What We Did That Night (TV Movie 1999) Poster

(1999 TV Movie)

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5/10
WHAT WE DID THAT NIGHT (DIDIER BECU)
Didier-Becu24 March 2004
On paper it looked as hell...Ricky Schröder (automatically you are thinking of "The champ" and "Little lord Fauntleroy", or the childactor that sucked later), a tvmovie and a start that couldn't come any closer to a cliché but still "What we did that night" is a quite intelligent thriller that deserves your attention. The story is about a guy who is released from prison after having served 8 years in prison as he was being accused for committing a murder. What then never came to light was that there were 3 other guys involved who are now leading a perfect family life...and of course the time has come for some revenge... You saw it earlier I know and there are tons of black holes in this movie that makes you think if the director hasn't read his script for a second time but to my great surprise Schröder was acting quite brilliant... Hmmm surprise, surprise....
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TV can offer some quality pieces and this is one
vampiresan26 February 2004
"They call Television a medium because nothing is ever well done" _ Groucho Marx

Many like to write off the tele-movie as being a simplistic, often badly written and poorly produced piece of videotape and, honestly, often they are right.

However in the case of MURDER AT DEVIL'S GLEN the television medium really rises above itself to present a far above average character study with excellent performances from TV actors Noseworthy and Schroeder, teamed with an intelligent and interesting script.

The set up is somewhat predictable - 4 college boys involved in the death of a young woman decide to cover it up and eight years later are forced to deal with their actions.

But the script takes it somewhere else and the psychological depths are expertly plumbed here.

Worth seeing.
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3/10
Something Of An Ordeal To Sit Through
Theo Robertson24 May 2004
WHAT WE DID THAT NIGHT opens with four poor little rich boy students digging a hole and putting a teenage girl in the ground . Actually the scriptwriter has also dug himself into a hole since the audience are fully aware of what`s happened and what the story is about . It`s a good opening hook to be fair but it also sets up a very predictable story . The story then jumps several years to the present day where the students have now graduated and have become well paid white collar professionals . Sorry if I sound like a communist dictator but did anyone else have an instinctive dislike of these poor little rich boys ? and as someone else pointed out the actors might have been convincing as students but several years later they`re unconvincing as a district attorney etc , and because the TVM opened with these characters burying a body we know where the story is heading which means the audience have to put up with many talky scenes by these unlikable poor rich boys which doesn`t exactly make for compelling viewing

All this is rather annoying , we know what the plot is and we know where the plot is heading so perhaps fearing that the story is too predictable the scriptwriter throws a massive spanner in the works by having a few plot twists in the final third of the film which really strains any type of credibility the TVM might have had to start with

I didn`t think much of this TVM ( What a surprise ) except for a scene where one of the character`s visits his friend and the friend`s wife leans over and offers the character a plate of cookies

" Thanks Cholie . They`re nice " He says as takes a cookie

" Thank you " replies Cholie while all the time the director keeps his camera locked on Cholie`s impressive cleavage
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10/10
Great actors+ tight story= a movie you MUST watch!
samgunsjovirow12 November 1999
I was waiting for a cool movie to watch on wednesday night and it proved to be one of the best thriller I've ever seen!!Each actor gives himself entirely to his character.The plot is clever, the end is purely unbelievable (well, that's only an expression because the fact is the screen play is totally credible).The photography and the directing just emphasize the atmosphere of both terror and normal life.The perfect combination for a great thriller!
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8/10
Made for TV movie has some good plot devices and performances.
stephen_pomes5 July 2002
I happened to catch this movie on "Court TV," and the strength of the acting and the script came as a pleasant surprise for me. Often made for television movies leave much to be desired, but this was not the case here.

Although not a big budget picture, the screenwriter and director make good use of flashbacks to build tension for the audience. The scriptwriter and director develop the four lead characters well, and this degree of characterization is another of the assets of the film.

Four college fraternity brothers are involved in an accidental and unintentional killing of a young woman. To cover up the incident, the four bury the woman's body in an isolated area. Years later, one of the friends, Schroder, contacts the others about a proposed land development in the area where the body is buried. By this time, the three of four have gone onto other lives and other careers, hoping that this past incident remains a part of their respective past experiences. One becomes a dentist, while another becomes an assistant district attorney. Schroder's character is an ex-convict, however. The four travel to the isolated area to remove the evidence of the killing. Given the tensions and anxieties of the men, the plotline does not go in a simple, linear fashion.

Since I am faithful viewer of "NYPD Blue," I knew that Rick Schroder would put in an excellent performance. Schroder's character, a menacing villain, is both manipulative and charming.

While watching the film, I kept thinking of Rob Reiner's "Stand by Me," in which a group of boys journey to an isolated, wooded area, to see a dead body of a missing teenager. Both films use the respective journeys and flashbacks to reveal aspects of the main characters (their fears, ambitions, etc.).

Although "What We Did That Night" is a modest film, it is nevertheless very good and deserving of more attention and distribution.
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10/10
*Excellent* Film
hilaryjrp15 July 2004
Couldn't agree more with the first comment. I watched this (apparent) MOW on Lifetime this afternoon not expecting much. Then I was amazed: the plot twists, the MacGuffin (and *how*!), PLUS four character studies better than The Usual Suspects... This is one heck of a film.

The real mystery is what motivates the protagonist's anger--it kept me guessing for two hours. (The most obvious explanation seemed to have to do with some socio-economic deprivation and a "to-be-revealed" relationship between him and the small-town hooker.) Without giving anything away to people who haven't watched it yet, this mystery also had unexpected depths.

Great, great film. Should have had a theatrical release.
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8/10
College students seek fun, college students lose fun, college students find anxiety
libavaclav6 July 2006
Warning: Spoilers
This film is not great drama, but it's a good story--It reminded me of a better film, "Ghost Story"--Drunken college students out to have fun, lose control of the situation, without malice,and seemingly cause the death of an outsider, which, in the throes of alcohol and fear, they try to cover up to protect their futures, for after all, the outsider isn't one of them, and becomes objectified--We are not given any information as to their reaction in the intervening years, but when one of them who was arrested that night for stealing a car used in their prank night is released after 8 years and comes a-callin' with a get-back prank, the other three show definite signs of dyspepsia--The prankster gets pranked, and the other three, learning from experience, dump the prankster, who, again, was never really one of them--Of course there are holes in the story, but this is not "Masterpiece Theater"--A curious subtext: The well-heeled trio is led by the poor side of town scholarship kid--Suspend your disbelief--
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9/10
Creepy and surprising!
riverblu18 January 1999
At first I was disappointed -- I thought it was going to be another take on "I Know What You Did Last Summer." But there was a lot more to it than that...Rick Schroder plays a great bastard, he should get this role more often!
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definite must
total_star200116 August 2001
The reason I saw this movie is because it was compared heavily to the movie 'I know what you did last summer'. This being one of my favourite movies I decided to give 'What we did that night' a chance. I have to say this is one of the best movies I've ever seen. It may not be a gory movie but it has an amazing plot-line and ending. I kept me guessing right to the end and even then I was suprised by the outcome. Rick Schroder is amazing had plays the evil Henry extremely well. This film is excellent and it is a definite must see.
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10/10
A Great Musical Contribution
njiuma6 February 2004
New Jerusalem wrote and performed a song called "Take Me Home" as a part of the soundtrack of the film, in addition to the score composed by Dana Kaproff. A great contribution from a band similar to Led Zeppelin in sound and appearance.
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hoo boy, plug your nose
average joe7 March 2001
This movie is the story of some frat boys who are always pulling practical jokes, until one joke goes too far and a girl dies. The friends agree to cover up the accident, and eight years later it all comes back to haunt them. To call this movie simplistic would be to overstate the issue.

All these years later, the frat boys have done very well for themselves. Jack Noseworthy's character is an assistant district attourney, and at the start of the film we see him delivering an argument in court. I don't know what's more ridiculous - this kid who looks about 20 years old all dressed up like a grown up and being taken seriously by the court, or the speech, rife with legal jargon meant to establish that "he is smart." They expect us to believe that this little guy is an ADA who lives in a mansion with his wife and daughter. Okay.

All the secrets and twists of the plot are painfully apparent within the first hour of the film, but this doesn't stop them from banging us over the head with a thorough explanation and re-hash of everything at the end. If you're looking for a murder thriller for your kindergarten-aged child, this is it. Otherwise save your money.
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8/10
Good movie with a good song
TiGER-284 September 2017
I haven't seen this movie since about 2000. From what I remember I was intrigued. It did start out kind of slow and boring, but I stuck it out and enjoyed myself.

There was a song being played during one of the scenes that I really liked. I had searched for it off and on over the years and I finally found it. It's Mark Governor / Kathy Fisher - Closes You'll Ever Get.
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Not bad at all!
aciddinosaur14 August 2001
Surprisingly good after a so-so start. If you guessed the ending then you are really just thinking too hard, just enjoy it.

If anyone knows who sung the song half way through (during the beach scene) please let me know.
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