Movie Info

The murder of six-year-old JonBenét Ramsey was tabloid fodder for years, but Perfect Murder, Perfect Town earns respect with its riveting ...(read more...) focus on facts. In adapting his own bestselling book with writer Tom Topor, producer-director Lawrence Schiller (who chronicled the O.J. Simpson trial in An American Tragedy) wrangles dozens of characters into a complicated but coherent portrait of justice gone awry. Beginning with the Christmas-night murder in 1996 and spanning 18 months of investigation, this three-hour telefilm shows how sloppy police work, legal loopholes, and political conditions in Boulder, Colorado, made JonBenét's murder virtually unsolvable. Ronny Cox and CSI's Marg Helgenberger play the highly suspect Ramsey parents, steadfastly maintaining an innocent façade; their performances are ripe with ambiguity. Schiller also dramatizes the machinations of a tabloid journalist (Sean Whalen); a religious detective (Kris Kristofferson) hired by the Ramseys; the backstage maneuvering of Boulder's district attorney (Ken Howard); the poorly secured crime scene; and much more. With its semi-documentary approach and first-rate cast, the film covers a lot of territory but it's never confusing or exploitative. And still, the mystery remains. --Jeff Shannon

Director: Lawrence Schiller

MPAA: Unrated

Running Time: 90 min.

Release Date: Dec 31, 2008

Cast: Ann-Margret, Deirdre Lovejoy, Dennis Boutsikaris, Dyanne Iandoli, John Heard, John Rubinstein, Ken Howard, Kris Kristofferson, Marg Helgenberger, Margo Martindale, Megan White, Murphy Guyer, Peter Friedman, Ronny Cox, Scott Cohen, Sean Whalen