Poseidon-3 Review of Hide in Plain Sight

Hide in Plain Sight (1980)

Caan pulls double-duty and does a fine job.

[15 August 2005]

Based on a true story, working class father Caan is stunned to find that his two children from a previous marriage have been swallowed up by the witness protection program, leaving him with no avenue to see them or contact them. Caan, a veteran and an employee at a Buffalo, NY rubber factory, enjoys spending time with his young son and daughter until their mother (Rae) becomes involved with a hood who has ties to the mob. When the hood (Viharo) informs on a dozen of his former mob cronies, he is assigned a new name, new job and new geographic location, taking Rae and the children with him. Caan, who has just begun a new relationship with rather prim and sensitive schoolteacher Eikenberry, exhausts every method he can think of to locate and become reunited with his children, encountering governmental opposition and red tape at every turn. Caan, who also directed this film, gives a very low-key, but effective performance. He is never tempted to overplay his heartache, anger or frustration and refrains from overindulgence, though occasionally he threatens to (or does!) lose his cool. He presents an amiable, though lower-class, character but doesn't play up things like a thick accent or excessively brutish qualities. Eikenberry is a serene, endearing presence who understandably wears down during Caan's endless quest, but shows quiet strength and support when it's needed. Many familiar TV and movie faces people the supporting cast. Grifasi, as Cann's co-worker and friend, gets a rare chance to play a regular guy in contrast top the many quirky or comedic roles he's enacted. Aiello is good as a lawyer who agrees to take on Caan's case. Clennon, who would later make a splash on "Thirtysomething" appears as a snotty attorney who draws Caan's ire. The film benefits greatly from authentic location work and an overriding sense of realism. The acting is decent throughout. Where it falters some is in its period detail. The story is set in 1967 but, aside from some bouffant hair and period cars, there is precious little to suggest that this isn't the mid to late 70's. The primary difference is in the make-up. Women (especially like Rae's somewhat tawdry character) wore far heavier eye make-up, including false eyelashes. Eikenberry, in particular, rarely looks like someone from 1967. Another quibble is the apparent time-line. The true story played out over 8 years, which is a far more agonizing ordeal to live through than the approximately one year span shown here. Still, it's a thoughtful, realistic drama concerning a subject that hasn't gotten a lot of coverage in the cinema. To date, Caan has not again stepped behind the camera to direct.