You'll Like My Mother (1972) User Reviews

Duke Ducks Monster "Mommy-sicle"...

[cchase · 8/10 · 20 February 2006]

Francesca Kinsolving (Patty Duke) is having the kind of "bad day" that makes you want to slap yourself viciously for ever thinking that you had one. Only a few weeks ago, she found out her soldier husband was K.I.A. in Vietnam, and now she is HUGELY pregnant, with the baby due in...oh, about five minutes from yesterday! With no family of her own, she remembers her hubby's promise that when they got a chance to visit his family in upstate New England, she would really take a shine to them and they to her. Especially his dear, sainted mother.

So, off she goes, not letting anything get in the way of her visit (except maybe that monstrous belly); even an impending blizzard that is well on the way by the time she arrives.

But speaking of blizzards, isn't it lovely that Francesca gets a glacial welcome from her hubby's iceberg of a monster mother, Mrs. Kinsolving (Rosemary Murphy), who definitely seems a lot more put-out than pleased to see her? Oh, and then there's Kenny (Richard Thomas), her alleged "brother-in-law," whose personality not only makes Peter Lorre look like Brad Pitt, but seems to be a little too close to Mama for comfort. And please welcome to the mix Kenny's "sister" Kathleen (Sian-Barbara Allen), who is, shall we say in the spirit of remaining PC, "special?" Put them all together in a big old house during a dire winter storm out in the middle of nowhere, and you've got yourself one cracking good W.I.P thriller!

YOU'LL LIKE MY MOTHER was based on a popular novel of the decade written by Naomi Hintze, with a screenplay by Jo Heims (whose script for the Clint Eastwood vehicle PLAY MISTY FOR ME is the whole reason why Glenn Close was even able to HAVE a "fatal attraction.") TV vet Lamont Johnson does a great job ratcheting up the suspense at an unbearably slow and steady pace, as Our Heroine discovers that her extended "family" is not at all what it seems, and that she has to somehow get herself and her child out of harm's way with virtually no one to help her, before "something REALLY BAD happens," as it always does in such thrillers.

As audiences these days have become bloodthirsty gorehounds, who like their screen sacrifices freshly squeezed and slashed, and right often, MOTHER might be too slow and stately, from a more "genteel" time when the term "nail-biting" didn't refer to a shot to the chops with an industrial-strength nail gun. Patty Duke as Francesca shows without a doubt that talent does travel through the genes (which is likely where sons Sean and Mackenzie Astin got most of theirs from), stage and screen vet Murphy crackles as Mom, and then up-and-coming actress Allen gives a poignant and startling performance as the feeble sister who really is a lot more "special" than anybody realizes.

But the biggest treat on hand is Richard Thomas. Here, he sinks his teeth into a completely demented pre-"Waltons" performance that will leave you gasping, especially those fans of the gently rural show who thought they "knew" who John-Boy was. Turns out...naaaawwww, you DIDN'T! (Heh-heh!)

MOTHER comes highly recommended for those who enjoyed W.I.P. movies like DEAD OF WINTER, (which bears a striking resemblance to MOTHER) or WHEN A STRANGER CALLS, (the Carol Kane original, not the obnoxious remake.) In fact, it would make a great Saturday night double-feature with either.

Oh, and contrary to popular belief, MOTHER was NOT originally a T.V. movie. Considering it's over thirty years old, that's a forgivable mistake, since that's where most people see it now. This was yet another great theatrical effort that came out of Bing Crosby Productions (!!!) during that time period, when they cranked out the hits like the original versions of WALKING TALL, (in which Murphy co-starred with Joe-Don Baker), WILLARD and of course its sequel, BEN.

You'll like this movie

[brefane · 7/10 · 31 March 2007]

Theatrically released in 1972, this good old fashioned B-movie is sometimes mistaken for a made for TV film. The material is thin, but deftly stretched out, and given some substance and distinction by a quartet of strong performances, Lamont Johnson's taut direction, and location filming that creates a palpably chilly atmosphere. An entertaining film that is reminiscent of Die!Die!My Darling!, The Collector, Misery, Dead of Winter, and even Rosemary's Baby. The film features Sian Barbara Allen in an impressive debut as that familiar mute servant who aids the lady in distress, and Patty Duke is perfectly cast as the lady in distress. As a menacing mother and son, Rosemary Murphy and Richard Thomas are excellent, and their incestuous relationship is effectively handled. Unfortunately, the ending is a bit anti-climactic, but You'll Like My Mother is a film you'll like, and that is worthy of a DVD release. Lamont Johnson and Patty Duke worked together on the Emmy-winning My Sweet Charlie(1970).

Kittens drowned for lack of pedigree; will baby be next?

[BA_Harrison · 7/10 · 9 May 2019]

Heavily pregnant widow Francesca Kinsolving (Patty Duke) travels to snowy Minnesota to meet her mother-in-law Maria for the first time. However, on arrival at the remote Kinsolving estate, she is shocked to find that the woman (Rosemary Murphy) isn't as saintly as her husband described (nice old ladies don't drown kittens!). When a snowstorm prevents her from leaving, Francesca finds herself a virtual prisoner in the house, and discovers a secret that puts not just her life in danger, but that of her child as well.

A taut thriller with bags of atmosphere and great performances, You'll Like My Mother could have been a classic, if it wasn't for one dodgy plot point that undoes a lot of the good work done by director Lamont Johnson and his talented cast. Without giving too much away, the effectiveness of the film as a whole depends a lot on the silence of a baby; silence when it is born, and silence for the following few days. In my experience, newborns do the exact opposite - they cry a lot - but Francesca's bundle of joy doesn't even gurgle or coo. As the script requires, the tiny tot stays schtum. It's just a tad far-fetched as far as I am concerned, and prevents the film from being a complete success.

Still, even with this somewhat irksome plot contrivance, I enjoyed this slow-burn thriller for its wonderfully chilling wintry locale, smart direction (Johnson makes great use of the old house), and solid acting (Duke and Murphy are given able support from Sian Barbara Allen as mentally disabled Kathleen, and Richard 'John-Boy Walton' Thomas as sexual sadist Kenny, the other occupants of the sprawling Kinsolving manor).

A vintage VHS of this movie recently sold on eBay for $67.50

[m_bohannon · 5 June 2000]

A vintage VHS of this movie recently sold on eBay (after 16 bids) for $67.50! Wake up producers! This is an excellent 70's movie. The actors each performed brilliantly! One of the best mystery-mansion movies ever! Richard Thomas is somewhat out-of-character (compared to John Boy), since he plays the part of a murderer-rapist, but his acting is superb. He is a real meanie in this one!! A must see!

Run, Francesca! Run for your life!

[Hey_Sweden · 7/10 · 1 June 2016]

Patty Duke is lovely and appealing as Francesca Kinsolving, a very pregnant young woman whose husband Matthew was killed in Vietnam. She makes the journey from L.A. to snowbound Minnesota, where the Kinsolving family homestead is. She's hoping to make some sort of connection with Matthews' mother, about whom he spoke so highly. But when she gets to the estate, the mother (Rosemary Murphy) turns out to be an odd duck, and a forbidding character. What's more, this woman has a daughter, Kathleen (the memorable Sian Barbara Allen), who has her own problems. Francesca realizes that she's not welcome there, but becomes a prisoner anyway when bad weather prevents her from leaving.

It's understandable that people might think that this was a made-for-TV affair, but in truth it *did* play in theatres. The director is Lamont Johnson, who had lots of television credits, but did a couple of theatrical features as well. He gives this decent story (script by Jo Heims, based on the novel by Naomi A. Hintze) some respectable suspense, and utilizes the real life Glensheen Historic Estate to great effect. The wintry atmosphere also helps a lot. Refreshingly, although Hintzes' tale has some twists to it, it's not overly complicated, and it's surprisingly absorbing, doing a good job of keeping the viewers' attention.

Another heavy asset is Dukes' character. She's vulnerable, but she's not a dummy, and realizes early on that she would be better off leaving if possible. You do sympathize with her and feel a certain suspicion towards Mrs. Kinsolving, who is played with effective frostiness by Ms. Murphy. Allen likewise does a very creditable job. Richard "John-Boy Walton" Thomas has fun with his cocky and creepy character, who's not given a proper introduction until well into the picture. And Robert Redford lookalike Dennis Rucker is likable in his small part as friendly bus driver Red Cooper.

The music by Gil Melle is on occasion a little unusual, but it works. And the cinematography by Jack A. Marta is excellent.

Only the conclusion fails to be particularly satisfying.

Seven out of 10.

A Lesser-Known Thriller

[gavin6942 · 7/10 · 5 October 2016]

When her Army husband is killed in combat, a pregnant Patty Duke travels to the remote Minnesota home of his family, whom she's never met, for a visit. Meeting with icy acceptance from mother-in-law Rosemary Murphy and stranded by a blizzard, Duke begins to discover terrifying--and deadly--secrets about her husband's family.

I wish had known about this film before I had been in Duluth many years ago. The movie was shot in the Congdon Mansion, and it would have been fun to visit the building, even if I was not allowed inside.

Well played, Scream Factory, for giving this one a release. I had not heard of it, and based on the few IMDb reviews, it seems I am not alone. Despite being a Universal film, it seems to have been very understated, with few "names" attached. Was it made for TV originally? I am surprised by how well the protagonist takes her situation -- a more modern version would have her being terrorized.

No you definitely will NOT!

[Coventry · 7/10 · 4 July 2009]

"You'll Like My Mother" is reminiscent in terms of subject matter to the British, Hammer-produced thriller "Die! Die, My Darling", as both movies deal with a recently widowed women acquainting their mothers-in-law only after the husbands' deaths and almost literally ending in hell. And since "Die! Die, My Darling" was such an absorbing and creepy little thriller; I really wanted to check out this movie as well, particularly because this is an "Americanized" 70's version with exploitation undertones and complementary raw atmosphere. Francesca, eight months pregnant and widowed since seven months as she lost her husband Matthew when his plane crashed in Vietnam, travels all the way up to Matthew's parental house to pay an unannounced visit to his mother. From the very first minute, Mrs. Kinsolving turns out to be hateful and cynical person who hasn't got the slightest intention to get friendly with Francesca or the baby. But there's more, as Matthew mute and mentally underdeveloped sister Kathleen – whom Francesca never heard about before – seems petrified of the mother and slips bizarre little newspaper clippings into her hands like she's trying to warn her about something sinister. With the snowy weather getting worse, Francesca and her unborn child are trapped in a mansion with a potentially very dangerous psychopath. "You'll Like My Mother" is a very tense and unnerving 70's thriller with a solid script that gradually becomes more convoluted through effective twists and a couple of powerful moments that are simultaneously disturbing and saddening. Particularly halfway through the movie, the story becomes unusual and nightmarish (all comparisons with "Die! Die, My Darling" abruptly end at that point as well) and you'll need a very strong nerve system to make it through some of the sudden twists. This movie is another perfect example to show you don't necessarily require a big budget to deliver a spine-chilling thriller. "You'll Like My Mother" contains no special effects or particular gimmicks, but thrives exclusively on dreary atmosphere and offbeat plotting. It's an incomprehensibly underrated 70's highlight with great acting performances (Patty Duke is sublime as the mother in distress) that urgently needs a much wider audience.

Theater Release vs. Made For TV Movie

[jessie-rex21 · 7/10 · 20 September 2010]

I've read that this was originally shown in theaters, which I don't doubt is true, but it was on television a very few years later. I recall this movie from television and I could not have been much older than 8, so it must have been around 1974 or 75. It was one of those disturbing thrillers, that relied on good acting, not gratuitous violence. I would love to watch again. This must have been the movie where Richard Thomas and Sian Barbara Allen met, as they dated for several years. They were on a few Walton episodes together as well. I always felt she should have been in other shows and thought she had a unique beauty and bearing. Too many look alike "bimbo" type young actresses nowadays.

Dreary and superb thriller

[drownsoda90 · 9/10 · 2 April 2016]

"You'll Like My Mother" has Patty Duke as Francesca, a pregnant widow who travels from California to the snowy backwoods of Minnesota in the dead of winter to meet her mother-in-law. She gets more than she bargained for however, and finds herself not only stranded there, but in great danger.

One of many seemingly forgotten horror-thriller offerings from the early seventies, this inconspicuously-titled chiller is severely underprivileged in terms of audience, to the point that it's been mistakenly labeled as a television film (it wasn't). Its snowy backwoods setting is phenomenal, and the film reaps a chilling and claustrophobic atmosphere from it throughout. Adding to the ambiance is the main setting—a secluded, ornate manor house—which acts as an oppressive force in and of itself, concealing family secrets as well as housing key scenes in the film.

The film sets it self up for sinister happenings from the outset, with Patty Duke innocuously asking her bus driver about her husband's family. "Kinsolving?" he asks, as if he believes her to be mistaken. "Oh, yeah, yeah, I know the Kinsolvings," he unconvincingly adds. It's minor, subtle moments like these—many of which are found in Duke's and Rosemary Murphy's performances—that make the film so unnerving. The audience knows something's not quite right from minute one, and the film is an exercise in ratcheting atmosphere and tension from there on out. Duke is likable as the doe-eyed, well-meaning widow, and Murphy is ice-cold as her unreceptive (among other things) mother-in-law. The increasing tension between the two actresses is nearly palpable.

Overall, "You'll Like My Mother" is an under-seen thriller marked by solid performances, eerie use of landscape and cinematography, and a consistently suspenseful plot. A worthwhile effort, and one of the better (and more unusual) snowbound horror films to come of the late twentieth century. 9/10.

Good movie to watch

[originaltrpclvr · 6/10 · 25 January 2020]

Filmed at the Congdon mansion in Duluth, which I previously toured, so that made it fun watching the movie! I was hoping they'd show more parts of the mansion! Lol. I'll have to go back and rewatch as I was often busy checking out the background.

Richard Thomas was totally convincing as a psycho! Patty Duke was wonderful as always! I can't remember the mother and sister's names without leaving this page, but I hated the mother and loved the sister so they both played their rolls quite well. I did find the ability of being able to keep a baby a secret the way they did somewhat unbelievable so that spoiled it for me somewhat. Felt the storyline went downhill from there. The ending Was a major letdown.

Woman-in-distress thriller...without many thrills

[moonspinner55 · 3/10 · 19 October 2007]

Capable cast goes through the motions in a predictable, snowbound thriller, yet another in a long line of genre screamers pitting one 'helpless' woman against a gang of crazies. This time it's Patty Duke's turn to portray the captive: a pregnant widow who goes to visit her mother-in-law for the first time in frigid Minnesota and quickly finds herself unable to flee. Director Lamont Johnson, who ended up having a very spotty resume, handles the story in a workman-like, perfunctory way without a drop of self-effacing humor or even morbid interest. Very piqued, despite the convincing surroundings and Duke's innate likability. *1/2 from ****

A symphony of understated performances

[aromatic-2 · 9/10 · 10 March 2000]

Duke, Harris, and Thomas are well worth watching for their understated performances in this moody character study. Director Johnson elicited a range of nuances and power from Duke that no other director has been able to achieve. Harris is spellbinding as a woman for whom bitterness is a highball and acrimony is champagne.

Nice little thriller , good acting, weak climax.....why no DVD?

[shango7200 · 7/10 · 14 May 2011]

I have not too much more to add except; 1)the original commercials on TV were scary as all heck! The announcer "You'll Like My Mother; A Thriller" if any of you remember. I don't think many people saw this in the theater BUT did see it on TV which leads me up to..... 2) This is NOT a TV movie! It has no earmarks of a flat, studio shot ABC Movie of the Week from the enchanted year of 1972. The location and house are perfect here as is the cast. 3) The climax when Kenny (Richard Thomas) gets killed is pretty lame as well as the fate of Mrs. Kinsolving. It takes place in broad daylight and has little atmosphere or tension. This is the weakest portion of the film. Unfortunate as this is the CLIMAX. 4) The movie needs a little more action towards the middle. The scenes of Francesca bed ridden seem endless. 5) Overall, this is a great "late night TV" thriller. You know-- when you're alone flipping the dial and come across something just like this to help you get to sleep after it's over. Will the powers that be PLEASE give this a nice DVD release with extras!

at the beginning it is rather good

[christopher-underwood · 5/10 · 19 April 2024]

Patty Duke is the young girl and she may find that, 'You'll Like My Mother' or maybe not. At the beginning it is rather good with her the last customer in a splendid little bus in the snow. At the end of the line the driver helps her get some of the way and then she walks through the deep snow until she reaches a rather big house near the woods. The girl's husband has died in Vietnam and she was there to see his mother. The door opens and it all goes wrong. There are some good moments and the mansion is really great. We find that things are not the way they should have been so surely it will be a ghost house. There is something really bad there and then we also find that the girl is about to give birth and I hadn't noticed. It is rather silly and although there are those good close-up moments but there are not that many good ones and it can be so poor that just makes us laugh instead of it being terrifying.

A well-made movie that keeps you on the edge!

[bfjrnski · 7 January 2002]

"You'll like my mother!" concerns a young,pregnant widow who's attempt to get to know her wealthy and strangely distant "mother-in-law" almost costs her life-and her infant's life as well! The young woman Francesca arrives at the old,crumbling mansion of her dead husbands "mother" It dosen't matter to Francesca that she's in the last stage of her pregnancy and has arrived during the height of a Minnesota snowstorm-she wants to finally meet her husbands mother!Much to her surprise Francesca is greeted by an unusually cold and unconcerned matriarch who lives an isolated life in her enormous mansion with her "feebleminded" teen-aged daughter Kathleen!( Francesca's husband NEVER mentioned having a sister! ) By the time Francesca decided to leave it is too late-she's snowed in! And during Francesca's stay overnight she learns some disturbing truths:Her husband's mother had died shortly after he did!The "feebleminded" girl is not his sister!This cold,distant woman is not her mother-in-law!And there's a deranged man lurking in the corridors of this sprawling,isolated mansion!With the Minnesota snow falling and Francesca's baby due any day now there is much cause for suspense! And suspense is the key element in this unusually scary and disturbing movie! It is to the credit of the palpable performances of Patty Duke as the frightened and bewildered Francesca;Rosemary Murphy as the cold "mother-in-law";newcomer Sian Barbara Allen as the mute and "feebleminded"(one suspects)little sister;and a rare and chilling performance by a pre-Waltons Richard Thomas as the rapist-murderer Kenny! It is a true gem of a horror movie that combines the best elements of character portrayal,storyline,scenery(filmed on location during a Minnesota winter!) and a shocking finale that makes "You'll like my mother" a movie you don't want to miss!

A Good Thriller as is showed

[wi3andr · 7/10 · 16 July 2005]

"You'll Like My Mother! The movie was a good thriller. However, there was no beginning nor was there an ending in this movie. What I mean is: It seems that some parts were left out. There was no pictures or showing of the mother or the husband on this movie. Patty Duke should have had at lease a picture of her husband with her. It didn't show where she was coming from. And at the ending, the movie could have shown her with the estate and money left behind. The movie left you wondering about her and her baby, and the women and her daughter. I remembered this movie years ago when it came on the A&E channel. A Good Thriller Indeed! But could have been more complete!

When an alley cat mates with a house cat, it destroys the kittens.

[mark.waltz · 7/10 · 3 December 2023]

Maybe not the exact quote, but a barb none the less towards Patty Duke who shows up unannounced at the home of her late husband's mother (Rosemary Murphy) who isn't exactly thrilled to see her, even if Duke's about to give birth to her grandchild. It's the middle of a very bad winter in the middle of the countryside somewhere in Minnesota, and Duke ends up stranded there with the very odd Murphy and mute daughter Sian Barbara Allen, unable to leave due to the weather and later going into labor.

A high class thriller with lots of twists and turns, highlighted by the arrival of Richard Thomas as "another" son, a rapist and murderer, and a far cry from John Boy Walton. It would be easy to compare this to the Tallulah Bankhead/Stefanie Powers Hammer hag horror classic "Die! Die! My Darling!", but it's much more complex than that. Duke isn't exactly a fragile flower, able to stand up to her "mother-in-law", but up against something much darker than what she expected to handle.

The performances by the small ensemble are all excellent with sweet spoken Murphy hiding glares of hate behind her seemingly kind eyes that ooze coldness at times. Allen makes the most out of her silent part, showing that acting doesn't always require words. Thomas may seem like the boy next door, but he's great at indicating a dark psychopath in this role that shows a different side of "mother love". Great direction from Lamont Johnson makes this a delightful thriller, with added intrigue concerning the mansion used worth researching.

This movie is one of my favorites. I wish I could find it somewhere.

[MissMargoChanning · 10/10 · 10 April 2005]

I loved "You'll Like My Mother". Richard Thomas was superb.He was very frightening as Kenny.Kenny and his mother had a strange relationship going on there.I could never look at "John Boy" the same way after seeing this. I truly enjoyed Patty Duke in this film, as well. When giving birth, however, she seemed to be choking. That was odd.She was a force to be reckoned with in protecting her child. I taped this many years ago when it aired on the USA Network, but lost it. I wish it would be released on D.V.D.OR, played again on Turner Clasics. I could at least tape it again. For suspense, it's one of the best!I just want to see it again.

An interesting movie

[jw_55767 · 8/10 · 23 May 2012]

Despite what a few other reviewers have noted, this movie was a. Not a made for TV "movie of the week" and b. Not filmed in the "woods of Minnesota". The Glensheen Mansion is in the eastern part of Duluth, nestled in amongst other mansions built around the turn of the last century by the "robber barons" who made their fortunes in lumber, railroads or other enterprises of the times.

I happened to be in St. Mary's Hospital in Duluth when this movie was filmed in early 1972 and we had a celebrity guest on our floor at the time. Every morning an entourage would parade down the hall to visit Patty Duke, to include her dog and numerous hangers-on. Patty Duke was hospitalized at the same time for a "nervous condition". Read her bio and you will understand what that means in English.

The movie was OK, but a real treat for people who knew about the mansion because that was long before it became open to the public. The movie was made about five years before Mrs Congdon and her night nurse were savagely murdered. That event could also have made for a very interesting movie itself.

Never A TV Movie! One of Duke's Best BIGSCREEN Efforts!

[FORREST136 · 6 August 2001]

Filmed in the woods of Minnesota this thriller is scary and exciting! Patty Duke delivers a great performance but is at times outshined by newcomer Sian Barbara Allen! Sort of bloody at times! Richard Thomas in a rare performance as a physcho! Excellent film to watch on a cold winter night!

You'll like this movie

[jarrodmcdonald-1 · 27 August 2022]

Patty Duke's film career gained traction with her remarkable Oscar-winning portrayal of Helen Keller in THE MIRACLE WORKER (1962). This would be followed by a much remembered performance in VALLEY OF THE DOLLS (1967). By the time the 1970s rolled around she was working either in TV movies or doing the occasional studio "A" picture. When she accepted this role it meant she'd be playing a mother, something she'd recently become in real life. It also meant traveling to Minnesota for on-location shooting.

YOU'LL LIKE ME MOTHER is about an expectant mom (Duke) who is recently widowed. She buys a bus ticket and heads to the midwest to meet her mother-in-law (Rosemary Murphy). It's a fish-out-of-water thriller, with considerable psychological horror. As the film begins she arrives in this strange rural community, is taken to a strange house, then meets the strange people who live there. The wintery landscape is cold and oppressive, which mirrors the personalities of those inside the house.

Of course, all is not as it seems. The family has some huge skeletons in its closets, and there are disturbing behaviors galore- in particular the erratic behavior exhibited by a deranged young man (Richard Thomas) staying at the mansion. Both Duke and the audience suspect something is afoot, but what? When she gives birth, the danger only intensifies.

At first there is a bit of mystery involving whether the baby lived or died, since she is drugged during the labor scenes. Duke's character realizes she has become a prisoner in the house, and so is her newborn if it is indeed alive. A young woman at the house (Sian Barbara Allen) ultimately helps Duke reunite with the infant. This is the more emotionally satisfying part of the movie, though some of it is quite far-fetched. Allen helps Duke nourish the child, though it must be kept hidden.

The final sequence entails a desperate attempt to escape. Duke tries to flee the premises with her baby. There is a gripping showdown between Duke and Thomas that leads to one of them being killed.

It's a film full of method acting, full of carefully contrived situations, and full of atmosphere. In fact I'd say the atmospheric touches and the on-location scenery are the best aspects of the picture. But it would be nothing without the fine central performance of Patty Duke who provides the heart and soul of everything we see.

Some creepy moments

[barahona · 24 January 2000]

There are a couple of things to recommend this picture. First there is the snow: a LOT of snow, which adds to the claustrophobic atmosphere. Also a truly creepy performance by Richard Thomas (pre Waltons) as Kenny. Just the way he refers to himself in the third person is more effective than a hundred stabs of a knife. A good rental but not as bloody as genre fans might like.

Contrary To...

[jkstevens57 · 20 December 2000]

a previous posting, this was a limited theatrical release in the early '70s--not an ABC TV Movie of the Week.

Not much more to add, except to say that this is a somewhat slow, but effective thriller (Thomas's death scene is pretty spectacular).

A Credible Thriller For A Made For TV Movie !

[Kelt Smith · 12 October 2000]

This was one of ABC's TV Movies Of The Week, and a fairly good thriller. Recently widowed by her military husband, pregnant Patty Duke goes to stay at her mother in law's New England country home. Having never met before, the only thing that Patty knows about her hostess is that her late husband had often commented, " You'll Like My Mother ". Well, "Mom" couldn't be any less gracious, and Patty soon enough realizes that something is very amiss. With Sian Barbara Allen as a mildly retarded relative, and Richard Thomas as Kenny who is an uneering presence that was one of the better made for TV movies of the early 70's.

Creepy Creepy!

[ivegonemod · 2 July 2012]

I'm glad I was able to watch this movie, it was so very good! Lots of suspense and creepy good times. I really wish that the ending had shown the bus 'driver finding Francesca and the baby and Kathleen. I loathed Richard's character in this movie, he is just too sick and rotten. I've seen him in other TV movies, but he was extra freaky in this one. I like him better as John boy or playing other good guys. I kept wanting Francesca to take the baby and run so many times after she knew for a fact that she was amongst sicko-freaks, obviously it was going to come to doing just that at some point. It wasn't like they were going to let her waltz out. It really bugged me when Francesca opened her big mouth and gave away the fact that she "the mother" hadn't been slapping Kathleen around. Why do that? Why let on? They always do that in these movies. Boy was I glad when psycho-freak got it good in the back!