WHILE JUSTICE SLEEPS
US, 1994, 90 minutes, Colour.
Cybill Sheppard, Tim Matheson, Karis Paige Bryant.
Directed by Alan Smithee (Ivan Passer).
While Justice Sleeps is an interesting telemovie about child abuse, made in the early '90s before the scandals became widespread, especially in the United States, at the end of the '90s.
The film focuses on Cybill Sheppard, a single mother whose daughter is cared for by an old school friend who coaches baseball and takes her and her daughter on picnics. It soon emerges that he has been molesting the little girl and a number of other little girls. The film focuses on the action of the mothers, the action of the lawyer who defends the accused (who, it emerges, has been arrested three times and convicted once previously).
Behind the scenes, the molester acknowledges his guilt to his mother and resents her domination? Cybill Sheppard gives a somewhat overwrought performance as the mother. Tim Matheson is believable as the molester. Karis Paige Bryant has a very difficult role as the little girl and is given a number of scenes and dialogue which are quite intense about her experiences. Kurtwood Smith is the smart defence lawyer.
The film ends (and has a prologue) with violence. However, the film takes the tone that violence is no answer to problems, no matter how serious they are and how much the law seems to protect the guilty.
The film was directed by the Czech émigré Ivan Passer but, after disagreements with the producers, used the common name of Alan Smithee, which directors unhappy with their films have chosen to use over the decades.
1. The impact of the film? Its themes? The emergence of child abuse as an issue in the '90s? Morality and the law?
2. The title and its indication about the law and justice, the defence system, the excuses for the accused, the dropping of charges? Justice sleeping?
3. The Montana settings, the small town, the beauty of the countryside? Musical score?
4. The prologue and Jodie shooting Wyn in the courtroom? Audiences wondering why? The emerging of characters and themes, issues and the reprisal of the shooting? Its aftermath, Jodie's stance that she was not entitled to kill, her friend Spence and his upholding the issue of violence according to the law, the verdict of diminished capacity but her going to prison?
5. Jodie, her background, love for Sam, relying on Wyn, memories of the past? Her living in California, coming back home? Her father and his support? The outings, the baseball, fishing? The emergence of the issue of child molestation? Her own memories and experiences from her stepfather, her blaming herself for not recognising the signs? The confrontation with Wyn in the diner? Going to court? Spence and the interviews, the police chief and his not believing Sam? Going to the other mothers, their meetings, the realisation that the children had been molested? Their fears, not wanting to testify? The friendship and the straining of friendships?
6. Sam, playing basketball, going fishing, her not wanting to go out with Wyn, the sequences together, his seductive words, her response to him, liking him, feeling special, yet knowing that something was wrong? Her telling the truth, her interviews, the police chief, the law? Her mother? The difficulty of telling the truth and of lying? The other girls, their mothers? Wanting to deny everything, frightened? Her testimony?
7. Wyn, the emergence of his background, the other conviction and arrests? His relationship with his mother, resentment, his being molested by his father and his mother doing nothing? His relationship with the girls? With Jodie, the clashes, denials? In court, his seeming smug? The interrogations? His being shot and dying?
8. Jodie and her persuasion, her threats, their being overheard, the private detective photographing her, her trying to persuade the young girl to testify in court? This being brought against her? Her anger, fighting for her child? The background of the guns, shooting with Wyn and Sam out in the woods? Her shooting him in the court? The aftermath, her confession, accepting the blame? The lawyer persuading her to go into court? The case, diminished responsibility? Love of Sam, her going to prison?
9. The picture of the other mothers, their growing concern, agreeing to testify, changing their minds, intimidation? The little girls, especially the neighbour and her giving testimony, being mixed up?
10. The role of the lawyer, especially the defence, his harassing his witnesses? The difficulty of simply answering yes or no when there were many implications in the experience? Spence and his support of Jodie? His upholding of the law? The psychologists and their interviews? The police chief and his friendship with Wyn and not believing the girls?
11. The importance of the issue of child abuse and molestation? The effect on the victims, their parents and families? Understanding the psyche of the molester? How appropriate for a telemovie and for home audiences?
