A Family of Cops (1995)
CAST: Charles
Bronson, Daniel Baldwin, Lesley-Anne Down, Angela Featherstone, Barbara
Williams, Sebastian Spence, Simon MacCorkindale, John Vernon
DIRECTOR: Ted Kotcheff
RUNNING TIME: 95 minutes, Color
Plot:
Milwaukee police detective Paul Fein (Bronson) wants to celebrate his
birthday by having a family-only party. This allows him to invite his
estranged youngest daughter Jackie (Angela Featherstone) who has been
living in California. Fein's family, which includes two sons who are also
cops, for the most part only tolerate their sister and tensions are high.
Trouble ensues when, after a night of drinking, Jackie becomes involved
with wealthy businessman (Simon MacCorkindale) who turns up shot to death
the next morning with Jackie's fingerprints all over the murder weapon.
It's up to the family to investigate the death and find the real killer.
Analysis: Due to his advancing age and a lack of faith in his character acting skills, Bronson was relegated to TV-movies for the majority of the 90s. He does a credible job with both his meager action scenes and his dramatics. Bronson is even given the chance to show tenderness on camera and does so convincingly. However, the film has a "movie of the week" feel and the mystery angle isn't very good either. Bland and flatly directed by Kotcheff, who does little to spice up the affair. Only a pair of scenes between Bronson's character and John Vernon's gangster have any real tension. Overall, this is an average telefilm with nothing but its star to recommend it.
Actors: Mostly made up of nondescript television actors, the supporting cast is undistinguished. Daniel Baldwin is good as Fein's oldest son, but spends half the movie in a bed, sapping the film of its best character. Leslie-Anne Down, Simon MacCorkindale, and the undervalued John Vernon are all wasted in thinly drawn roles.
Trivia: This movie features Bronson's future third wife Kim Weeks in a small role.