Highly Overrated But Still Good

The film creates a perfect balance between action and depth of basic needs, in the midst of an infertile atmosphere.

Although I seem to have had higher expectations than I thought, the movie is super entertaining.

A terrific literary drama and character piece that shows how the process of creating art can be seen differently by those doing it and those looking at it from the outside.

"Escape Clause" is a slick made-for-television thriller that is filled with melodramatic twists. An insurance executive named Richard Ramsey (Andrew McCarthy) receives a troubling phone call from a man who claims that Ramsey's life is in danger and that his wife is plotting his death. But it is the wife who is subsequently murdered.The plot is filled with hints that suggest anyone in the cast could be the murderer-extortionist. Police Lieutenant Farrand (Paul Sorvino) is the detective investigating the crime. One of the most nefarious of the characters is Ramsey's father-in-law, the powerful former deputy director of the CIA. The one genuine ally of Ramsey is Leslie Bullard, effectively played by Connie Britton. Leslie was attracted to Ramsey when they were students. Is her motivation to help him genuine? The film finds a way to make almost every one of the professions appear as corrupt. They include the insurance industry, psychiatry, the CIA, and the police force. Virtually every character associated with those fields of endeavor is sleazy and unethical.One of the staples of nineteenth-century melodramatic theater was the cliché device of a victim strapped to the railroad tracks as the train is hurtling toward him or her on a deadly collision course. The writers of "Escape Clause" have somehow found a way to bring back that old convention for a thrilling ending that wraps up the mystery in a tidy package.This is a "guilty pleasure" type of film that includes suspense, but also some laughs, as it brings back the popular melodramas of yore.

"Escape Clause" from 1996 is a low-budget film starring Andrew McCarthy, Kate McNeil, and Paul Sorvino.McCarthy is Richard Ramsey, an insurance adjuster and quite well-known in the industry for the "Ramsey Curve" used by insurance companies. He seems to have a great sex life with his wife (McNeil), but out of bed, they have a few problems. One day he receives a phone call from someone who says that Richard's wife hired him to murder him for $10,000. For $20,000, he'll forget about him.When Richard finally goes to meet him, someone shoots the hit-man. Shortly afterward, his wife is found dead.Richard finds himself under suspicion by the lead detective (Paul Sorvino) and tries to find out who is responsible for his situation. There are a few suspects, including his wife's best friend, who has always had a crush on Richard. There is also a Japanese partner who works in the firm and seems to be the new golden boy. Meanwhile, his wife's parents are trying to get custody of his children.I actually thought Andrew McCarthy was pretty good. The character is very volatile and erratic. You could easily see him going off the rails and killing his wife. I could have used a little more back story. Paul Sorvino is good as well. Kate McNeil has a great figure and shows it off.The denouement of this movie is ridiculous. Just know what you're getting into before you watch it.

My main interest in seeing this film was Andrew McCarthy, as I have been a fan since I was a kid.I found the film to have a good story, occasionally predictable, but you will still want to watch till the end to see how everything plays out.Easily watchable, and Andrew McCarthy is brilliant as always. Paul Sorvino puts in a good turn as the cop, although the children are a bit wooden.As long as you dont have high expectations, it will surprise you.

"Escape Clause", with MacCarthy at the center, is a whodunit with the look and feel of a low budget made-for-tv soap. Everything in this flick is too pat to be real which takes some of the umph out of the big climax at the end. Nonetheless, may be worth a watch for those into mysteries with nothing better to do on a rainy night. Catch this very ordinary flick on tv.