CAN ELLEN BE SAVED?
US, 1974, 90 minutes, Colour.
Katherine Cannon, Michael Parks, Leslie Nielson, Kathleen Quinlan, Louise Fletcher, John Saxon, Rutanya Alda, William Katt.
Directed by Harvey Hart.
Can Ellen Be Saved is an interesting telemovie about religious cults. It was made in the mid-70s - some years before the better known feature films which dramatised similar stories: Ticket To Heaven, Split Image. Another telemovie, Blinded By The Light, also dealt with the same subject. In fact, the plots are almost similar.
This film deals with a girl unsure of herself and despairing, the pressures from her parents, the changing attitudes of room-mates and friends. She encounters The Children of Jesus and is drawn into the atmosphere of the cult and its fanaticism, especially under the leadership of Joseph, played by Michael Parks. She is kidnapped while working for the cult and the finale is her debriefing. Leslie Neilson and Louise Fletcher are effective as the parents. John Saxon is the debriefer. William Katt and Kathleen Quinlan appear in brief roles. Direction is by Harvey Hart who made a number of feature films including The Sweet Ride, Fortune and Men's Eyes as well as many telemovies.
1. The impact of religious cults, in the 1970s? Later? American youth and their being caught up in religious movements? Fundamentalist religious movements?
2. The film as a piece of Americana? The average American family? The teenager in such a family? Her search for herself? Friends? The potential for religious cults to get hold of these teenagers? Their way of life, religious fanaticism? Their use of their members? The need for debriefing? The presentation of characters and themes for the home audience? For audiences to identify? Reflect?
3. The American background, affluence, the city, the cult farm, gardens, the ordinary atmosphere of Middle America?
4. The screenplay and the focus on Ellen contemplating suicide; the encounter with The Children of Jesus, the interspersing of the flashbacks to explain Ellen's situation and attitudes? Her membership of the cult, her conversion, brainwashing, kidnap and debriefing? The final restoration to her parents? What had she learnt - and where was she going?
5. The portrait of Ellen: at college, her roommate and her attitudes, her boyfriend and his conversion? The pressures of her parents? Her insecurity? Her having to go back to college and her wanting to withdraw? The sternness of her parents? Contemplating suicide? The chance encounter with The Children of Jesus, its effect, the indoctrination sessions, and their effect, her feeling unable to commit herself, her gradually being drawn in attracted by Joseph, the effect of Rachel and Mary and Daniel, their influence? Her willingness to be baptised? Her going on the mission?, her unwillingness in being kidnapped, the tension in the debriefing, her tenacious holding to what she had absorbed? The debriefer's attack on her father and her snapping out of herself, admitting what had happened? Her change of attitudes?
6. The Children of Jesus, their manner, dress, experience, conversion? Brainwashing? Fanaticism? Exploitation - food, drugs, sexuality? The singing of hymns, the shared religious enthusiasm? The individual members; Ruth, Mary, Daniel? The leadership of Joseph - his skill in preaching, emotional manipulation of the members? His eye on the girls, on Ellen? Daniel helping him? The ritual sequences - the speaking in tongues, the baptism in the sea? The credibility of the cults and their lifestyle? Their closure to the outside world, hostility to parents visiting? Change of names? The members themselves turning against their families? A fair picture of such cults?
7. Ellen's parents and their background, expectations of Ellen, severity with her, the visit and their rejection, the kidnapping, experiencing the debriefing? What had they learnt from Helen's experience?
8. Ellen's peers: her room-mate and talk about the free lifestyle, drugs etc.? Bob and his religious conversion? Ellen's boyfriend and the sexual demands?
9. The debriefer and the experience of his daughter, his offering his, services to the Lindsays, the plan to kidnap Ellen, the style of the debriefing, the counter-brainwashing tactics, the severity of his statements, physical treatment of Ellen? His attack on her father? Achieving the debriefing? R4storing the daughter to her parents?
10. The film's comment on American society, the need for beliefs, the tensions in families, high expectations and their pressures, teenagers unable to cope, peer pressure, religious experiences, the fundamentalist cults and their power over their members?
