To ask you to help me identify this film

[July2mebabywouldJuly2me]

I've googled on and off for years with no success.

It was released in 1980s or 90s

Blue was in the title.

I think it starred Sally Fields and/or Paul Newman.

Their son had married a girl and ended up getting killed - I think by the girl's ex.

Very vague but it was very good.

Possibly Absence of Malice (1981)? That's the only one with Paul Newman and Sally Field I can find. Can't tell if it matches your memory of plot but I quite fancy watching it myself from overview given online.

the only thing jumps to mind is Betty Blue - but it's French so none of those actors.

I'm no help at all

It's not In the Bedroom is it? Its early 2000s with Tom Wilkinson and Sissy Spacek. So not with the actors, time or title that you mentioned but it is very good.

Was just coming on to say it sounds like In The Bedroom, but actors are wrong and it's a few years later.

In the Bedroom was directed by Todd Field, which might be where the Sally connection came from?

It's a bit earlier, but The Drowning Pool ?

They're both in Absence of Malice ?

or maybe this? Eye for an Eye

Blue Velvet is a decent 1980s film - but nothing else matches.

Damn you OP - I've just loads of work to do today but I saw this post at lunchtime and have been obsessively googling.

The only think I can come up with is Ordinary People, which doesn't contain the word blue, doesn't involve Sally Field or Paul Newman (but I often get SF confused with Mary Tyler Moore and PN with Robert Redford who directed this) but does involve a couple dealing with the death of their son, albeit in different circumstances to what you describe.

If this was my DH describing a film then when you work out what it was it would be

• set in the 70s or 2000s
• starring people vaguely looking like Sally Fields or Paul Newman, or possibly having (apparently) similar names like Jane Park or Garry Oldman
• a girl might have died, but it would be a sister or something, and probably an accident

The amount of conversations we have:

• DH: X TV programme. Stars that woman Jane who's in East Enders.
• Me (who sadly knows how his mind works): Do you mean Sarah who plays Zoe from Casualty?
• DH: yes - that's what I meant

Eye for an Eye, 1996, Sally Field and Kiefer Sutherland.

The amount of conversations we have:
- DH: X TV programme. Stars that woman Jane who's in East Enders.
- Me (who sadly knows how his mind works): Do you mean Sarah who plays Zoe from Casualty?
- DH: yes - that's what I meant

You know that one that was with that guy that was in that movie that was out last year?

@implantsandaDyson

It's not In the Bedroom is it? Its early 2000s with Tom Wilkinson and Sissy Spacek. So not with the actors, time or title that you mentioned but it is very good.

Yes that's it!

Thank you @implantsandaDyson and @Bovrilly and @ShagMeRiggins - you little beauties

Years I've spent searching for it. Little bloody wonder I've had no success as I got the year, title (where did I get Blue from?) and the actors wrong too

How did you work it out?

Going to rent it on YouTube this weekend - thanks! And thanks for the other suggestions - Ordinary People and Absence of Malice are very good films.

Absolutely love MN for this!
Wrong year wrong actors, wrong title clue..... yet still answered

@PinkCast

Absolutely love MN for this! Wrong year wrong actors, wrong title clue..... yet still answered

it's witchcraft i tell you!

July2mebaby.......... it's my special secret power . It was the first film that popped into my head after your plot synopsis. People get muddled with dates, faces but usually the story sticks but what's really strange is that I had a conversation with my husband about the actor that played the son last week

@TeenMinusTests

If this was my DH describing a film then when you work out what it was it would be

• set in the 70s or 2000s
• starring people vaguely looking like Sally Fields or Paul Newman, or possibly having (apparently) similar names like Jane Park or Garry Oldman
• a girl might have died, but it would be a sister or something, and probably an accident

The amount of conversations we have:

• DH: X TV programme. Stars that woman Jane who's in East Enders.
• Me (who sadly knows how his mind works): Do you mean Sarah who plays Zoe from Casualty?
• DH: yes - that's what I meant

My DH is similar except he replaces peoples names with Matey!

‘You know, Matey that was in that crime thing’!!

Yes, the plot was almost exactly right so not a difficult one!

It’s moments like this that I love Mumsnet