Hide in Plain Sight

Directed by James Caan, Hide in Plain Sight follows Caan’s blue-collar Thomas Hacklin, Jr as he attempts to get his children back after his ex-wife (Barbra Rae’s Ruthie) disappears into witness protection with her new husband (Robert Viharo’s Jack). First-time filmmaker Caan, armed with a script by Spencer Eastman, delivers a slow-moving yet mostly intriguing drama that benefits from its raft of above-average performances, although it remains clear, certainly, that Caan’s predictably commanding and often electrifying work stands as an obvious (and ongoing) highlight within the proceedings. (There is, for example, a terrific moment towards the end wherein Thomas intimidates someone with just a raised fist and an unbroken stare.) The watchable vibe is heightened by a smattering of engrossing stretches and Caan’s periodically ambitious visual sensibilities (eg a spellbinding tracking shot from outside a house), while the completely satisfying (and unexpectedly moving) conclusion ensures that the whole thing finishes on a palpably positive note – with the end result an effective (and affecting) true-life tale that’s unfairly fallen through the cracks in the years since its 1980 release.

*** out of ****