Very well executed

This is one of the few movies I've ever seen where the whole audience broke into spontaneous, loud applause a third of the way in.

This is a small, humorous movie in some ways, but it has a huge heart. What a nice experience.

Each character in this movie — down to the smallest one — is an individual rather than a type, prone to spontaneous changes of mood and sometimes amusing outbursts of pettiness or ill humor.

Excellent, gripping Made-For-TV story of the abductions and murders of African-American children, adolescents, and adults in Atlanta in the early 80's, and the sensational trial of the one man brought to justice for these crimes. The murders and trial polarized the communities of Atlanta and its environs, and the TV Movie re-creates this stunningly well in its deliberately ambiguous portrayal of suspect Wayne Williams, the evidence against him, and the issues of presenting a capital case based almost solely on circumstantial evidence. Just as the case inspires controversy up to this day, so does this movie.Calvin Levels has Wayne Williams down pat in this production - alternately charming, charismatic, strange, and menacing - and creates a web of confused desires and motives that deliberately leaves audiences guessing - what REALLY happened on that bridge? Co-stars Morgan Freeman, Jason Robards, Rip Torn and Gloria Foster provide equally interesting performances throughout. While some viewers, especially those living in the Atlanta communities affected by these events, may be dismayed or even angered by the portrayal of the law-enforcement authorities attempting to make sense of this case, their issue is more with the deliberate manner in which no real sides are taken by the producers of this film. If in more recent decades the historic portrayal of White apathy towards crimes committed on Blacks is universally deemed insulting or unacceptable, then perhaps some progress has been made after all.

I remember watching this movie, I was about 14 years old living in California at the time, and it still scared the hell out of me. Even to this day I don't know if I would or could watch it again due to that fact. Most people think that the killings stopped when Wayne was put behind bars but they didn't. The FBI, even the President of the United States knew that a race war could blow up in downtown Atlanta if the public knew what the FBI knew of certain members of the KKK's involvement. The FBI have phone taps of certain members of the KKK, one person more then any other knew a lot of those kids that had been killed, even telling an FBI informant that he was going to kill one of them. Guess what that kid ended up being killed.Now im not saying that Wayne is innocent of any of the killings, but things don't make since. A serial killer hardly ever changes his course. Ted Bundy loved brunettes with parts down the middle of their hair, Wayne Gacy loved white men who were gay. The Green River killer killed street walkers. Are we to believe that Wayne Williams went from killing little kids to full grown adults??? Are we to believe that Wayne Williams killed these adults by himself, strangled them even though some were bigger and stronger then he was and then toss them into a river.No murder weapon was ever found, stories have been changed to fit Wayne Williams must of been the culprit.Wayne Williams have recently tried to get DNA testing, which I do not know has been passed or denied, but why would it be denied? That one person the FBI had hard feelings about stated he had a Siberian Husky, Wanye Williams had a Shepard. EArly stories of some of the killings stated that Husky hair had been found, Later they to changed to Shepard hairs in changing of stories.5 of the kids that were found were found in a park where this person and his brother visited on a regular basis.Also most serial killers keep trophies, nothing like this was ever found at any spot where Wayne Williams lived or worked at? People say he hated black youths, but then the same people say he loved to seduce black teens.I don't think we will ever know what happened in Atlanta, so many witness have changed stories, people have died, Aids probably killed a lot of witness, or people close to the case. The victims were raped, and Aids being pretty much a fast death sentence at that time could of probably killed the killer(s) as well.I for one do not thing Wayne Williams was given a fair trial. The trial was rushed, his lawyers were buried with a mountain of evidence to sort thru in such a limited time. Witness changed their stories in mid trial. Williams' layweres were not allowed certain evidence that would help to release him.

I saw this movie as a young girl in the mid eighties and needless to say, especially being a young black child, it scared me. I just wanted to comment on what the previous commenter said. Though I am in no way claiming Wayne Williams is innocent, the murders and disappearances didn't stop with Williams' conviction as he stated, they actually continued until early '83 sparking talk that he may not have actually been the killer.The evidence used to convict him was flimsy at best and there were actually over 100 children and young adults declared missing and or found dead. Williams was described as a "very weird" individual and did he commit these murders? Who knows but, the majority of evidence did not point towards him, there were over 100 children and young adults killed about 30 of them AFTER he was in jail.

This was a very gripping and well-made tv film about the real life serial murder case that rocked Atlanta in the early 1980's. A deranged killer held the whole city in the icy grip of fear like the Son of Sam did in New York. This film is like Dragnet in its no-nonsense telling of the murders and the horror that rocked a nation. It has an unusually distinguished cast that all give fine performances. Morgan Freeman, Rip Torn, Jason Robards and Andrew Robinson (who was the killer in Dirty Harry). However, this film falls into an all familiar Hollywood liberal trap after Wayne Williams arrest and its depiction of his trial. It tries to convince you that Wayne Williams was like an innocent little boy who was railroaded and put away. It tries to convince you that he was innocent. To this day, he is appealing his sentence. I want to tell all of you something right here and now. WAYNE WILLIAMS IS WHERE HE BELONGS!!!HE IS THE ATLANTA CHILD KILLER!!!!HE DID IT CASE CLOSED!!!There is a brilliant book that I read recently called Mindhunter by John Douglas who is a retired FBI Agent. Mister Douglas was a pioneer in profiling of serial killers, creating a psychological profile of the monsters who deal in mass murder. He helped the prosecution in the trial of Wayne Williams. First of all, Williams fit the profile of the Atlanta killer like a glove. He was a police buff who tried to get himself involved in the investigation. These sick guys subconsciously want to get caught you know. There were hair and fibers found in his automobile that matched the victims exactly. I mean people, if there is that kind of evidence against you THAT IS IT!!!I will tell you something else from Wayne William's trial that is not generally well known. PLEASE PASS IT ON!!!John Douglas conferred with the prosecutor before he cross examined Williams and he told him how to do it. He said to hit him hard and stand close to him. The prosecutor followed this strategy and at one point, he said to Williams "What was it like when you wrapped your hands around their throats Wayne? What was it like? Did you panic?" Before he could catch himself, Williams stammered out "NO". Did you get this folks? HE CONFESSED ON THE STAND THAT HE DID IT!!!!Then Williams went as and started screaming at the prosecutor. The jury couldn't believe it! They said afterwards that was the turning point. Wayne Williams made a full confession as far as I am concerned. The bastard did it and he is lucky to have escaped with a life sentence CASE CLOSED!!!!However, this is a fine film. Jason Robards gives a fine performance as the defense attorney. He almost reminds me of Clarence Darrow. He was a hero in real life as well. He was in the Pearl Harbor attack and won the Navy Cross for bravery. God bless you Mister Robards and sleep well.