Citizen Jane (film)

Citizen Jane
Directed by	Armand Mastroianni
Produced by	Peter Miller Sonny Grosso Tara Long Larry Jacobson
Written by	Book: James Dalessandro Screenplay: James Dalessandro
Starring	Ally Sheedy Meat Loaf Sean Patrick Flanery Nia Peeples George
Music by	Rob Mounsey
Cinematography	Dane Peterson
Editing by	David B. Thompson
Production company	Cibola Entertainment
Country	United States
Language	English
Original channel	Hallmark Channel
Release date	September 12, 2009 (2009-09-12)
Running time	89 minutes

Citizen Jane is a true crime film first broadcast on the Hallmark Channel on September 12, 2009.^[1][2] Adapted from the book Citizen Jane by James Dalessandro, the film follows the real-life efforts of one woman to outsmart and convict her con-artist boyfriend for the gruesome murder of her aunt. It stars Ally Sheedy and Meat Loaf.^[1][3]

Plot

Jane Alexander is a sheltered, attractive widow living with her family in San Francisco. For six years she's been living with Tom O'Donnell, her charismatic and handsome boyfriend. He uses wit, charm, and tales of adventure to borrow money for extensive home business operations and investing.

When her favorite 88 year old aunt was gruesomely murdered in San Jose, she worked closely with police detective Jack Morris to solve the case. Morris soon convinces her that the killer is her boyfriend, and after O'Donnell disappears with over $10,000 of her money and leaves her near bankruptcy, Jane embarks on an epic journey to outsmart the wily con-artist. The police are soon stumped, but after 13 years of collecting evidence on their own, Alexander and Morris manage to convict O'Donnell of first degree murder.^{[4] [5]}

Production

In the mid-1990s, James Dalessandro first read about Jane Alexander's story on the front page of The Pacific Sun in Marin County, California. Within a few weeks he had a book deal set up. The screenplay is also written by Dalessandro and is a direct adaption of the book, and the film is even produced by Peter Miller, Dalessandro's literary manager.

Alexander, then a grandmother of 12, actively contributed to the writing process of the book in 1996, and much of the research comes from her detailed diaries about the ordeal.^[6] While she lived to see the release of the book in 1999, she died at 86 on December 14, 2008, while the film was still in production.^[6][7]

Cast

• Ally Sheedy as Jane Alexander
• Meat Loaf as Detective Morris
• Sean Patrick Flanery as Tom O'Donnell
• Patty McCormack as Aunt Gertrude
• Nia Peeples George as Best Friend Evelyn

References

1. ^ ^{a b} Milko, Chelsea (July 24, 2009). "Premiere Date of "Citizen Jane" Changed to September 12". www.AllHeadlineNews.com. http://www.allheadlinenews.com/articles/7015888373. Retrieved 2009-07-25. 
2. ^ Hallmark Channel (December 16, 2008). ""Citizen Jane," An Original Movie Based on the Life of Jane Alexander". http://www.thefutoncritic.com/news.aspx?id=20081216hallmark02. Retrieved 2009-07-25. 
3. ^ "Ally Sheedy and Meat Loaf Star In Hallmark's "Citizen Jane"". The Insider. June 18, 2009. http://www.theinsider.com/news/2291231_Ally_Sheedy_And_Meat_Loaf_Star_In_Hallmark_s_Citizen_Jane. Retrieved 2009-07-25. 
4. ^ "Citizen Jane at imdb.com". International Movie Database. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1415256/. Retrieved 2009-07-25. 
5. ^ Dalessandro, James. "James Dalessandro: Citizen Jane". www.RedRoom.com. http://www.redroom.com/publishedwork/citizen-jane. Retrieved 2009-07-25. 
6. ^ ^{a b} "James Dalessandro". Page ONE: Literary Newsletter Web Sit. 1998. http://www.pageonelit.com/interviews/Dalessandro.html. Retrieved 2009-07-25. 
7. ^ Selna, Robert (December 23, 2008). "Jane Alexander dies - victims' rights advocate". San Francisco Chronicle. http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/12/23/BA9F14RJ5T.DTL. Retrieved 2009-07-25. 

External links

• Citizen Jane at the Internet Movie Database
• Article on the death of Jane Alexander - December 23, 2008