I saw 'Mother Knows Best' when it was first run, and again as a daytime rerun. Looking it up recently, I couldn't remember the title, couldn't remember the names of the stars. No problem, I would approach it through the names of supporting players. However, the filmography of William Daniels didn't help, because David Spielberg had played that role (bride's father). The filmography of Anne Meara didn't help because the name I needed was Jeanette O'Conner (groom's mother). I won't bother revealing the blunder that finally got me to the right site, but I did get here.
In spite of my memory gaps about the cast, I do recall the plot points that help drive this very good story. On the bride's side, the social-climbing mother with a creative view of facts, and a venomous sense of entitlements. And a head-in-the-sand father who served as a passive accomplice to the mother. He is long past EVER telling the mother anything she doesn't want to hear. On the groom's side, the hard-working, good-hearted soul, his mother, who wanted to help the young folks.
The police-procedural part of the story -- making their case while avoiding any action that could be construed as entrapment -- makes this film a worthy companion piece to that story about a high-school cheerleading squad in Texas. Because they prevent the planned murder, it ends on a pretty lighthearted note, and there is some humor along the way. It would have done this viewer's heart good to have one more scene; the incarcerated mom scrubbing toilets or negotiating with the cellblock Bad Mama. But maybe the scriptwriters knew what they were doing.
Like others who have commented, I would like to have someone broadcast it again, so I can tape it. Eight stars.
In spite of my memory gaps about the cast, I do recall the plot points that help drive this very good story. On the bride's side, the social-climbing mother with a creative view of facts, and a venomous sense of entitlements. And a head-in-the-sand father who served as a passive accomplice to the mother. He is long past EVER telling the mother anything she doesn't want to hear. On the groom's side, the hard-working, good-hearted soul, his mother, who wanted to help the young folks.
The police-procedural part of the story -- making their case while avoiding any action that could be construed as entrapment -- makes this film a worthy companion piece to that story about a high-school cheerleading squad in Texas. Because they prevent the planned murder, it ends on a pretty lighthearted note, and there is some humor along the way. It would have done this viewer's heart good to have one more scene; the incarcerated mom scrubbing toilets or negotiating with the cellblock Bad Mama. But maybe the scriptwriters knew what they were doing.
Like others who have commented, I would like to have someone broadcast it again, so I can tape it. Eight stars.