Family Plot

Synopsis: The trickster Madam Blanche Tyler lures the elder millionaire Julia Rainbird that believes she is a spiritualist. After a séance, she discovers that Julia is tormented by her past, when she forced her sister and single mother Harriet to deliver her baby for adoption to avoid a family scandal. Julia promises the small fortune of ten thousand-dollar to Blanche if she finds her nephew and heir of her fortune using her phony powers. Blanche asks her boyfriend George Lumley, who is an unemployed actor working as cab driver, to investigate the whereabouts of Julia's nephew. Meanwhile, the greedy jeweler and collector Arthur Adamson kidnaps wealthy people with his girlfriend Fran to increase his collection of diamonds with the ransom. When George concludes that Arthur Adamson might be the heir of Julia Rainbird, the reckless Blanche gets in trouble with the kidnappers.

Genre: Comedy, Thriller

Director(s): Alfred Hitchcock

Actors: Karen Black, Bruce Dern, Barbara Harris, William Devane

Production: Universal Pictures

Nominated for 1 Golden Globe. Another 2 wins & 4 nominations.


IMDB:: 6.8
Rotten Tomatoes:: 96%

Collection Edit Watch PDF Buy

: PG
Year:: 1976
: 120 min
: 82 Views

Someone is here.
Not closely.
Not willingly.
I feel a holding back.
What's the trouble, Henry?
Too many memories,
too much pain.
Too... much... sorrow.
Whoever is there with you,
tell them
to speak up, Henry.
Tell them to come closer.
I think I know
who it is, Madame Blanche.
I think I know
what's bothering her.
Her, is it?
Never you mind, Miss Rainbird.
I won't have you doing
Henry's work for him.
Now, let's have it,
my love. That's why
we're here tonight.
To help my friend
be rid of her torment.
She has a right
to rest her weary head
on a pillow each night...
and sleep the peaceful
sleep of the angels.
H- How did you know
about my troubled sleep?
Who told you?
Her nights cannot go on
like this much longer.
I- I never told a soul
about my nightmares.
How could you...
Who is this person
who arrives...
in our presence tonight,
but does not dare
to come close to us?
It's her.
It's my sister Harriet.
- It must be.
She stays her distance,
Julia Rainbird,
for she does not feel...
your love or
your kindness yet.
There is selfishness
where you are.
I've had all
I can take from her.
Night after night,
coming into my dreams.
Whining, complaining,
trying to make me feel guilty,
as though I need her
to tell me right from wrong.
Tell her I know
what has to be done.
I've been wanting
to do it for a year.
But it is I, Julia Rainbird,
who has made the decision.
I don't need her
to goad me on!
They're making me ill
with their ugly words
in my ugly dreams.
Tell her to stop it,
to go away and
leave me alone.
Oh, no. No, no.
Don't let her go!
- Don't let her go away.
- Harriet?
Harriet, stay
with us, Harriet.
Your sister wants
to speak to you now,
from the depths of her soul.
What's wrong? What is it?
She says,
"I've waited so long...
"to hear from you, Julia.
I've been so unappy
without you."
It is you, Harriet.
Oh, I'm so sorry!
I- I should never
have made you do it.
Oh, it's all past now.
But I'll do what I can
to make up for it.
If he's still alive,
I'll find your son.
And I'll take him
in my arms and love him...
as if I were you,
my poor Harriet.
And I'll...
I'll make him one of us.
And give him everything.
Everything!
Far away.
So far, far away.
Bu-But I need her.
I need her help.
I can't do it alone.
You see,
I need her memory.
It's over 40 years ago,
and I don't know where
the child was taken...
or who it was given to.
I don't know where
he is now or who he is.
The true measure of
Julia Rainbird's love...
lies in what she does now,
with your help,
of course, and mine,
and that of
the dear, departed one...
who has
drifted so far from us.
We understand him.
Don't we, Miss Rainbird?
Oh, yes. Yes, I do.
I'm willing to do
anything. Anything at all.
In the end, there
will be happiness.
From the tears of the past,
the desert of the heart
will bloom.
Good-bye, Julia Rainbird!
Good-bye, Blanche.
Good-bye.
Madame Blanche!
Are you all right?
Oh. It was...
What in the worid's
been going on here?
I feel as though I've
been properly done over.
Don't you remember
what happened?
Mm-mm.
Not the details,
Miss Rainbird, only the gist,
if you know what I mean.
Suppose you give me
the gist of it.
Oh well, I wonder...
Could I trouble you
for a sip of something?
Ju-Just...
Oh, of course.
What would you like?
Oh, a double shot
of anyth...
A spot of that sherry
might be nice.
Oh, yes. Of course.
Thank you.
- Now, tell me what
you remember of the seance.
- In a nutshell?
Please.
Well...
About 40 years ago,
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