From the very beginning, this movie strains credulity. First, if Jack Dawn was keeping a record of certain transactions so that he could inform on the mob to the FBI, it is unbelievable that he would tell the mob he had stuff written down, but then say that he was kidding. But once the mob finds out, he should have called the police and then the FBI to get in the witness protection program. Instead, he gives the book to his son, Phil, as if he is doing him a favor.
All right, Jack is stupid, and we will let it go at that. But then we do not understand why Gloria does not just hand over the book to the mob right away. She is not even willing to go to the police for help, so what does she think she and Phil will do with the book? She says she cannot go to the police for protection because the mobsters are her friends, but then she shoots five of them in their car. I guess it is all right to kill your friends, but not to get the police to protect you from them.
When the mob gets the book, they say they still need to kill the kid, to make an example. The problem with that is that it is a cliché that the Mafia leaves the women and children alone, primarily because killing family members invites retribution. So, this determination to kill a young child is not believable.
Then Gloria decides to go to Pittsburg. Eventually, it occurs to her that the Mafia is probably in Pittsburg too. No kidding. The thing to do is go to some small town no one has ever heard of in another part of the country, like Kerrville, Texas, population just over 20,000.
Finally, the dialogue between Gloria and Phil is unnatural. I could feel the heavy hand of John Cassavetes making it up with little regard for realism.
All right, Jack is stupid, and we will let it go at that. But then we do not understand why Gloria does not just hand over the book to the mob right away. She is not even willing to go to the police for help, so what does she think she and Phil will do with the book? She says she cannot go to the police for protection because the mobsters are her friends, but then she shoots five of them in their car. I guess it is all right to kill your friends, but not to get the police to protect you from them.
When the mob gets the book, they say they still need to kill the kid, to make an example. The problem with that is that it is a cliché that the Mafia leaves the women and children alone, primarily because killing family members invites retribution. So, this determination to kill a young child is not believable.
Then Gloria decides to go to Pittsburg. Eventually, it occurs to her that the Mafia is probably in Pittsburg too. No kidding. The thing to do is go to some small town no one has ever heard of in another part of the country, like Kerrville, Texas, population just over 20,000.
Finally, the dialogue between Gloria and Phil is unnatural. I could feel the heavy hand of John Cassavetes making it up with little regard for realism.