1984 American television miniseries
Fatal Vision is a 1984 American true crime drama television miniseries directed by David Greene from a teleplay by John Gay, based on the 1983 novel of the same name by Joe McGinniss. The miniseries stars Karl Malden, Eva Marie Saint, Barry Newman, Gary Cole, and Andy Griffith. It recounts the celebrated case of Jeffrey R. MacDonald, the former Green Beret physician who was convicted of murdering his pregnant wife and their two small children.
The miniseries received five Primetime Emmy Award nominations, including Outstanding Drama/Comedy Special, with Malden winning Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Limited Series or a Special for his performance as MacDonald's father-in-law, Freddy Kassab.
Production.
NBC paid $130,000 for the rights to the book, according to McGinniss, a transaction that was complicated by a prior contractual claim by Dell publishers. The miniseries was filmed in Santa Clarita and Pasadena, California, as well as at NBC Studios in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California.
Reception.
Critical response.
John J. O'Connor of "The New York Times" called the story "chilling" and the miniseries "certainly compelling", but stated it was not "as overwhelming as Mr. McGinniss's book." O'Connor also praised the cast, writing that Cole, Malden, and Saint "contribute outstanding performances." Howard Rosenberg of the "Los Angeles Times" lauded "Fatal Vision" for its "superb, meticulous storytelling that will have you on the edge of your seat, with Greene managing to convey the brutality of the crime in a surreal way without showing actual violence." Rosenberg also named it "the highest-rated miniseries of the 1984-85 season."
References.
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