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
Network Lifetime
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 Santé 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 Emmy winners Mary Tyler Moore as Santé and Jean Stapleton as Irene Silverman.

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">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 British Academy Film Awards, and two Golden Globe Awards, in addition to nominations for two Academy Awards.

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

Sante Kimes also known as the Dragon Lady, was an American murderer, con artist, robber, fraudster, serial arsonist, and possible serial killer who was convicted on multiple charges, including: two murders, robbery, forgery, and slavery. Her decades-long crime spree – including throughout her marriage to millionaire Kenneth Kimes Sr., her second husband, then continuing with theft and fraud against his estate by hiding his death for years – did not end until she was arrested, at 64-years-old, for the murder of Irene Silverman in New York City. Many of these crimes were committed with the assistance of Kenneth Kimes Jr., her son. They were tried and convicted together on 118 charges, including the murder of Silverman.

<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. 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); which earned her an NAACP Image Award nomination, and The Fish That Saved Pittsburgh (1979). She was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her portrayal of Shug Avery in the period drama film The Color Purple (1985).

<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, The Last of Sheila and Saturday the 14th (1981). 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.

Best Actress is the name of an award which is presented by various film, television and theatre organisations, festivals, and people's awards to leading actresses in a film, television series, television film or play. The first Best Actress award was awarded for acting in a film, on May 16, 1929 by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) at the Academy Awards to Janet Gaynor for her role of Diane in 7th Heaven, Angela in Street Angel and The Wife - Indre in Sunrise: A Song of Two Humans. In theatre, it was first awarded on April 6, 1947 by the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League at the Tony Awards to Ingrid Bergman for her role of Mary Grey / Joan of Arc in Joan of Lorraine and to Helen Hayes for her role of Addie in Happy Birthday. In television, it was first awarded on January 23, 1951 by Academy of Television Arts & Sciences at the Primetime Emmy Awards to Gertrude Berg for her role of Molly in The Goldbergs. In a film festival, presented as the Volpi Cup, it was first awarded between August 1–20, 1934 by the Venice Film Festival to Katharine Hepburn for her role of Josephine 'Jo' March in Little Women.

Thomas J. Pelphrey is an American actor. He is known for playing the roles of Jonathan Randall on the CBS television series Guiding Light, Mick Dante on the CBS television series As the World Turns, Kurt Bunker on the Cinemax television series Banshee, Ward Meachum on the Netflix series Iron Fist, Ben Davis on the Netflix series Ozark, Perry Abbott on the Prime Video series Outer Range, Don Crowder on the Max limited series Love & Death, Joe Mankiewicz in David Fincher's film Mank, and Jason Derek Brown in the true crime film American Murderer. For his performance on Ozark, Pelphrey received an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series.

<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.

Tammy Blanchard is an American actress. She rose to prominence for her role as teenage Judy Garland in the critically acclaimed television film Life with Judy Garland: Me and My Shadows (2001), for which she received a Golden Globe Award nomination and a Primetime Emmy Award. Her other notable film roles were in The Good Shepherd (2006), Sybil (2007), Into the Woods (2014) and The Invitation (2015).

<i>A Woman Called Golda</i> 1982 biographical television film by Alan Gibson

A Woman Called Golda is a 1982 American made-for-television film biopic of Israeli Prime Minister Golda Meir directed by Alan Gibson and starring Ingrid Bergman in what would become the final production she would star in before her death. It also features Ned Beatty, Franklin Cover, Judy Davis, Anne Jackson, Robert Loggia, Leonard Nimoy, and Jack Thompson.

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) 2007 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.

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>Jewels</i> (miniseries) 1992 American TV series or program

Jewels is a 1992 NBC television miniseries based on the bestselling 1992 Danielle Steel novel of the same name. Starring Annette O'Toole and Anthony Andrews, it was broadcast in two parts on October 18 and 20, 1992. The miniseries was adapted by Shelley List and Jonathan Estrin and directed by Roger Young. Jewels and its cast and crew were nominated for two Golden Globe Awards and a Primetime Emmy Award.

<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.