A Little Thing Called Murder

Last updated

A Little Thing Called Murder
A Little Thing Called Murder.jpg
Written byTeena Booth
Randy Stone
Directed by Richard Benjamin
Starring Judy Davis
Jonathan Jackson
Chelcie Ross
Cynthia Stevenson
Theme music composer John Frizzell
Original languageEnglish
Production
ProducerFran Rosati
Cinematography Robert McLachlan
Editor Jacqueline Cambas
Running time90 minutes
Original release
Release2006 (2006)

A Little Thing Called Murder is a 2006 comedy-drama television film starring Judy Davis and Jonathan Jackson and directed by Richard Benjamin. [1]

Contents

Made by Stonemade Entertainment for Lifetime TV, the film was based on a true story of convicted murderer Sante Kimes, as told in the book Dead End by reporter Jeanne King. A 2001 made-for-TV film about Kimes titled Like Mother, Like Son starred Mary Tyler Moore.

Synopsis

Sante Kimes is a con artist and thief who has been preparing her son Kenny since childhood to be her accomplice. Sante is living with a rich man, Ken Kimes, who is unwilling to marry her and makes no provision for Kenny in his will. The boy's mother becomes involved in robberies, arson and the murder of an elderly woman to enrich herself, with her son as her partner in crime.

Cast

Awards and nominations

The film won Best Motion Picture Made for Television in the 11th Golden Satellite Awards.

Judy Davis won Best Actress in a Miniseries or a Motion Picture Made for Television in the 11th Golden Satellite Awards. Davis was also nominated for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Miniseries or a Movie in the Emmy Awards.

The casting team was nominated for Best Movie of the Week Casting by the Casting Society of America in its 2006 Artios Awards.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Renée Zellweger</span> American actress (born 1969)

Renée Kathleen Zellweger is an American actress. The recipient of various accolades, including two Academy Awards, two British Academy Film Awards, and four Golden Globe Awards, she was one of the world's highest-paid actresses by 2007.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Judy Davis</span> Australian film, television, and stage actress (born 1955)

Judith Davis is an Australian actress. In a career spanning over four decades of both screen and stage, she has been commended for her versatility and regarded as one of the finest actresses of her generation. Frequent collaborator Woody Allen described her as "one of the most exciting actresses in the world". Davis has received numerous accolades, including nine AACTA Awards, three Primetime Emmy Awards, two BAFTA Awards, and two Golden Globe Awards, in addition to nominations for two Academy Awards.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sante Kimes</span> American murderer, slaver, and criminal (1934–2014)

Sante Kimes also known as the Dragon Lady, was an American murderer, con artist, robber, serial arsonist, and possible serial killer who was convicted of two murders, as well as robbery, forgery, violation of anti-slavery laws and numerous other crimes. Many of these crimes were committed with the assistance of her son, Kenneth Kimes. They were tried and convicted together for the murder of Irene Silverman, along with 117 other charges.

<i>The Matthew Shepard Story</i> 2002 television film directed by Roger Spottiswoode

The Matthew Shepard Story is a 2002 made-for-television film directed by Roger Spottiswoode, based on the true story of Matthew Shepard, a 21-year-old gay youth who was murdered in 1998. The film scenario written by John Wierick and Jacob Krueger, it starred Shane Meier as Matthew and Stockard Channing as Judy Shepard and Sam Waterston as Dennis Shepard.

<i>Barbarians at the Gate</i> (film) 1993 television film directed by Glenn Jordan

Barbarians at the Gate is a 1993 American biographical comedy-drama television film directed by Glenn Jordan and written by Larry Gelbart, based on the 1989 book of the same name by Bryan Burrough and John Helyar. The film stars James Garner, Jonathan Pryce, and Peter Riegert. It tells the true story of F. Ross Johnson, who was the president and CEO of RJR Nabisco.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Margaret Avery</span> American actress

Margaret Avery is an American actress and singer. She began her career appearing on stage and later had starring roles in films including Cool Breeze (1972), Which Way Is Up? (1977), Scott Joplin (1977), and The Fish That Saved Pittsburgh (1979).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Richard Benjamin</span> American actor and film director

Richard Samuel Benjamin is an American actor and film director. He has starred in a number of well-known films, including Goodbye, Columbus (1969), Catch-22 (1970), Portnoy's Complaint (1972), Westworld (1973), The Last of Sheila (1973), and The Sunshine Boys (1975), for which he won a Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor – Motion Picture. Benjamin was nominated for an Emmy Award for Best Actor in a Comedy Series for his performances in He & She (1968), opposite his wife Paula Prentiss.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shirley Knight</span> American actress (1936–2020)

Shirley Knight Hopkins was an American actress who appeared in more than 50 feature films, television films, television series, and Broadway and Off-Broadway productions in her career, playing leading and character roles. She was a member of the Actors Studio.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Judy Parfitt</span> British actress (born 1935)

Judy Catherine Claire Parfitt is an English theatre, film, and television actress. She made her film debut in the 1950s, followed by a supporting role in the BBC television serial David Copperfield (1966). She also appeared as Queen Gertrude in Tony Richardson's 1969 film adaptation of Hamlet.

Our Town is a 2003 American made-for-television film adaptation of the 1938 play of the same name by Thornton Wilder starring Paul Newman, who was nominated for both an Emmy Award and a Screen Actors Guild Award for outstanding acting. It was filmed at the Booth Theatre in Manhattan, where it played on Broadway in 2002. The production originated at the Westport Country Playhouse. The film originally aired May 24, 2003, on Showtime and was also shown on PBS as part of Masterpiece Theatre on October 5, 2003.

<i>My House in Umbria</i> 2003 television film by Richard Loncraine

My House in Umbria is a 2003 American made-for-television drama mystery film, based on the 1991 novella of the same name by William Trevor and published along with another novella in the volume Two Lives. The film stars Maggie Smith and Chris Cooper, and was directed by Richard Loncraine.

Randy Stone was an American actor, producer, and casting director. He was a co-founder of The Trevor Project.

<i>The Starter Wife</i> (miniseries) American TV series or program

The Starter Wife is a 2007 USA Network television miniseries, based on the 2006 novel of the same name by Gigi Levangie Grazer. Its title is derived from the concept of a starter marriage. Filmed over four months in Queensland, Australia, the plot focuses on Molly Kagan who, after years of marriage to a Hollywood film mogul, is forced to redefine herself and her role in society when her husband leaves her for a younger woman.

Judith Ann Morris is an Australian character actress, as well as a film director and screenwriter, well known for the variety of roles she played in 58 different television shows and films, starting her career as a child actress and appearing on screen until 1999, since then she has worked on film writing and directing, most recently for co-writing and co-directing a musical epic about the life of penguins in Antarctica which became Happy Feet, Australia's largest animated film project to date.

Out of Order is an American dramedy television miniseries created and written by Donna Powers and Wayne Powers, who also directed the first and final episodes. The show lasted one season which aired on Showtime from June 1, 2003 to June 30, 2003.

<i>Page Eight</i> 2011 television film directed by David Hare

Page Eight is a 2011 British political thriller, written and directed for the BBC by the British dramatist David Hare, his first film as director since the 1989 film Strapless. The cast includes Bill Nighy, Rachel Weisz, Michael Gambon, Tom Hughes, Ralph Fiennes, and Judy Davis. The film was followed by Turks & Caicos (2014) and Salting the Battlefield (2014), which were broadcast on BBC Two in March 2014. The three films are collectively known as The Worricker Trilogy.

<i>The Twilight of the Golds</i> (film) 1997 American film

The Twilight of the Golds is an American drama film directed by Ross Kagan Marks, based upon the play The Twilight of the Golds by Jonathan Tolins. The film was screened at the January 1997 Sundance Film Festival prior to its broadcast premiere on Showtime in March 1997. The cast includes Jennifer Beals, Brendan Fraser, Garry Marshall, Faye Dunaway and Jon Tenney. The film deals with the issue of fictional genetic testing, and asks the question – if testing could reveal the sexual orientation of your unborn child, and you knew he or she would be gay, would you abort?

<i>Midwives</i> (2001 film) 2001 television film by Glenn Jordan

Midwives is a 2001 American television film, starring Sissy Spacek, Peter Coyote, Terry Kinney, Alison Pill and Piper Laurie. It was directed by Glenn Jordan. The film is based in the 1997 novel Midwives written by Chris Bohjalian. It was Lifetime's 100th Original Movie and had the highest rating in the network's history.

References

  1. "A Murdering Mommy Dearest With a Swell Son to Match". The New York Times . January 23, 2006.