Based on a true story.
Ricky & Raymond Tison were under 20 years of age at the time of their family's murder spree. They had their death sentences reduced to life imprisonment.
Randy Greenwalt was executed in 1997.
The film takes place in 1978.
Eric Stoltz and James Spader would appear together again in four more movies: The New Kids (1985), The Rachel Papers (1989) (although Stoltz is uncredited in this one), 2 Days in the Valley (1996) and Keys to Tulsa (1997).