The Crime of Ovide Plouffe (), also known as Murder in the Family in its television run, is a Canadian film and television miniseries from Quebec.Wyndham Wise, Take One's Essential Guide to Canadian Film. University of Toronto Press, 2015. . Entry "Arcand, Denys". The project consisted of two parts: a two-hour theatrical film directed by Denys Arcand, which was released to theatres in 1984, and a six-hour television miniseries, which aired in 1986 and had four hours directed by Gilles Carle leading into the Arcand film as the final two hours.Janis Pallister, The Cinema of Québec: Masters in Their Own House. Fairleigh Dickinson University Press, 1995. . p. 211.
The series was an adaptation of Roger Lemelin's 1982 novel, Le crime d'Ovide Plouffe, a sequel to his influential 1948 novel Les Plouffe. The original novel had been adapted by Carle as the 1981 film The Plouffe Family, and many of the same actors as in the film reprised their roles in The Crime. The cast included Gabriel Arcand, Anne Létourneau, Donald Pilon, Serge Dupire, Dominique Michel, Rémy Girard, Julien Poulin, and Pierre Curzi.
The theatrical film depicted the criminal trial of Ovide Plouffe after he is falsely accused of murdering his wife, Rita (Létourneau), and the television-only episodes told the story leading up to Rita's death."Film's commercial techniques jarring: Plouffe family is back, but welcome is subdued". The Globe and Mail, September 14, 1984.
The series first aired in French on Télévision de Radio-Canada and then in English on CBC Television in 1986."CBC unveils new season featuring nine new series". The Globe and Mail, July 4, 1985. The French airing retained the film's title Le Crime d'Ovide Plouffe, and the English airing of the series was retitled from The Crime of Ovide Plouffe to Murder in the Family.
Awards The film garnered six Genie Award nominations at the 6th Genie Awards in 1985:"Quebec sweeps nominations for best-picture Genie awards". The Globe and Mail, February 15, 1985. Best Actor: Gabriel Arcand Best Supporting Actor: Donald Pilon Best Art Direction/Production Design: Jocelyn Joly Best Cinematography: François Protat Best Costume Design: Nicole Pelletier Best Editing: Monique Fortier Gabriel Arcand won the award for Best Actor."Daniel Petrie's 'Bay Boy' harbors six Genie Awards". Montreal Gazette, March 22, 1985.
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