A Shock to the System
Encyclopedia
A Shock to the System is a U.S.
comedy crime thriller film
directed by Jan Egleson, starring Michael Caine
, Swoosie Kurtz
, Elizabeth McGovern
, and Peter Riegert
. It is based on the 1984 novel A Shock to the System by British
author Simon Brett
.
company, is unexpectedly passed over for promotion
. Marshall himself can live with it, but his nagging wife Leslie is devastated and continually reproaches her husband for his apparent lack of ambition and willpower.
An unfortunate accident occurs in the subway
, caused by Marshall, in which a panhandler
is killed. It goes unnoticed, which gives him a whole new set of ideas as far as his future life is concerned.
Deciding to take revenge
on all the people who have caused him problems in his life, Marshall starts meticulously planning their violent deaths. This includes his wife, whom he eventually electrocutes
, and his young rival at the office, Bob Benham.
Marshall becomes much better acquainted with an office colleague, Stella Anderson. And when none of the murders is linked to him, Graham feels vindicated in his belief that killing off everyone who has harmed him is the right thing to do. He soon passes the point of no return
.
is suddenly brought against him for a murder he did not commit.
This ending was first used by Anthony Berkeley (writing as Francis Iles) in his 1931 novel Malice Aforethought (see whodunnit). It should also be noted that the ending of the movie version is completely different, with Marshall exulting in his new life of crime
and in no danger whatsoever of being brought to justice
.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
comedy crime thriller film
Film
A film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still or moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects...
directed by Jan Egleson, starring Michael Caine
Michael Caine
Sir Michael Caine, CBE is an English actor. He won Academy Awards for best supporting actor in both Hannah and Her Sisters and The Cider House Rules ....
, Swoosie Kurtz
Swoosie Kurtz
Swoosie Kurtz is an American actress. She began her career in theater during the 1970s and shortly thereafter began a career in television, garnering ten nominations and winning one Emmy Award. Her most famous television project was her role on the 1990s NBC drama Sisters...
, Elizabeth McGovern
Elizabeth McGovern
-Early life:McGovern was born in Evanston, Illinois, the daughter of Katharine Wolcott , a high school teacher, and William Montgomery McGovern, Jr., a university professor. Her paternal grandfather was adventurer William Montgomery McGovern and her maternal great-grandfather was U.S. diplomat...
, and Peter Riegert
Peter Riegert
Peter Riegert is an American actor, screenwriter, and film director, best known for his role as Boon from Animal House and crooked New Jersey State Assemblyman Ronald Zellman on the HBO original series The Sopranos.-Early life:...
. It is based on the 1984 novel A Shock to the System by British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
author Simon Brett
Simon Brett
Simon Brett is a prolific writer of whodunnits. The son of a chartered surveyor, he was educated at Dulwich College and Wadham College, Oxford, where he got a first-class honours degree in English...
.
Plot summary
A family man named Graham Marshall, a long-time executive in a large advertisingAdvertising
Advertising is a form of communication used to persuade an audience to take some action with respect to products, ideas, or services. Most commonly, the desired result is to drive consumer behavior with respect to a commercial offering, although political and ideological advertising is also common...
company, is unexpectedly passed over for promotion
Promotion (rank)
A promotion is the advancement of an employee's rank or position in an organizational hierarchy system. Promotion may be an employee's reward for good performance i.e. positive appraisal...
. Marshall himself can live with it, but his nagging wife Leslie is devastated and continually reproaches her husband for his apparent lack of ambition and willpower.
An unfortunate accident occurs in the subway
New York City Subway
The New York City Subway is a rapid transit system owned by the City of New York and leased to the New York City Transit Authority, a subsidiary agency of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority and also known as MTA New York City Transit...
, caused by Marshall, in which a panhandler
Begging
Begging is to entreat earnestly, implore, or supplicate. It often occurs for the purpose of securing a material benefit, generally for a gift, donation or charitable donation...
is killed. It goes unnoticed, which gives him a whole new set of ideas as far as his future life is concerned.
Deciding to take revenge
Revenge
Revenge is a harmful action against a person or group in response to a grievance, be it real or perceived. It is also called payback, retribution, retaliation or vengeance; it may be characterized, justly or unjustly, as a form of justice.-Function in society:Some societies believe that the...
on all the people who have caused him problems in his life, Marshall starts meticulously planning their violent deaths. This includes his wife, whom he eventually electrocutes
Electric shock
Electric Shock of a body with any source of electricity that causes a sufficient current through the skin, muscles or hair. Typically, the expression is used to denote an unwanted exposure to electricity, hence the effects are considered undesirable....
, and his young rival at the office, Bob Benham.
Marshall becomes much better acquainted with an office colleague, Stella Anderson. And when none of the murders is linked to him, Graham feels vindicated in his belief that killing off everyone who has harmed him is the right thing to do. He soon passes the point of no return
Point of no return
The point of no return is the point beyond which one must continue on his or her current course of action because turning back is physically impossible, prohibitively expensive or dangerous. It is also used when the distance or effort required to get back would be greater than the remainder of the...
.
Cast
- Michael CaineMichael CaineSir Michael Caine, CBE is an English actor. He won Academy Awards for best supporting actor in both Hannah and Her Sisters and The Cider House Rules ....
as Graham Marshall - Elizabeth McGovernElizabeth McGovern-Early life:McGovern was born in Evanston, Illinois, the daughter of Katharine Wolcott , a high school teacher, and William Montgomery McGovern, Jr., a university professor. Her paternal grandfather was adventurer William Montgomery McGovern and her maternal great-grandfather was U.S. diplomat...
as Stella Anderson - Peter RiegertPeter RiegertPeter Riegert is an American actor, screenwriter, and film director, best known for his role as Boon from Animal House and crooked New Jersey State Assemblyman Ronald Zellman on the HBO original series The Sopranos.-Early life:...
as Bob Benham - Swoosie KurtzSwoosie KurtzSwoosie Kurtz is an American actress. She began her career in theater during the 1970s and shortly thereafter began a career in television, garnering ten nominations and winning one Emmy Award. Her most famous television project was her role on the 1990s NBC drama Sisters...
as Leslie Marshall - Will PattonWill PattonWilliam Rankin "Will" Patton is an American actor.-Life and career:Patton was born in Charleston, South Carolina, the eldest of three children. His father is Bill Patton, a playwright and acting/directing instructor who was a Lutheran minister and served as a chaplain at Duke University...
as Lt. Laker
Difference between book and film
At the end of Brett's novel, overwhelming evidenceEvidence
Evidence in its broadest sense includes everything that is used to determine or demonstrate the truth of an assertion. Giving or procuring evidence is the process of using those things that are either presumed to be true, or were themselves proven via evidence, to demonstrate an assertion's truth...
is suddenly brought against him for a murder he did not commit.
This ending was first used by Anthony Berkeley (writing as Francis Iles) in his 1931 novel Malice Aforethought (see whodunnit). It should also be noted that the ending of the movie version is completely different, with Marshall exulting in his new life of crime
Crime
Crime is the breach of rules or laws for which some governing authority can ultimately prescribe a conviction...
and in no danger whatsoever of being brought to justice
Justice
Justice is a concept of moral rightness based on ethics, rationality, law, natural law, religion, or equity, along with the punishment of the breach of said ethics; justice is the act of being just and/or fair.-Concept of justice:...
.
See also
- Helen ZahaviHelen ZahaviHelen Zahavi is an English novelist and screenwriter. Before becoming a writer she worked as a Russian translator, and has spent several years living in Paris....
's novel Dirty WeekendDirty Weekend (novel)Dirty Weekend is a novel by Helen Zahavi, adapted into a film two years later by Zahavi and acclaimed director Michael Winner. In the US it was first published under the title The Weekend; some editions are subtitled "A Novel of Revenge"....
(1991) for a story with a similar subject matter.