Maybe early 2000’s.
In the theaters, not a TV movie.
A drama, not a crime thriller or shoot 'em up.
As I recall, the plot is: daughter gets assaulted, father buys a gun for the daughter’s protection, everyone is paranoid, and father ends up shooting the daughter (on the stairs, I think) with the gun, thinking it was an intruder. Maybe the whole movie was a flashback.
Father is a well-know actor, reminds me of Caroll O’conner.
I assume it’s not In The Bedroom (which shares a few plot points); just want to get that one out of the way first.
No, that’s not it, thank you.
AMERICAN GUN, with James Coburn?
That might be it!
I clearly have forgotten the entire content of the movie, and only remembered the twist ending, but it does fit.
The thread title made me think of Joe (1970).
Yeah, me, too (except most of the details are wrong, including who did the shooting).
Whereas my mind went straight to the original version of Meet the Parents.
Brian Dennehy?
Funny, I was thinking the same thing.
But, I’m pretty sure that it was “American Gun” with James Coburn.
Reminds me (not closely) of a 2018 short film nominated for an Oscar, called “Skin.” It’s a very intense film, and I recommend it for anyone with a fairly high tolerance for intimate, personal violence.
In the end, the son of a skinhead shoots his father in the back because he thinks he is a black home invader (note: that is not the personal violence part I was warning about).
huh! Did you know there are TWO movies from the aughts called American Gun? One with an old James Coburn (2002) and one with an old Donald Sutherland (2005).
I think the OP is looking for the first. IMDB reviewers are short on plot spoilers, but it sure does sound like it.