''A Killing in a Small Town'', also known as ''Evidence of Love'', is a 1990 American

crime drama Crime films, in the broadest sense, is a film genre inspired by and analogous to the crime fiction literary genre. Films of this genre generally involve various aspects of crime and its detection. Stylistically, the genre may overlap and combin ...

television film A television film, alternatively known as a television movie, made-for-TV film/movie or TV film/movie, is a feature-length film that is produced and originally distributed by or to a television network, in contrast to theatrical films made for ...

directed by

Stephen Gyllenhaal Stephen Roark Gyllenhaal (; born October 4, 1949) is an American film director and poet. He is the father of actors Jake Gyllenhaal and Maggie Gyllenhaal. Personal life Gyllenhaal was born in Cleveland, Ohio, to Virginia Lowrie (née Childs) and ...

and written by

Cynthia Cidre Cynthia Cidre (born September 10, 1957) is an American screenwriter and producer. She is best known as a showrunner and executive producer of TNT prime time soap opera ''Dallas'' (2012–14). Cidre was the creator and an executive producer for th ...

. The film is based on the 1984 non-fiction book ''Evidence of Love'' by John Bloom and Jim Atkinson, and stars

Barbara Hershey Barbara Lynn Herzstein, better known as Barbara Hershey (born February 5, 1948), is an American actress. In a career spanning more than 50 years, she has played a variety of roles on television and in cinema in several genres, including weste ...

and

Brian Dennehy Brian Manion Dennehy (; July 9, 1938 – April 15, 2020) was an American actor of stage, television, and film. He won two Tony Awards, an Olivier Award, and a Golden Globe, and received six Primetime Emmy Award nominations. Dennehy had roles in ...

. It premiered on

CBS CBS Broadcasting Inc., commonly shortened to CBS, the abbreviation of its former legal name Columbia Broadcasting System, is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the CBS Entertainm ...

on May 22, 1990. Hershey won the 1990

Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress - Miniseries or a Movie The Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie is an award presented annually by the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (ATAS). It is given in honor of an actress who has delivered an outstandin ...

Plot

Candy Morrison is a well-respected member of her church and community. After teaching a children’s Bible study, she leaves to pick up a bathing suit at her friend, Peggy Blankenship’s home for Peggy’s daughter, Meg. Candy fails to show up for the children’s pageant show later that morning and returns several hours later, claiming she lost track of time. Later that night, Peggy’s husband, Stan, who is away on a business trip, becomes worried when Peggy fails to answer the phone and asks his neighbors to check on her. When the neighbors enter the Blankenship home, they discover blood in the bathroom and Peggy’s infant daughter crying in her crib. Eventually, they make their way into the utility room, where they find Peggy’s bloodied and mutilated body. It is revealed that Peggy was murdered with an axe, which shocks the entire town. The police begin questioning various persons of interest, including Stan, who confesses to having had an affair with Candy prior to the murder. When questioned, Candy admits to the affair but says their relationship ended mutually. Detectives notice inconsistencies in Candy’s story and eventually come to believe she committed the murder. After an intense interrogation, Candy and her husband hire attorney Ed Reivers. As the investigation intensifies, Candy confesses to Ed that she murdered Peggy, but in self-defense, and subsequently turns herself into the police. Desperate to build a defense and to uncover how Candy was able to calmly resume her daily life after the killing, he has Candy undergo

hypnosis Hypnosis is a human condition involving focused attention (the selective attention/selective inattention hypothesis, SASI), reduced peripheral awareness, and an enhanced capacity to respond to suggestion.In 2015, the American Psychologica ...

. During the session, Candy recovers a repressed childhood memory in which she was rushed to the emergency room after an accident, where her mother forced her to be quiet as she was screaming in pain. As the trial ensues, Ed becomes concerned with Candy’s flat affect and feels that her demeanor will negatively affect the outcome of the case. He has Candy testify on the witness stand, and the events of the murder are shown from her point of view: Candy arrives at Peggy’s home to ask if Meg can spend the night and go to the movies. Peggy agrees, and the two share a pleasant conversation. Peggy abruptly asks Candy if she is having an affair with Stan, and Candy reluctantly admits to it but assures her their relationship has been over for a long time. Peggy briefly leaves the room and returns with an axe and orders her not to see Stan again. As Candy prepares to leave, she goes to the utility room to get Meg’s swimsuit where Peggy ambushes her wish the axe. The two engage in a violet struggle. Candy manages to overpower Peggy and hits her with the axe repeatedly. She then showers in the bathroom and leaves. After recounting the events, Ed, in an effort to make Candy express emotion, deliberately produces the axe, causing her to cry and scream hysterically. Candy is found not guilty, which outrages several people in the courtroom. Despite her acquittal, Candy struggles to move on with her life.

Cast

as Candy Morrison (based on Candy Montgomery) *

Lee Garlington Ann Leslie "Lee" Garlington (born July 20, 1953) is an American actress. Early life Garlington was born in Teaneck, New Jersey. She spent her teenage years in Wilmington, Delaware. Career She has guest starred in a number of notable television s ...

as Peggy Blankenship *

as Ed Reivers *

Richard Gilliland Richard Gilliland (January 23, 1950 – March 18, 2021) was an American television and movie actor, best known as JD Shackleford in ''Designing Women'' (1986–1992). Life and career Gilliland was born in Fort Worth, Texas. He attended high sc ...

as Ed Morrison *

John Terry John George Terry (born 7 December 1980) is an English professional football coach and former player who played as a centre-back. He was previously captain of Chelsea, the England national team and Aston Villa. He was most recently the a ...

as Stan Blankenship *

Hal Holbrook Harold Rowe Holbrook Jr. (February 17, 1925 – January 23, 2021) was an American actor, television director, and screenwriter. He first received critical acclaim in 1954 for a one-man stage show that he developed called '' Mark Twain Tonight!'' ...

as Dr. Beardsley

Production

Portions of the film, including interior and exterior scenes of Candy Morrison's home, were filmed in

Plano, Texas Plano ( ) is a city in Collin County and Denton County, Texas, United States. It had a population of 285,494 at the 2020 census. It is a principal city of the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. History European settlers came to the area near ...

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Killing In A Small Town 1990 television films 1990 films 1990 crime drama films 1990s English-language films American films based on actual events American crime drama films Carolco Pictures films CBS network films Crime films based on actual events Crime television films Drama films based on actual events American drama television films Films about murder Films based on non-fiction books Films directed by Stephen Gyllenhaal Films scored by Richard Gibbs Films set in 1980 Films set in Texas Films shot in Texas Television films based on actual events Television films based on books 1990s American films