Domestic
Disturbance, directed by Harold Becker, is yet another
variation on the theme of a stranger who comes into a small
town, impresses the townspeople, but has a notorious past
that ultimately catches up with him and thereby brings havoc
to some of the best citizens in the community. The mythical
town in Domestic Disturbance is Southport, Maryland. The stranger
is Rick Barnes (played by Vince Vaughn), who marries Susan
(played by Teri Polo) and thereby becomes the stepfather of
twelve-year-old Danny (played by Matthew O’Leary). Susan’s
first husband and Danny’s birthfather is Frank Morrison
(played by John Travolta), whose former alcoholism ruined
his marriage. Just before the wedding, however, Rick’s
partner in crime arrives in town. Ray Coleman (played by Steve
Buscemi) has just been released from prison, and he has tracked
down Rick for a blackmail payoff. Meanwhile, Rick shows contempt
for Danny, who decides one night to flee to be with Frank,
who lives some distance away. When Rick indicates that he
has some business to take care of, Danny sneaks into the back
seat of Rick’s minivan. Before Danny can sneak out of
the minivan in town, Rick drives outside town to pick up Ray,
presumably to drive to a place where the payoff money is stored.
Soon, Rick stabs Ray, drives to his brickworks and shoves
Ray and his backpack into the fire at the brickworks. Danny
sneaks out of the minivan during the incineration and informs
Frank, who calls the police. However, the police do not believe
Danny’s story, heard in the presence of both Frank and
Rick; since Danny was widely known to be a troublemaker who
hated his stepfather, Rick glibly talks his way out of the
accusation, for which there is no corroborating evidence.
Believing his son, Frank then files for a change of custody
to take care of Danny, but Rick tells Danny to lie or he will
harm Frank. Danny then lies on the witness stand in an unrealistic
courtroom scene where his father and stepfather are present.
Frank then visits every motel in the Southport area to find
a lead about Ray and discovers through a computer search that
Rick is really the notorious Jack Parnell whose lawyer got
him off from serving time while Ray cooled his heels in the
slammer. The police, however, are strangely unimpressed. The
final showdown pits Frank and Rick in a life-or-death struggle
with a predictable ending. One obvious flaw in the story is
that Danny was twice denied an opportunity to tell his story
to the authorities in private, and the other is that police
are not interested in discovering the true identity of the
stranger, Rick. MH
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