Eliza Dushku Works 'The Thacker Case'
Filed under: Independent, Casting, Mystery & Suspense, Scripts, Cinematical Indie
Sometimes murder mysteries focus on innocent people who have had their lives ripped away, and sometimes they focus on people who have a lot of skeletons in their closet. This time around, it's the latter, and it's full of corrupt cops, booze, and mysterious death. The Hollywood Reporter has posted that the cast has come into place on an upcoming indie film, helmed by Brian Jun, called The Thacker Case. This is actually based on a true story of the 1983 wrongful death case of a man named Kevin Thacker -- one that was adapted by Robert Dean Klein, from a story by attorney Stuart Pepper. As THR describes it: "The story centers on around [sic] the mysterious death of repeat drunk driving offender Thacker, and the discovery of his body in an alley behind the Mashalltown, Iowa, police department after his latest DUI arrest."The players will be -- Eliza Dushku (Buffy), Gabriel Mann (The Bourne Supremacy), and John Savage (Carnivale). Mann is playing Pepper, the author of the original piece, who is "a young up-and-coming attorney who launches his career by landing the controversial case, which required him to wade through law enforcement corruption and cover-ups." Dushku is taking her arse-kicking down a touch and will be his loyal assistant, Monica Wright, and Savage will play Thacker's father, "who enlists the help of Pepper to discover the truth behind his son's death."
Production began this week in Los Angeles and Iowa, after a recent casting call. The specs are still online, so dip into the jump for some character particulars for the movie, courtesy of igotmuse. Warning: There are no big spoilers, but if you're touchy about details, refrain from jumping.
THE THACKER CASE
Location: Los Angeles
[NANCY PEPPER] Stu's wife, she's a wholesome, attractive, 30 year old Midwesterner who "doesn't wear an ounce of makeup, because her charm makes up for it." The mother of two active boys, Nancy is a stay-at-home mom who enjoys a close and loving rapport with her husband.
[OFFICER JOSEPH DODGE] A hulking, muscular 35 year old cop, he has a bristling mustache and a mean streak. He busts young Kevin Thacker for drunk driving, and when Kevin later dies in his custody, Dodge insists that Kevin fell to his death while escaping.
[OFFICER RON PEEBLES] A stocky cop in his 30s, he's a tough guy with a rumpled mane of hair and an unbending manner. Dodge's partner and pal, Peebles is livid when Stu pursues a wrongful death action against Dodge, and he lets his feelings show on the witness stand.
[KEVIN THACKER] Age 21, he's a reckless youth, intelligent and a bit of a loner. Passably handsome, a little scrawny. Thomas and Beverly Thacker's only child, he's sexually ambivalent, and may have been experimenting with homosexuality. Kevin's conflicting feelings lead him to drink heavily, and he's been pulled over in the past for drunk driving.
[MONICA WRIGHT] Stu's assistant, age mid-late 20s, she's a bright, attractive, thoughtful and energetic young attorney who is currently studying for the bar. Book-smart and dedicated, she proves an invaluable asset during Stu's battle against the local authorities. Look is either Italian-American, Greek, Jewish or eastern European look, can be character type.
[ERIC JONES] A smarmy local guy of late 20s, he's a scruffy, somewhat trashy young man who is openly homosexual. Kevin loans him money, and is trying to collect on the night of his death. When questioned by Stu, the antagonistic Eric has obviously already been carefully coached on what to say by the police...10 speeches.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 3)
1-24-2008 @ 6:52AM
Johnny said...
BJ, so what is your "opinion" on this? Was he taken out back and beaten? Or was he taken up top and thrown across to the other roof? And what was the motive? Falling down drunk inside a police station "on tape" doesn't seem like a motive? If you were going to "murder" someone why video tape them in your own custody, then apperantly save the tape for a trial? I mean if the police are that corrupt and this was a huge cover up, why is there a video tape? Maybe the FBI duped the tape by breaking into Mr. Thacker's home and getting some old home movies of him?
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1-24-2008 @ 5:01PM
Tommy said...
Truth does not make for good TV movies, drama does.
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1-25-2008 @ 6:32PM
BJ said...
Johnny and Tommy, we could go back and forth on this forever. It changes nothing. Kevin Thacker will never have his life back, his memory has been slandered. All this because he was picked up for DWI in Marshalltown.
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1-26-2008 @ 7:14PM
Tommy said...
You are absolutely correct, Kevin’s death was both tragic and unfortunate and nothing will change that, certainly not a TV movie of the week.
My point, Kevin was not beaten to death in the alley behind the police department or thrown from the roof.
The border between Chaos and civilized society is a blue line.
The Marshalltown Police Department defends that border without question.
Someone needs to defend the defenders once in awhile.
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1-26-2008 @ 7:46AM
Johnny said...
BJ, So you just want to throw alot of inuendo's out about cops murdering this kid, but don't want to come out and actually say it? I would have to say that his memory is not the only thing being slandered here.
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1-31-2008 @ 12:17PM
ian said...
Dude that building next to the police station is like 15-20 feet away,and like another 8 ft higher then the police station roof he supposedly fell off of. Still not convinced there's a story there?
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2-02-2008 @ 12:28AM
Johnny said...
Dude, it's ignorant statements like yours that makes my head hurt. The roof he jumped to is MUCH lower than the police building. Take a look sometime you are in Marshalltown.........
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2-05-2008 @ 3:44PM
Tommy said...
A lot of people are hung up on the “distance and height” involved with the attempt at jumping from one building to the next. They are correct; it was an impossible task to accomplish “even for a sober person”.
An intoxicated person whose judgment is impaired, pumped up on adrenalin and scared would attempt such a feat.
Looking across the buildings at night and under those physical and mental conditions, the jump to “freedom” may appear possible. Considering his other option would be to re-enter the Police Department. Tragically he made the wrong decision which had fatal results.
A sad way for anyone’s life to end.
So is it better to conjure up a story and change the circumstances surrounding his death so it would appear he died at the hands of a murderous Police Officer. And then imply the establishment helped to cover the murder up through corruption and lies? I think not.
Enjoy your TV movie of the week; it will set Marshalltown’s progress back a few years.
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2-06-2008 @ 11:07AM
BJ said...
So you agree Tommy that the jump was impossible. But because he was intoxciated, pumped up on adrenalin and scared, his judgement was impaired and he what, flew to the other building?
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2-06-2008 @ 11:02PM
Tommy said...
Yep he flew to the other side.
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2-09-2008 @ 1:26PM
BJ said...
He never even got off the ground!
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2-11-2008 @ 6:03PM
Johnny said...
BJ (again) You seem to have alot of knowledge of this case, and finally an opinion. Question: Have you ever stood ontop of the police building and looked over to the other building in question?
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2-11-2008 @ 6:55PM
BJ said...
Yes I do have a lot of knowledge of this case, and no I have never stood ontop the police building and looked over to the other building. Tell me what for.
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2-13-2008 @ 1:07AM
Johnny said...
Because it looks like you can make the jump, and I understand that they did not have the guard rails up back then, just the I-beam hanging off of the building. So I guess he tried it, OR the police went up later on a ladder with the clothes and smeared them with the tar from the roof (according to you). I would have loved to seen that. Do you think Marshalltown called out to LA about a glove too?
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2-13-2008 @ 9:26PM
BJ said...
Perhaps you need to try making that jump Johnny if it looks like you can.
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2-13-2008 @ 9:44PM
BJ said...
Oh yea, you better use a net!
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2-14-2008 @ 12:40AM
Johnny said...
BJ, all I am saying is it does look like you can make it, which proves my point. Now, when you add alcohol, people have been known to do stupid things when they have had too much to drink, I personally think that there is no exception to that, no matter who you are. Some of us are lucky enough to live through those moments, and some are not. The motive in this case was escape. There is no motive for the police to beat someone to death that they have on tape, according to you, in their custody.
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2-14-2008 @ 3:50PM
KM said...
johnny are you a cop ? why do u haveso much to say about all this?
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2-14-2008 @ 4:57PM
Tommy said...
Johhny
I typed real slow, to no avail.
Some people just want to blame the cops no matter what.
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2-14-2008 @ 10:28PM
BJ said...
Johnny all I'm saying is you made no point. Again, drunk or sober he couldn't have make it to the other building, period. I remember a member of the Thacker family going up to find out what happened while the others were at the hospital. He viewed the tape, maybe thats why it was still around.
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