THE BIG PICTURE

Ben Bradford murders his wife’s lover and, assuming his identity, flees west, where he tries to make it as a photographer. When his photographs bring sudden fame that threatens to reveal his true identity, he must choose whether to run or give himself up. Very few of these characters will gain sympathy from the listener--even the children are unlikable--and Jeff Harding’s performance doesn’t help. With the exception of Ben, all the voices, men, women, and children, sound like caricatures, with accents that are over the top. In addition, there are an unacceptable number of mispronunciations. These weaknesses, combined with poor sound quality and background noise, contribute to a package that is not recommended. S.S.R. © AudioFile 2005, Portland, Maine [Published: OCT/NOV 05]