''Murder Ordained'' is a television film that originally aired for
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 ...
in 1987, starring
Keith Carradine
Keith Ian Carradine ( ; born August 8, 1949) is an American actor who has had success on stage, film, and television. He is known for his roles as Tom Frank in Robert Altman's film ''Nashville'', Wild Bill Hickok in the HBO series '' Deadwood ...
,
JoBeth Williams
Margaret JoBeth Williams (born December 6, 1948) is an American actress and television director. Her directorial debut with the 1994 short film ''On Hope'' earned her an Academy Award nomination for Best Live Action Short Film. In 2009 she began ...
, and
Kathy Bates
Kathleen Doyle Bates (born June 28, 1948) is an American actor and director. Known for her roles in comedic and dramatic films and television programs, she has received various accolades throughout her career spanning over five decades, includ ...
. It was co-written and directed by Mike Robe. Based on actual events that occurred in
Emporia, Kansas
Emporia is a city in and the county seat of Lyon County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population of the city was 24,139. Emporia lies between Topeka and Wichita at the intersection of U.S. Route 50 with Interstates 335 ...
, in 1983, the film tells the story of
State Trooper John Rule (Carradine), who investigates what appears to be a traffic accident resulting in the death of a local
minister's wife. His investigation leads him to believe foul play was involved. Much of the principal photography and filming occurred on location in
Kansas
Kansas () is a state in the Midwestern United States. Its capital is Topeka, and its largest city is Wichita. Kansas is a landlocked state bordered by Nebraska to the north; Missouri to the east; Oklahoma to the south; and Colorado to the ...
, and some of the dialogue comes directly from court transcripts.
The film was subsequently released on VHS and DVD. The cast also includes
Terry Kinney
Terry Kinney (born January 29, 1954) is an American actor and theater director, and is a founding member of the Steppenwolf Theatre Company, with John Malkovich, Laurie Metcalf, Gary Sinise, and Jeff Perry. Kinney is best known for his role as E ...
,
M. Emmet Walsh
Michael Emmet Walsh (born March 22, 1935) is an American actor who has appeared in over 200 films and television series, including small but important supporting roles in dozens of major studio features of the 1970s and 1980s. He starred in ''Bl ...
,
John Goodman
John Stephen Goodman (born June 20, 1952) is an American actor. He gained national fame for his role as the family patriarch Dan Conner in the ABC comedy series '' Roseanne'' (1988–1997; 2018), for which he received a Golden Globe Award, an ...
and
Johnny Galecki
John Mark Galecki (born April 30, 1975) is an American actor. He played Leonard Hofstadter in the CBS sitcom ''The Big Bang Theory'' (2007–2019) for which he received a Primetime Emmy Award nomination, and David Healy in the ABC sitcoms '' Ro ...
. The series received an
Emmy Award
The Emmy Awards, or Emmys, are an extensive range of awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international television industry. A number of annual Emmy Award ceremonies are held throughout the calendar year, each with the ...
nomination for Outstanding Editing for a Miniseries or a Special (Single Camera Production).
Plot
In 1982, Tom Bird, an ambitious and charismatic
Lutheran
Lutheranism is one of the largest branches of Protestantism, identifying primarily with the theology of Martin Luther, the 16th-century German monk and reformer whose efforts to reform the theology and practice of the Catholic Church launched th ...
minister in American's mid-west, falls in love with one of his parishioners, Lorna Anderson, and together they make plans to start a fresh life in
New Mexico
)
, population_demonym = New Mexican ( es, Neomexicano, Neomejicano, Nuevo Mexicano)
, seat = Santa Fe
, LargestCity = Albuquerque
, LargestMetro = Tiguex
, OfficialLang = None
, Languages = English, Spanish ( New Mexican), Navajo, Ker ...
. Within a short space of time both Bird's wife and Anderson's husband are dead. The clever staging of the two murders almost fool the authorities but for the suspicions of a highway patrolman, John Rule, who pursues his own investigation as a matter of conscience. He eventually succeeds despite considerable resistance from Bird's loyal parishioners.
[Gibraltar "Panorama" weekly newspaper; Issue No. 1159; 16/01/1989]
References
External links
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* {{Rotten Tomatoes, murder_ordained, Murder Ordained
1987 films
1987 television films
1980s crime drama films
Adultery in films
CBS network films
Crime films based on actual events
Drama films based on actual events
Films scored by Mark Snow
Films about Christianity
Films set in 1983
Films set in Kansas
Films shot in Kansas
1987 drama films
Films directed by Mike Robe