Murder, She Wrote: A Story to Die For (2000)
Jessica Fletcher, lecturing at a writers' conference, finds herself called on to solve the killing of a guest speaker, an arrogant Russian author who'd written a nonfiction, tell-all book about his tenure as head of the KGB.
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This full length Murder She Wrote TV film has Jessica Fletcher at a writer's conference organized by Richard Crenna and while JB Fletcher is a noted celebrity the big fish at the conference is former KGB agent Duncan Regehr who has written one successful novel. Now Regehr is promising a tell all expose of his years at the KGB. As you can imagine a lot of people wouldn't want to see that in print.So Regehr is murdered and at the more leisurely pace that a feature film offers Angela Lansbury solves it. Regehr is the type that will leave few mourning for him. Still murder is murder. There is a final scene with Lansbury giving a speech and she's asked about the ethics of getting involved with so many real life murder cases. Her speech ought to be required viewing for all, it's that good.
Along with South By Southwest(the best of the TV movies), A Story to Die For is one of the better TV movies based off the TV show, which I am a fan of. There are one or two parts in the middle half that drag slightly, but A Story To Die For is strikingly filmed with interesting locations and photography, and the music is excellent. The script is fine as is the direction, and the story is gripping and intense, with an ending that even I never expected. The acting is also strong, Angela Lansbury is superb as Jessica, while Richard Crenna is brilliant here, very likable and the chemistry between him and Lansbury is magic. Overall, a wonderful TV movie. 9/10 Bethany Cox
A great movie starring one of the best actors of all time: Richard Crenna.I would suggest this movie to anyone who likes great actors!Crenna Also was "Luke McCoy" on the "real McCoys(1957)", and starred in "Rambo" movies.I hope everyone else enjoyed this movie as much as I did!
Following in the footsteps of the TV show, this TV movie did not disappoint. The characters, most especially J.B. Fletcher were well thought out and the acting was good. It was nice to see the return of one of the greatest television shows of all time, and it came back with a story symbolizing what made Murder, She Wrote so good. The people involved didn't see a TV movie with a bigger budget as an opportunity to create more action and special effects, the true reasons for Murder, She Wrotes popularity: the characters and stories (involvement of the viewer in solving the crime) remained in the fore-ground. It truly was a story, an event, a show to die for. (In the literal sense, of course.)