Cruel Doubt
Encyclopedia
Cruel Doubt is a 1992 television movie
starring Blythe Danner
and Matt McGrath
. The film was first broadcast as a two-part miniseries
on NBC
in the United States
and CTV
in Canada
on May 17 and May 19, 1992.
The movie is based on the true crime book Cruel Doubt by Joe McGinniss
, which documents the 1988 murder of Lieth Von Stein by his stepson, Chris Pritchard
and two friends, James Upchurch
and Gerald Neal Henderson.
Although the film brought much attention to the murder of Von Stein, devotees of the role-playing game
Dungeons & Dragons
have criticized it for unfairly placing blame of the murders upon the game. The three perpetrating friends were supposedly fanatics. The film featured the actual Dungeons & Dragons 1st-edition rulebook but with a piece of artwork visibly pasted into the pages of the book (depicting an orc with a dagger and backpack similar to the ones in the murder depicted), implying that it had caused the murders. Since the rulebook was already a million bestseller, it was unclear why the producers of the miniseries felt they could lie about such a well-known book on screen.
Television movie
A television film is a feature film that is a television program produced for and originally distributed by a television network, in contrast to...
starring Blythe Danner
Blythe Danner
Blythe Katherine Danner is an American actress. She is the mother of actress Gwyneth Paltrow and director Jake Paltrow.-Early life:...
and Matt McGrath
Matt McGrath (actor)
Matt McGrath is an American actor.McGrath's film appearances include roles in The Notorious Bettie Page, Boys Don't Cry, The Broken Hearts Club: A Romantic Comedy, and The Impostors. On television, McGrath has appeared in episodes of Law & Order: Criminal Intent, Now and Again, and New York...
. The film was first broadcast as a two-part miniseries
Miniseries
A miniseries , in a serial storytelling medium, is a television show production which tells a story in a limited number of episodes. The exact number is open to interpretation; however, they are usually limited to fewer than a whole season. The term "miniseries" is generally a North American term...
on NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and CTV
CTV television network
CTV Television Network is a Canadian English language television network and is owned by Bell Media. It is Canada's largest privately-owned network, and has consistently placed as Canada's top-rated network in total viewers and in key demographics since 2002, after several years trailing the rival...
in Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
on May 17 and May 19, 1992.
The movie is based on the true crime book Cruel Doubt by Joe McGinniss
Joe McGinniss
Joe McGinniss is an American author of nonfiction and novels. He first came to prominence with the best-selling The Selling of the President, 1968 which described the marketing of then-presidential candidate Richard Nixon, and has authored 11 works since that time...
, which documents the 1988 murder of Lieth Von Stein by his stepson, Chris Pritchard
Chris Pritchard
Christopher "Chris" W. Pritchard is an American man convicted for masterminding the attempted murder of his mother Bonnie Von Stein and the murder of his stepfather Lieth Von Stein in 1988 in Washington, North Carolina...
and two friends, James Upchurch
James Upchurch
James Bartlett Upchurch III is an American man convicted for the murder of Lieth Von Stein and the assault with intent to kill of Bonnie Von Stein on July 25th, 1988, in Washington, NC...
and Gerald Neal Henderson.
Although the film brought much attention to the murder of Von Stein, devotees of the role-playing game
Role-playing game
A role-playing game is a game in which players assume the roles of characters in a fictional setting. Players take responsibility for acting out these roles within a narrative, either through literal acting, or through a process of structured decision-making or character development...
Dungeons & Dragons
Dungeons & Dragons
Dungeons & Dragons is a fantasy role-playing game originally designed by Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson, and first published in 1974 by Tactical Studies Rules, Inc. . The game has been published by Wizards of the Coast since 1997...
have criticized it for unfairly placing blame of the murders upon the game. The three perpetrating friends were supposedly fanatics. The film featured the actual Dungeons & Dragons 1st-edition rulebook but with a piece of artwork visibly pasted into the pages of the book (depicting an orc with a dagger and backpack similar to the ones in the murder depicted), implying that it had caused the murders. Since the rulebook was already a million bestseller, it was unclear why the producers of the miniseries felt they could lie about such a well-known book on screen.