I am grateful to have grown up in the era of made-for-television movies. There was something really special about huddling around the TV set with the family and catching a film that you could only watch during its linear broadcast. Back in the day, made-for-TV movies ran the gamut of genres, but I typically gravitated toward horror and thriller fare. Speaking of, I recently rewatched a forgotten made-for-TV favorite from the early ‘90s. A thriller that features a compelling central mystery, an unforgettable twist ending, and neo-noir sensibilities that make use of classic detective tropes while simultaneously modernizing them for the late 20th century.
I’m speaking about none other than director Ivan Passer’s Fourth Story, a film that benefits from a strong core cast, a gripping narrative filled with twists and misdirection, and a quirky sense of humor.
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The film finds Mark Harmon stepping into the hardboiled detective archetype as David Shepard, a PI who specializes in missing persons cases. We meet Shepard through Valerie (Mimi Rogers), a woman whose husband (Cliff DeYoung) mysteriously vanishes without a trace. Although Shepard initially thinks Valerie’s spouse ran off with another woman, he eventually starts to suspect something else is at play. As he continues to investigate, with Valerie by his side, the two begin to draw close, which introduces its own set of complications. As the pair begin to put the pieces together, they uncover a series of shocking revelations that rock both of their worlds in different ways. The action eventually builds to a crescendo with a rousing denouement that hits all the right notes.
Rogers is a nice choice for the Valerie role. She fits well within the neo-noir landscape, appropriately embodying some of the core characteristics of a femme fatale. She’s mysterious, quietly confident, and well aware of how to make a gentleman blush. Fortunately, she’s more than just an archetypal character pieced together from stereotypes. She’s written as dynamic and three-dimensional. We quickly see that Valerie feels invisible to her husband, which makes the way that she’s pulled into Shepard’s orbit believable.
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As Valerie begins to reciprocate Shepard’s interest, we see that the pair has strong screen chemistry. They share a couple of steamy sequences that titillate as well as create a sense of moral ambiguity, with both characters setting aside their better judgment and giving into their carnal urges. Not only does that transgression make each character slightly more dynamic, but it also harkens back to the film’s noir influences. The genre is well known for depicting characters who exist in a moral grey area, often framing marriage as a pitfall rather than an idyllic and blissful experience. Fourth Story touches on all of the above with captivating results.
Although Fourth Story is ultimately captivating in several ways, it begins with a rather deliberate pace. The action here is more of a slow burn, allowing us to get to know both leads before the proceedings take a turn for the intense. Fortunately, the calm before the storm allows the audience a moment to warm to both main characters and learn a bit more about what drives them.
When the film heats up, there’s a good amount of intrigue at play. The clues that help Valerie and Shepard unravel the mystery are smartly calculated. They’re vague enough to add to the intrigue, with the eventual answers proving worth the wait. I particularly like the way that screenwriter Andrew Guerdat handles the search for Valerie’s husband, Darryl, by leaving a quirky trail of breadcrumbs following his abrupt disappearance. Guerdat scripts Darryl with a series of idiosyncrasies that work to flesh him out as well as help to give Shepard and Valerie actionable intel to follow his trail. In one example, Valerie offhandedly mentions that Darryl has a penchant for doodling, which naturally comes back into play when the pair find some of his handiwork in the wild.
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The trail that the PI and the abandoned spouse follow is often winding, with the core mystery featuring just enough misdirection and absence of context to keep the audience from piecing too much together too soon.
The proceedings lead to a final twist that is surely a bit far-fetched, but it’s undeniably entertaining and ultimately justified. A piece of corroborating evidence introduced earlier in the film eventually explains the profound coincidence that ties everything together. I won’t explain any further to protect the mystery, but make sure to remember that you’ll have more fun with this one if you’re game to keep an open mind and suspend your disbelief.
Aside from a winding storyline that delivers a wild surprise, Fourth Story also features a great sense of humor. Shepard, in particular, has some memorable comedic dialogue. After he and Valerie fail to outrun a tail by parking at a car dealership full of similar vehicles, David lightheartedly downplays his plan’s lack of efficacy by admitting that he was merely employing a trick he saw on The Rockford Files. The character embodies a level of cynicism that makes him fit perfectly into the film’s noir narrative, but his playful wit and humorous dialogue balance that to make him a well-rounded and engaging leading fella.
Because I’m partial to an interesting aside as well as cinematic flesh, allow me to shift gears and mention that NBC originally aired the film, and later, it was released on home video. That’s important because the VHS and DVD releases of Fourth Story feature a spicy, partial nude scene depicting leading man Harmon in peak physical condition, circa 1991. The film treats viewers to a series of glimpses of his perky posterior as he strolls around undressed in the dark of night. To put it simply, I was delighted to discover the extra footage when I first saw the VHS cut.
So, there you have it. Fourth Story is a thrilling neo-noir with strong writing, effective performances, and a wild twist. Not to mention, the home video release features a voyeuristic bonus that will likely appeal to anyone who found themselves ogling Harmon during his stint on St. Elsewhere. You can currently find the film’s physical media release available on the secondary market. It also occasionally pops up on YouTube.
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