The Colony (1995) (TV)

User Rating:

5.5/10   

Director:

Rob Hedden

Writer (WGA):

Rob Hedden (written by)

Release Date:

17 September 1995 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Thriller

Tagline:

The Knowltons have finally found a neighborhood to die for.

Plot:

Thriller about a man (John Ritter) who, along with his family, moves from a crime-ridden inner city...

Plot Keywords:

Suburbia | Secret | Murder | Family Relationships | Privacy

Cast

John Ritter	...	Rick Knowlton
Mary Page Keller	...	Leslie Knowlton
Hal Linden	...	Philip Denig
Marshall R. Teague	...	Doug Corwin
Todd Jeffries	...	Mike Knowlton
June Lockhart	...	Mrs. Billingsley
John Wesley	...	Jerry Franklin
Alexandra Picatto	...	Danielle Knowlton
Cody Dorkin	...	Andy Knowlton
Frank Bonner	...	Frank Williamson
Michele Scarabelli	...	Sandi Barnett
Shirley Spangler	...	Mary Williamson
Dan Gilvezan	...	Steve Barnett
Douglas Rowe	...	Hal
Cynthia Harrison	...	Realtor at Grimes Reality

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for some violence.

Runtime:

UK:89 min | USA:92 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Certification:

Iceland:16 | USA:TV-14 (tv rating) | Netherlands:12 | Norway:15 (video rating) | UK:15 (video premiere) | USA:PG-13

Filming Locations:

Rancho Palos Verdes, California, USA

Goofs:

Continuity: When Harry freaks out and starts to paint his window trim purple, the amount and position of the paint on the window changes several times

Poor execution of a potentially good story.

This made for TV suspense thriller had lots of potential but just seemed to fall flat. John Ritter stars as a security expert of the high tech scale who moves his family into THE COLONY an ultra exclusive community that appears on the surface to be perfect in every way.

Shortly after moving in they soon find all is not what it appears. An elaborate set of rules and regulations abound that at first seem to be ridiculous but in reality are taken seriously by those who run The Colony. The family encounters staff members, who come into their home to do various environmental checks, remove outdoor plants that are deemed inappropriate for The Colony and perform surgery on their pet dog. Security guards shows up at the home of another family when the man of the house decides to paint his dwelling with a color that The Colony does not approve of. Slowly this utopian community begins to show it's dark and sinister side as Ritters family begins to catch on.

The film attempts to have a Stepford Wives type plot to it but too many topics are touched on and compressed to allow the film to have a build up for a suspenseful ending which also falls somewhat flat. The characters seemed to be miscast which hurts the picture. Hal Linden as the BMOC (Big Man On Community) who runs the Colony and wants everyone to love, respect and fear him at the same time just doesn't seem believable as a sinister individual. John Ritter who is fine in comedy roles also just doesn't seem to click in this picture.

The story is there and if redone with good casting and directing would make for a suspenseful film along the same lines as The Firm. If you've never seen it it's still worth viewing.