured. Arthur murdered his foster parents many years before and now works as a jeweler and has an upper-class house. He and Fran actually earn most of their money from a highly-successful career as kidnappers, their targets being millionaires and dignitaries. By the time the film starts, the thrill of the work has become part of their motivation. Danger turns them on and really helps their sexual activities. These two are dangerous people.Naturally, seeking out the two master criminals turns out to be a more dangerous mission than Blanche and George expected.Alfred Hitchcock's 54th and final film, capping a career that spanned more than 50 years. He died four years later.
 Family Plot
fetched
2024-01-22T16:15:02Z
 Family Plot
parsed
2024-01-22T16:15:02Z
 Family Plot
isPartOf
DBTropes
 Family Plot / int_127fc252
type
Creator Cameo
 Family Plot / int_127fc252
comment
Creator Cameo: Alfred Hitchcock makes an appearance in silhouette behind the door marked Registrar of Births and Deaths.
 Family Plot / int_127fc252
featureApplicability
1.0
 Family Plot / int_127fc252
featureConfidence
1.0
 Family Plot
hasFeature
Family Plot / int_127fc252
 Family Plot / int_1b91335f
type
Waiting for a Break
 Family Plot / int_1b91335f
comment
Waiting for a Break: George is a would-be actor. He works as a cab driver.
 Family Plot / int_1b91335f
featureApplicability
1.0
 Family Plot / int_1b91335f
featureConfidence
1.0
 Family Plot
hasFeature
Family Plot / int_1b91335f
 Family Plot / int_1c445e86
type
Poor Communication Kills
 Family Plot / int_1c445e86
comment
Poor Communication Kills: All the problems would have been avoided if George had made clear that he was looking for Edward because his aunt wanted him to be her heir.
 Family Plot / int_1c445e86
featureApplicability
1.0
 Family Plot / int_1c445e86
featureConfidence
1.0
 Family Plot
hasFeature
Family Plot / int_1c445e86
 Family Plot / int_255dcf0f
type
Cozy Mystery
 Family Plot / int_255dcf0f
comment
Cozy Mystery: Probably the closest Hitchcock came to this genre, with an average couple who start investigating an elaborate web of crime, and no onscreen murders.note The one notable death, Joe Maloney, is a Hoist by His Own Petard situation. It's easy to picture Blanche and George as the lead characters of a Murder, She Wrote-style TV series.
 Family Plot / int_255dcf0f
featureApplicability
1.0
 Family Plot / int_255dcf0f
featureConfidence
1.0
 Family Plot
hasFeature
Family Plot / int_255dcf0f
 Family Plot / int_27be0280
type
Porn Stache
 Family Plot / int_27be0280
comment
Porn Stache: Arthur's unappealing mustache establishes him as slimy and venal.
 Family Plot / int_27be0280
featureApplicability
1.0
 Family Plot / int_27be0280
featureConfidence
1.0
 Family Plot
hasFeature
Family Plot / int_27be0280
 Family Plot / int_319e4a2f
type
Even Evil Has Standards
 Family Plot / int_319e4a2f
comment
Even Evil Has Standards: While Fran readily goes along with Arthur's kidnapping schemes, she's reluctant to murder Blanche, as Arthur intends to. She doesn't even want to drug Blanche at first.
 Family Plot / int_319e4a2f
featureApplicability
1.0
 Family Plot / int_319e4a2f
featureConfidence
1.0
 Family Plot
hasFeature
Family Plot / int_319e4a2f
 Family Plot / int_3ec7c277
type
Every Car Is a Pinto
 Family Plot / int_3ec7c277
comment
Every Car Is a Pinto: We don't see Joe Maloney's car blow up after he careens off a mountain road, but we do see the satisfying fire afterwards.
 Family Plot / int_3ec7c277
featureApplicability
1.0
 Family Plot / int_3ec7c277
featureConfidence
1.0
 Family Plot
hasFeature
Family Plot / int_3ec7c277
 Family Plot / int_3f0b2f50
type
Make It Look Like an Accident
 Family Plot / int_3f0b2f50
comment
Make It Look Like an Accident: To kill Arthur's adoptive parents, Arthur and Joe burned down their house, to make it look like an accident. Joe Maloney sabotages Blanche's car, so that the deaths of Blanche and George will look like an accident.
 Family Plot / int_3f0b2f50
featureApplicability
1.0
 Family Plot / int_3f0b2f50
featureConfidence
1.0
 Family Plot
hasFeature
Family Plot / int_3f0b2f50
 Family Plot / int_40d15d7a
type
Spoiler Cover
 Family Plot / int_40d15d7a
comment
Spoiler Cover: The tagline on the poster in the original release flat-out gives away a crucial part of the main plot twist: "There's no body in the family plot".
 Family Plot / int_40d15d7a
featureApplicability
1.0
 Family Plot / int_40d15d7a
featureConfidence
1.0
 Family Plot
hasFeature
Family Plot / int_40d15d7a
 Family Plot / int_4179d411
type
Spooky Séance
 Family Plot / int_4179d411
comment
Spooky Séance: Several are showed: Blanche speaks in a deep voice and pretends to speak to a spirit, "Henry".
 Family Plot / int_4179d411
featureApplicability
1.0
 Family Plot / int_4179d411
featureConfidence
1.0
 Family Plot
hasFeature
Family Plot / int_4179d411
 Family Plot / int_41a3e267
type
Hidden in Plain Sight
 Family Plot / int_41a3e267
comment
Hidden in Plain Sight: Arthur hides the diamonds from his kidnappings (the diamonds are the ransom payment) in the chandelier in the hallway of his house. Blanche is the one who discovers this at the end.
 Family Plot / int_41a3e267
featureApplicability
1.0
 Family Plot / int_41a3e267
featureConfidence
1.0
 Family Plot
hasFeature
Family Plot / int_41a3e267
 Family Plot / int_4f84cdef
type
Smug Snake
 Family Plot / int_4f84cdef
comment
Smug Snake: Arthur clearly has a high opinion of himself and his criminal exploits, and is constantly grinning.
 Family Plot / int_4f84cdef
featureApplicability
1.0
 Family Plot / int_4f84cdef
featureConfidence
1.0
 Family Plot
hasFeature
Family Plot / int_4f84cdef
 Family Plot / int_5bdf025f
type
Instant Sedation
 Family Plot / int_5bdf025f
comment
Instant Sedation: The modus operandi of Fran and Arthur to kidnap people: they inject their victims with a sedative drug.
 Family Plot / int_5bdf025f
featureApplicability
1.0
 Family Plot / int_5bdf025f
featureConfidence
1.0
 Family Plot
hasFeature
Family Plot / int_5bdf025f
 Family Plot / int_5c219298
type
Phony Psychic
 Family Plot / int_5c219298
comment
Phony Psychic: Blanche Tyler, complete with Large Ham voices supposedly channeling dead spirits. Possibly subverted in the very last scene.
 Family Plot / int_5c219298
featureApplicability
-0.3
 Family Plot / int_5c219298
featureConfidence
1.0
 Family Plot
hasFeature
Family Plot / int_5c219298
 Family Plot / int_69806c03
type
Cold Reading
 Family Plot / int_69806c03
comment
Cold Reading: The "hot reading" inversion is used here. Blanche enlists George to pose as different characters to find out info about her clients, then uses what he tells her in her consultations with them to make them think she has genuine psychic powers.
 Family Plot / int_69806c03
featureApplicability
1.0
 Family Plot / int_69806c03
featureConfidence
1.0
 Family Plot
hasFeature
Family Plot / int_69806c03
 Family Plot / int_71268450
type
Adaptation Title Change
 Family Plot / int_71268450
comment
Adaptation Title Change: Family Plot was adapted from the novel The Rainbird Pattern.
 Family Plot / int_71268450
featureApplicability
1.0
 Family Plot / int_71268450
featureConfidence
1.0
 Family Plot
hasFeature
Family Plot / int_71268450
 Family Plot / int_76db0ef5
type
Slobs Versus Snobs
 Family Plot / int_76db0ef5
comment
Slobs Versus Snobs: Blanche/George are the Slobs (low-level con artists), Fran/Arthur are the Snobs (high-class jewel thieves).
 Family Plot / int_76db0ef5
featureApplicability
1.0
 Family Plot / int_76db0ef5
featureConfidence
1.0
 Family Plot
hasFeature
Family Plot / int_76db0ef5
 Family Plot / int_780a078e
type
Self-Made Orphan
 Family Plot / int_780a078e
comment
Self-Made Orphan: Arthur/Eddie murdered both his adoptive parents in a house fire.
 Family Plot / int_780a078e
featureApplicability
1.0
 Family Plot / int_780a078e
featureConfidence
1.0
 Family Plot
hasFeature
Family Plot / int_780a078e
 Family Plot / int_807ceed9
type
Outlaw Couple
 Family Plot / int_807ceed9
comment
Outlaw Couple: Two different couples—The "good" couple is a Phony Psychic and her boyfriend who assumes different identities to gather intelligence to help her in her cons. The evil couple practices kidnapping for ransom and jewel heists.
 Family Plot / int_807ceed9
featureApplicability
1.0
 Family Plot / int_807ceed9
featureConfidence
1.0
 Family Plot
hasFeature
Family Plot / int_807ceed9
 Family Plot / int_87bb6874
type
Villain with Good Publicity
 Family Plot / int_87bb6874
comment
Villain with Good Publicity: Arthur Adamson is a respected jeweler, but behind the scenes he's a successful kidnapper and jewel thief.
 Family Plot / int_87bb6874
featureApplicability
1.0
 Family Plot / int_87bb6874
featureConfidence
1.0
 Family Plot
hasFeature
Family Plot / int_87bb6874
 Family Plot / int_962ffef6
type
ISO-Standard Urban Groceries
 Family Plot / int_962ffef6
comment
ISO-Standard Urban Groceries: Blanche carries the standard brown paper bag with lettuce sticking out. Used for a bit of comedy when she plops the bag down on the hood of the car and George has to carry it in.
 Family Plot / int_962ffef6
featureApplicability
1.0
 Family Plot / int_962ffef6
featureConfidence
1.0
 Family Plot
hasFeature
Family Plot / int_962ffef6
 Family Plot / int_a18d407b
type
Samus Is a Girl
 Family Plot / int_a18d407b
comment
Samus Is a Girl: When the mysterious black-clad woman goes into the police station with a ransom payment, the cops are surprised to find that she's a woman. ("You called yourself 'The Trader', so we thought you were a man.")
 Family Plot / int_a18d407b
featureApplicability
1.0
 Family Plot / int_a18d407b
featureConfidence
1.0
 Family Plot
hasFeature
Family Plot / int_a18d407b
 Family Plot / int_a27c0c2c
type
Artistic License – Religion
 Family Plot / int_a27c0c2c
comment
Artistic License – Religion: The Shoebridges and the Maloneys are apparently supposed to be Mormon, with the stonemason referring to the Shoebridge burial as being done by the "First Church of Latter-day Saints" and a quotation from The Book of Mormon (2 Nephi, chapter 9) read at Joe Maloney's graveside service. But the church-related material in the film seems more reminiscent of Catholicism or Anglicanismnote Specifically there's a reference to infant baptism, which isn't practiced by Mormons. Also, the clergy wear robes and collars, which Mormon leaders never do. There's also the use of the cross, which the mainstream Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints generally avoids, but is common in the next-largest Mormon sect, the Community of Christ.
 Family Plot / int_a27c0c2c
featureApplicability
1.0
 Family Plot / int_a27c0c2c
featureConfidence
1.0
 Family Plot
hasFeature
Family Plot / int_a27c0c2c
 Family Plot / int_a4905771
type
Double-Meaning Title
 Family Plot / int_a4905771
comment
Double-Meaning Title: Family Plot refers to the Shoebridge family gravesite, Eddie murdering his adoptive parents, and Blanche's scheme to find the Rainbird heir so she can collect her money.
 Family Plot / int_a4905771
featureApplicability
1.0
 Family Plot / int_a4905771
featureConfidence
1.0
 Family Plot
hasFeature
Family Plot / int_a4905771
 Family Plot / int_a698ad42
type
City with No Name
 Family Plot / int_a698ad42
comment
City with No Name: Unlike most Hitchcock films which feature an iconic city or landmark, the location is kept vague except it's obviously in California. San Francisco and Los Angeles were both used for exterior shots, with San Francisco's famous black-on-white street name signs visible at several points.
 Family Plot / int_a698ad42
featureApplicability
1.0
 Family Plot / int_a698ad42
featureConfidence
1.0
 Family Plot
hasFeature
Family Plot / int_a698ad42
 Family Plot / int_abad35b4
type
Soundtrack Dissonance
 Family Plot / int_abad35b4
comment
Soundtrack Dissonance: The daughter of the undertaker is listening to cheerful music while she is engraving a tombstone.
 Family Plot / int_abad35b4
featureApplicability
1.0
 Family Plot / int_abad35b4
featureConfidence
1.0
 Family Plot
hasFeature
Family Plot / int_abad35b4
 Family Plot / int_af4d6174
type
Setting Update
 Family Plot / int_af4d6174
comment
Setting Update: The original novel The Rainbird Pattern is set in England, while the film is set in California.
 Family Plot / int_af4d6174
featureApplicability
1.0
 Family Plot / int_af4d6174
featureConfidence
1.0
 Family Plot
hasFeature
Family Plot / int_af4d6174
 Family Plot / int_b02f21f
type
Digital Destruction
 Family Plot / int_b02f21f
comment
Digital Destruction: The Blu-Ray has an uglier transfer than other Hitchcock movies do.
 Family Plot / int_b02f21f
featureApplicability
1.0
 Family Plot / int_b02f21f
featureConfidence
1.0
 Family Plot
hasFeature
Family Plot / int_b02f21f
 Family Plot / int_b58b4e3c
type
Too Dumb to Live
 Family Plot / int_b58b4e3c
comment
Too Dumb to Live: Joe Maloney's decision to turn around and try to run over Blanche and George after the Vehicular Sabotage fails ends up costing him his own life.
 Family Plot / int_b58b4e3c
featureApplicability
1.0
 Family Plot / int_b58b4e3c
featureConfidence
1.0
 Family Plot
hasFeature
Family Plot / int_b58b4e3c
 Family Plot / int_b5f5824e
type
Linked List Clue Methodology
 Family Plot / int_b5f5824e
comment
Linked List Clue Methodology: George and Blanche's investigation: the chauffeur's daughter → the cemetery → the stonemason → the Registrar of Births and Deaths → meeting with Joe Maloney → the funeral of Joe Maloney → Arthur's jewelry store → Arthur's private house.
 Family Plot / int_b5f5824e
featureApplicability
1.0
 Family Plot / int_b5f5824e
featureConfidence
1.0
 Family Plot
hasFeature
Family Plot / int_b5f5824e
 Family Plot / int_b9af5ef3
type
The Film of the Book
 Family Plot / int_b9af5ef3
comment
The Film of the Book: Adapted by screenwriter Ernest Lehman from Victor Canning's 1972 novel The Rainbird Pattern.
 Family Plot / int_b9af5ef3
featureApplicability
1.0
 Family Plot / int_b9af5ef3
featureConfidence
1.0
 Family Plot
hasFeature
Family Plot / int_b9af5ef3
 Family Plot / int_bc00493f
type
Precision F-Strike
 Family Plot / int_bc00493f
comment
Precision F-Strike: Some swearing (mainly from George), which is a bit jarring for a Hitchcock film (Family Plot is PG but there's actually more swearing here than in the R-rated Frenzy).
 Family Plot / int_bc00493f
featureApplicability
1.0
 Family Plot / int_bc00493f
featureConfidence
1.0
 Family Plot
hasFeature
Family Plot / int_bc00493f
 Family Plot / int_bd9beaf4
type
Unexpected Inheritance
 Family Plot / int_bd9beaf4
comment
Unexpected Inheritance: Subverted. Arthur turns out to be the sole heir to a vast fortune—which he never gets, as he's going to prison.
 Family Plot / int_bd9beaf4
featureApplicability
-0.3
 Family Plot / int_bd9beaf4
featureConfidence
1.0
 Family Plot
hasFeature
Family Plot / int_bd9beaf4
 Family Plot / int_c4976d7c
type
Vehicular Sabotage
 Family Plot / int_c4976d7c
comment
Vehicular Sabotage: The brakes on Blanche's car are tampered with, sending him and Blanche hysterically careening down a winding mountain road.
 Family Plot / int_c4976d7c
featureApplicability
1.0
 Family Plot / int_c4976d7c
featureConfidence
1.0
 Family Plot
hasFeature
Family Plot / int_c4976d7c
 Family Plot / int_c5ccf60f
type
Internal Reveal
 Family Plot / int_c5ccf60f
comment
Internal Reveal: We find out that Arthur Adamson=Eddie Shoebridge long before George and Blanche learn that fact.
 Family Plot / int_c5ccf60f
featureApplicability
1.0
 Family Plot / int_c5ccf60f
featureConfidence
1.0
 Family Plot
hasFeature
Family Plot / int_c5ccf60f
 Family Plot / int_c75df49a
type
Shout-Out
 Family Plot / int_c75df49a
comment
Shout-Out: Blanche lives at the corner of Castle Heights and Bates. While "Castle Heights" was a fake sign (the scene was actually filmed on Lexington Avenue in the Silver Lake section of Los Angeles), the adjoining street really was called Bates Avenue. Hitchcock and his crew obviously recognized the connection to Psycho and left the sign untouched.
 Family Plot / int_c75df49a
featureApplicability
1.0
 Family Plot / int_c75df49a
featureConfidence
1.0
 Family Plot
hasFeature
Family Plot / int_c75df49a
 Family Plot / int_cb70651c
type
Maybe Magic, Maybe Mundane
 Family Plot / int_cb70651c
comment
Maybe Magic, Maybe Mundane: The final scene leaves it ambiguous whether Blanche might actually have psychic powers.
 Family Plot / int_cb70651c
featureApplicability
1.0
 Family Plot / int_cb70651c
featureConfidence
1.0
 Family Plot
hasFeature
Family Plot / int_cb70651c
 Family Plot / int_cfbd1467
type
Never Suicide
 Family Plot / int_cfbd1467
comment
Never Suicide: Arthur plans to kill Blanche and stage the scene to look like a suicide.
 Family Plot / int_cfbd1467
featureApplicability
1.0
 Family Plot / int_cfbd1467
featureConfidence
1.0
 Family Plot
hasFeature
Family Plot / int_cfbd1467
 Family Plot / int_d397657d
type
Hoist by His Own Petard
 Family Plot / int_d397657d
comment
Hoist by His Own Petard: Joe Maloney tries to kill George and Blanche by having them lose control of their car on a steep mountain road. Instead that's how he ends up dying. At the climax Arthur and Fran get locked up in the hidden chamber where they kept their kidnapping victims.
 Family Plot / int_d397657d
featureApplicability
1.0
 Family Plot / int_d397657d
featureConfidence
1.0
 Family Plot
hasFeature
Family Plot / int_d397657d
 Family Plot / int_dc579c91
type
Contrived Coincidence
 Family Plot / int_dc579c91
comment
Contrived Coincidence: Julia Rainbird decides to look for her nephew Edward 40 years after he was abandoned, exactly at the time when Edward is carrying out a series of abductions and extortions. Just after Julia Rainbird puts Blanche in charge of finding Edward, Blanche bumps into Edward's accomplice and lover, who was on her way collecting a ransom. George hears that the bishop knows Edward, so he tries to meet him, but Arthur and Fran kidnap him just before he can talk to him.
 Family Plot / int_dc579c91
featureApplicability
1.0
 Family Plot / int_dc579c91
featureConfidence
1.0
 Family Plot
hasFeature
Family Plot / int_dc579c91
 Family Plot / int_e41a9801
type
All Women Are Lustful
 Family Plot / int_e41a9801
comment
All Women Are Lustful: A horny Blanche wants George to spend the night, but he's too tired.
 Family Plot / int_e41a9801
featureApplicability
1.0
 Family Plot / int_e41a9801
featureConfidence
1.0
 Family Plot
hasFeature
Family Plot / int_e41a9801
 Family Plot / int_e8e3807
type
Aside Glance
 Family Plot / int_e8e3807
comment
Aside Glance: Blanche winks at the viewers as the movie ends.
 Family Plot / int_e8e3807
featureApplicability
1.0
 Family Plot / int_e8e3807
featureConfidence
1.0
 Family Plot
hasFeature
Family Plot / int_e8e3807
 Family Plot / int_e91cc721
type
In the Style of
 Family Plot / int_e91cc721
comment
In the Style of: The John Williams score sounds a lot like Bernard Herrmann at times.
 Family Plot / int_e91cc721
featureApplicability
1.0
 Family Plot / int_e91cc721
featureConfidence
1.0
 Family Plot
hasFeature
Family Plot / int_e91cc721
 Family Plot / int_f516f938
type
Never Found the Body
 Family Plot / int_f516f938
comment
Never Found the Body: Turns out there's nobody in Edward Shoebridge's grave, as the police never found his body after the house fire. That's because Eddie assumed the identity of Arthur Adamson.
 Family Plot / int_f516f938
featureApplicability
1.0
 Family Plot / int_f516f938
featureConfidence
1.0
 Family Plot
hasFeature
Family Plot / int_f516f938
 Family Plot / int_name
type
ItemName
 Family Plot / int_name
comment
 Family Plot / int_name
featureApplicability
1.0
 Family Plot / int_name
featureConfidence
1.0
 Family Plot
hasFeature
Family Plot / int_name
 Family Plot / int_name
itemName
Family Plot

The following is a list of statements referring to the current page from other pages.

 Family Plot
hasFeature
Adaptation Title Change / int_f9ea555f
 Family Plot
hasFeature
City with No Name / int_f9ea555f
 Films By Alfred Hitchcock
seeAlso
Family Plot
 Family Plot
hasFeature
Vehicular Sabotage / int_f9ea555f