The movie is pretty true to the PMPT book. The Rs saw Schiller as fairly pro-R, though I felt he was neutral. They allowed him considerable access to the home, and he recreated the sets of the interior for his movie exactly, right down to the wallpaper. I think he may have even been allowed to film inside the house, though this has not been claimed. The exterior shots are of the actual house. A mannequin was made of the child actress to portray JB's corpse, as the director thought it too disturbing to have her pose as the dead body of JB with the cord around her neck, on the autopsy table, etc. The mannequin also portrays JB as she was in full rigor, stiff as a board. I think the movie is worth watching, especially for people who have not read the book.
It may be the mannequin in the coffin, too, as it does look like the mannequin of the actress and not actually her in person.
Actress Marg Helgenberger plays Patsy. Ann-Margaret plays Nedra. John Hurt plays JR.
Patsy gave scarves to some men that year as gifts, including JR. There was a scarf found in the basement laundry area. I don't know if that was JR's scarf, or if it was the same one placed in he coffin. But one thing I DO know is that many of us speculate that JB was first strangulated with something soft, like a scarf, that wouldn't have made a deep mark, and that is why a strangulation was staged with a cord. There are autopsy photos on Ruthee's site depicting a woman who was strangled with a scarf, next to JB's photo showing the front of her neck with the large triangular red mark. Both victims have the identical red triangular mark.
