Nutcracker: Money, Madness And Murder (1987)

A sociopath (Lee Remick) schemes her way from her modest Salt Lake City roots to Manhattan society where she has a seat on the board of the New York ballet. All it took was goading her 17 year old son (Tate Donovan) to murder her father (G.D. Spradlin) so she could inherit his money. Based on the non fiction book by Shana Alexander and directed by Paul Bogart (TORCH SONG TRILOGY). A fascinating true crime story with Lee Remick giving a sensational performance as the psychotic social climber pushing her son to patricide. Told in flashback, the film takes its time with a leisurely four and a half hours to tell the tale. It's as much a story of a dysfunctional enabling family as it is a crime drama. You're constantly shaking your head at how such a monstrous woman could use all the people around her and in many cases, they realize this but still want to remain in her orbit. With Tony Musante, Elizabeth Wilson, Inga Swenson, Daniel Hugh Kelly and Frank Military.