Backfire

Before the night is over... someone will be rich, someone will be dead, someone will be avenged.

4.8
19881h 33m

Mara McAndrew's marriage is falling apart. Her husband, Donnie, a Vietnam veteran, suffers troubling flashbacks about the war, leaving him unresponsive to her needs. Mara wants out, but she also wants Donnie's money. When Mara meets a mysterious stranger, Reed, at a local bar, she believes she has found the right person to help her out of her predicament. But Mara worries that Donnie's sister, Jill, is on to her.

Production

Logo for ITC Entertainment

Trailers & Videos

Thumbnail for video: Backfire - 1987

Backfire - 1987

Cast

Photo of Karen Allen

Karen Allen

Mara McAndrew

Photo of Jeff Fahey

Jeff Fahey

Donnie McAndrew

Photo of Bernie Casey

Bernie Casey

Clinton James

Photo of Philip Sterling

Philip Sterling

Dr. Creason

Photo of Antony Holland

Antony Holland

Judge Hardin

Photo of Dwight Koss

Dwight Koss

Deputy 'Buzz'

Photo of Eric Schneider

Eric Schneider

Dr. Cooper

Photo of Enid Saunders

Enid Saunders

Aunt Elizabeth

Photo of Lesley Ewen

Lesley Ewen

Dispatcher

Photo of Dwight McFee

Dwight McFee

Searcher #1

Photo of Kim Kondrashoff

Kim Kondrashoff

Searcher #2

Photo of Tom McBeath

Tom McBeath

Man in Bar

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Reviews

K

kevin2019

8/10

"Backfire" is an exceedingly strong film from the very beginning and it easily leads the viewer astray on many occasions, especially after Mara is forced into the position where she must return home with Donny following his presumably failed suicide attempt - he has stipulated in some legal paperwork she will have power of attorney should he ever become incapacitated - and she must subsequently contend with the intrusive interference of Donny's sister Jill. This development narrows and sharpens the focus of the entire film and the true architect of everything which has been happening neatly harks back to the frequent visual references to Donny's traumas in Vietnam. The pace has also been tightly wrought throughout to achieve maximum effectiveness and potential and it continually manages to shatter expectations and anticipations to create an extremely poignant and memorable portrait of true friendship.

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