Breaking Point (1976 film)

1976 American film by Bob Clark

Breaking Point

Directed by	Bob Clark
Written by	Stanley Mann Roger Swaybill
Produced by	Bob Clark Harold Greenberg Claude Héroux Alfred Pariser
Starring	Bo Svenson Robert Culp John Colicos Belinda Montgomery Linda Sorenson
Cinematography	Marc Champion
Edited by	Stan Cole
Music by	David McLey
Production company	Astral Bellevue Pathe
Distributed by	Astral Films (Canada) 20th Century Fox (United States)
Release date	June 2, 1976 (1976年06月02日)
Running time	93 minutes
Countries	Canada, United States
Language	English

Breaking Point is a 1976 Canadian-American crime drama film starring Bo Svenson, and featuring Robert Culp in a supporting role, produced and directed by Bob Clark.^[1]

Plot

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While walking home one evening with his stepson Andy, former Marine and Judo instructor Michael McBain (Bo Svenson) witnesses a murder. Although initially reluctant to identify the two culprits, he is eventually persuaded to do so by Lieutenant Frank Sirriani (Robert Culp), who believes that their trial will lead to the arrest of Vincent Karbone (John Colicos), a leading construction magnate in Philadelphia and suspected leader of one of the city's most notorious Mafia gangs, whom Sirriani has been building a case against for the last 6 years. McBain testifies despite intimidation; however, to Sirriani's surprise, the two culprits refuse to name Karbone as their employer and reject the opportunity of a plea-bargain. As a result, Karbone remains legally untouchable.

Expecting the intimidation to stop now that the trial is over, McBain and his family try to return to their ordinary lives. Instead, the intimidation intensifies, with Karbone planning to kill McBain and the rest of his family in order to make an example of him.

After an attempt on his stepson's life, McBain, his wife Helen (Linda Sorenson), stepson Andy, and sister Diana (Belinda Montgomery), are put into witness protection, and moved from Philadelphia to Toronto. Helen's ex-husband Peter (Stephen Young) and Diana's fiancé are left behind. When Peter gets a phone call from his son Andy telling him where they've moved, he travels to Toronto to see him, alerting Karbone to McBain's new location. Furthermore, Karbone has Diana's fiancé killed.

With the new identity of his family compromised, and learning of the murder of his sister's fiancé, McBain decides to return to Philadelphia to take on Karbone himself. After killing several of Karbone's men, McBain eventually corners Karbone and kills him, neutralising the threat to his family's life.

The film focuses heavily on the logistics of witness protection, a program that was newly introduced in the US in 1971.^[2]