At Close Range is a film based on the real life rural Pennsylvania crime family led by Bruce Johnston, Sr. which operated during the 1960s and 1970s. It was released on April 18, 1986, and stars Sean Penn, Christopher Walken, Chris Penn, Mary Stuart Masterson, Millie Perkins, Candy Clark and Crispin Glover. The film is directed by James Foley. The Madonna hit "Live to Tell" was written for the film.

Plot

Brad Whitewood, Sr. (Christopher Walken) is the leader of an organized crime family consisting of his brothers and close friends. One night, his estranged oldest son, Brad, Jr. (Sean Penn), contacts him after a fight he had with his mother's boyfriend. Eventually, he becomes involved with his father's criminal endeavors, resulting in starting his own gang with his brother, Tommy (Chris Penn), and friends. The boys get excited at the idea of easy money and decide one night to attempt a daring heist, which results in their arrest by the police. Their father believes that his sons and their friends will inform the police about his criminal activities, so he rapes Brad's girlfriend, Terry (Mary Stuart Masterson), as a warning to his eldest son. The attack results in the opposite effect as Brad, Jr. begins informing the authorities about his father's activities, including a murder of a snitch he witnessed. When the father's name is given to the grand jury by his own son, Brad, Sr. feels his only recourse is to eliminate every witness that can connect himself and his crew with his sons and their crew, and he has them killed one by one (strangely, Tim, one of Brad Jr.s crew is not killed and is seen at the courthouse at the end). Brad Sr. murders Tommy himself, but orders a hit against Brad, Jr. and Terry. Terry dies, but Brad, Jr. survives and is able to testify against his father.

Production

The story was based on the actual crimes of Bruce Johnston, Sr., in Chester County, Pennsylvania. Three murder victims were shot and buried along the infamous Cossart Road on the Northern Delaware/Pennsylvania Border in Pennsbury Township, Pennsylvania. This road was also the location of where some of the movie was filmed. Other filming locations were in Franklin, Tennessee at the town square and at Fred J. Page High School.