Ryan Gosling has been a familiar face for more than two decades, with an acting portfolio that encompasses various genres and numerous blockbuster movies. Notably, audiences have recently watched him play Ken in the 2023 film “Barbie” and Colt Seavers in the upcoming 2024 movie “The Fall Guy.” However, just like any other actor, amidst the successes and acclaimed performances, there are also lesser-known or forgotten films within his repertoire.
Among these movies, “All Good Things” (2010) is one that offers a chilling portrayal of a genuine, harrowing tale. In this film, Ryan Gosling and Kirsten Dunst take on the lead roles, under the direction of Andrew Jarecki. The screenplay for the movie was crafted by Marcus Hinchey and Marc Smerling, who were moved by a real-life crime. Strikingly, the actual events found themselves entwined with the fictional account in unexpected ways.
What ‘All Good Things’ Is About
The film unfolds in 1970s New York City, where David Marks (portrayed by Ryan Gosling) encounters and becomes smitten with Katie McCarthy (played by Kirsten Dunst). While David is the offspring of a real estate tycoon, Katie hails from a working-class family with contrasting origins. In spite of their disparities, David finds himself attracted to Katie, leading them to start dating and ultimately tie the knot. As the plot thickens, viewers witness the development of unsettling traits in David, such as a volatile temper and an obsessive desire for power within his relationship with Katie.
Ultimately, Katie reaches a point where she seriously contemplates leaving her husband David due to his actions. However, when she tries to depart from him, her finances are abruptly halted. Since she’d recently started medical school and required funds for tuition, she discovered herself confined within the marriage. Desperate to extricate herself, Katie began hunting for evidence of the family’s shady financial dealings in order to gain leverage, but she vanished shortly after initiating this investigation.
Fifteen years pass, and a district attorney decides to rekindle an old case following the reading of a book penned by one of David’s old acquaintances. This novel portrayed a murder eerily similar to the Marks case. Shortly after announcing the case reopening, the author of this book is discovered dead, with David Marks emerging as the main suspect. The movie leaves things unclear, as the fate of Katie remains undisclosed and David avoids any substantial punishment for his actions.
The Real-Life Case
David Marks’ character is modeled after Robert Durst, a real-life wealthy heir in the real estate industry. The film is heavily influenced by the mysterious disappearance of Durst’s first wife, Kathleen McCormack, who vanished in 1982. Despite Durst being a suspect in her disappearance, he managed to evade any repercussions for her murder for over two decades. Their relationship began in the early ’70s and progressed rapidly; Kathleen moved in with him shortly after they started dating, and they were married within just 18 months, in 1973. While we can’t know for certain what transpired within their marriage, many who knew the couple, especially Kathleen’s friends, claim that the marriage was fraught with tension and Durst exercised control over her.
When Kathleen vanished without a trace, it became apparent who the primary suspect in her disappearance might be. The fact that they had argued the night she went missing, and often before that, made this individual a person of interest. For an entire week following Kathleen’s initial disappearance, her friend Gilberte Najamy repeatedly contacted the police with worries about her whereabouts. As the last person to see Kathleen aside from Robert, Najamy grew increasingly concerned when Kathleen failed to appear for their scheduled lunch and couldn’t be reached. It wasn’t until a week later that Robert reported his wife missing, but it was only then that Kathleen was spotted again.
Approximately three weeks prior to her vanishing, Kathleen received medical attention at a hospital due to facial injuries she sustained. She confided in a friend that Robert had inflicted these wounds on her. Although Robert displayed questionable behavior both before and after her disappearance, there was reportedly not enough concrete evidence to apprehend him, causing the case to remain unsolved for more than two decades.
How ‘All Good Things’ Helped Convict Robert Durst
The film predominantly revolved around Robert Durst’s marriage with Kathleen and her mysterious disappearance. However, towards its closing scenes, there are two additional murders that cast suspicion on Marks, which strangely echo events from Durst’s life. In the last days of December 2000, Susan Behman, an old acquaintance of Durst who vouched for him regarding Kathleen’s disappearance, was discovered shot dead in her Los Angeles residence.
Approximately one year after the previous event, in October 2001, Durst was implicated as a suspect for the murder of Morris Black, aged 71, in Galveston, Texas. This was the first instance where he was arrested and taken to trial for a crime. He attempted to flee while on bail but was later apprehended again. Although he wasn’t convicted of the murder, he did admit guilt for jumping bail twice and tampering with evidence. He served a three-year sentence in prison and was released by 2005.
Despite trying to evade the truth about his criminal actions for a considerable period, Robert Durst found himself unable to resist the impact of the movie “All Good Things”. This intrigue prompted him to consent to an interview by its director, Andrew Jarecki, regarding the three murders he was suspected of. Prior to this, Durst had consistently steered clear of discussing these crimes and declined all interview requests related to them. Jarecki later developed the HBO miniseries “The Jinx”, which was based on his interviews with Durst. This production may ring a bell for many, as it’s the one in which Durst inadvertently confessed to his crimes – acknowledging the deaths of all three victims when he didn’t know his microphone was still recording.
In the end, the evidence presented during The Jinx played a crucial role in him being held accountable for one of the murders he had carried out – specifically, he was found guilty and sentenced to life without parole in the case of Susan Behman’s murder in 2021. However, before he could be brought to trial for Kathleen McCormack’s murder, which charges were filed against him in 2022, he had already passed away.
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2025-03-09 18:02