| 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 |
| 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]
Contents |
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]
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]