A CHILD LOST FOREVER
US, 1992, 100 minutes, Colour.
Beverley d'Angelo, Dana Ivey, Max Gale, Will Patton, Mackenzie Astin.
Directed by Claudia Weill.
A Child Lost Forever is a '90s American telemovie about child abuse. It initially focuses on Beverley D'Angelo as a young girl, pregnant, ward of the state, whose child is signed away for adoption (with the consent of the natural father). When she leaves the institution, she has work as a stripper, but (after a gap of 16 years) she is established as a real estate agent with a respectable life and three children. When she begins to wonder about her son, she finds that he died 16 years earlier. With the help of her children, the police and a newspaper reporter (played by Will Patton), she uncovers the fact that the child was abused by its adoptive mother. The audience has seen a few sequences early in the film of this abuse. The film follows the relentless quest of the woman to find out the truth and bring the abusive mother to trial. The plot is complicated by the natural son of the mother (who had also experienced some abuse) being a policeman and deciding to testify against his mother.
Dana Ivey is the abusive mother, Max Gail her husband. The film is quite strong - although it is designed for the wide television audience. It was directed by Claudia Weill, who made an impact in the late '70s with her film Girlfriends and also directed in the '80s It's My Turn.
1.The impact of the film? Social issues of the '90s? Child abuse, parents, religious motivations, the law? Community awareness of child abuse in the '70s compared with the '90s?
2.The Minnesota settings? The institution, the city, suburbs, homes, police precincts, courts? The musical score?
3.The title, the focus on Dennis? The focus on Jerry? On the Jurgens family, on Robert?
4.Beverley D'Angelo's portrait of Jerry? Her relationship with her father, becoming a ward of the state? The tough institution and her treatment, being a minor? Her relationship with Dennis, pregnancy, getting out of the institution, telling him she was pregnant? The advice of the obstetrician? The forced signature for adoption of the child? Her leaving, work as a stripper, relationship with Dennis? Her candle in front of her child's photo? The baptism sequence? Sixteen years passing, her competency in her work, relationship with her daughters and son? The two marriages? Bringing up the children on her own? Her skill at her work? Her longing for her child, seeking the information, finding out that he was dead? Ringing Lois and hearing the information, asking for a photo and memento? Looking up the newspaper reports with her son? Her puzzle, going to the police, their reluctance, the DA? The lawyers? Her putting on pressure? The doctor and his coroner's report, official reactions? Her going to see Frank Maxwell, persuading him, his investigations? The change in the coroner's report? Her pursuit of the case, the trial, listening, listening to Lois's brutality towards the child? The verdict? Going to the cemetery with her children, Robert coming? Dennis coming to the court and the reconciliation with his son? Her future? Coming to terms with the past? The judge in his summation considering her a victim of the system?
5.Baby Dennis, the adoption, in the Jurgens household, the treatment by Lois, playing with Robert in the yard, the bruises, the father covering over the reality? Reciting the Lord's Prayer over and over? The victimisation? The news of his death, the pain of his death? The reconstruction of what had happened? His grave, the quest of his natural mother? Robert giving testimony against his mother for Dennis's sake? His visit and the family's visit to the grave?
6.Dennis, fathering the child, irresponsible attitudes? Marriage, divorce, his work? Not going to see his son? Not interested in pursuing the case? Coming to the court and the reconciliation?
7.The Jurgens family, Lois and her rigidity, her age, her treatment of her natural son, the adoption, the brutal treatment of Dennis, the punishment, the meal table, the night prayer? The reconstruction of his death, her beating him? The testimony in court about his being sick, eating his vomit? Her talking to Jerry, promising her the photo, changing the phone number? Her explanation of her actions, with her husband, with Robert, the pressure on him not to testify? Her not feeling remorse? Her defence counsel saying that she should not have adopted the child, was brutal? The judge's severity in his summation and sending her to jail? Her weak husband, love for his wife, letting their son go off to an institution for 5 years, not wanting his son to intervene, in the court?
8.Robert, as a child, being sent away for 5 years, no explanation about Dennis's death, his feelings of loneliness? An efficient policeman? His own marriage and letting his mother care for his children? The interviews with the police, his dilemma, trying to find out the truth from his mother, his father advising him not to pursue the case? With the DA and the lawyer? His decision to give testimony against his mother? His reasons?
9.The portrait of the police, seeming to do nothing, their interest in the case, their support and investigation? The coroner and his advice? Frank Maxwell, taking on the case, friendship with Jerry, bringing her the photo, interviewing the neighbours, his achievement?
10.The DA and his friendship, the black outsider? The lawyer - as an orphan, her severity with Jerry? Pursuit of the case? Her performance in the court? The defence lawyer? The judge and his summation?
11.Jerry's other children, their upbringing, relationship with their mother, tensions, support? The irony that her natural child died because of the adoptive mother, and her bringing up three children single-handed?
12.Themes of child abuse, violence in middle-class homes, motivations, religious motivations, cover up? The role of the law? Retrospective justice?
A CHILD LOST FOREVER
US, 1992, 100 minutes, Colour.
Beverley d'Angelo, Dana Ivey, Max Gale, Will Patton, Mackenzie Astin.
Directed by Claudia Weill.
A Child Lost Forever is a telemovie which was very topical in the early '90s and continues to reveal the extraordinary changes in western culture consciousness about child abuse.
The film opens in the early '70s in Minneapolis with a 17 year old having to give up her child for adoption. There is complete pressure from the Welfare Department for her to sign the documents as well as for the father to sign. It was said that when the child turned 18 it was free to search for its birth mother. She finds that she is able to send a letter to her son and if he wishes, he can reply. However, she is told that the boy has been dead for 16 years.
With the help of her three children, she makes contact with the adoptive mother and a story of violent abuse by the adoptive mother appears. There is an investigation and a court case.
The screenplay highlights that doctors and social workers in the mid '70s were not aware of the extent of violent abuse of children and did not have the medical and legal knowledge. Things had changed by the early '90s and continued to do so throughout the '90s.
Beverley d'Angelo portrays the mother from the age of 17 to her forties and grows in authority as the film progresses. Will Patton is the journalist who helps. Dana Ivey, always a rather strong personality in her films, seems even more sharp and vindictive as the abusive mother. Direction is by Claudia Weill, who made a number of feature films in the '70s including It's My Turn, with Michael Douglas and Jill Clayburgh, but has continued to work in television.
1. A television movie for home viewing? The characters, the plot, the themes of parenting, physical abuse of children? The powerful impact for the home audience?
2. The Minnesota settings, towns and cities, homes, cemeteries, courts? From the '70s to the '90s? The musical score?
3. The title and its evocativeness in relationship to Dennis? To Gerry? To the adoptive parents? To the world and society?
4. The portrait of Gerry and her irresponsibility, wild, her father making her a ward of the state? In the institution, trying to escape? Pregnant, the response of Dennis? The birth of the child, the pressure on her to sign the child for adoption? Dennis signing the papers? Her being deprived of her child? The possibility of the child searching for its mother when it turned 18?
5. Three years passing: Gerry and her work as a stripper, marrying Dennis, having the baby? The anniversary of giving up the baby?
6. The years passing, Gerry making something of herself, real estate agent? Her three children and the home life? Still enjoying a good time but also her sense of responsibility? Her concern about her son? The children urging her to do something about it, her finding out that she could write to her son? The devastation when she learned that he was dead?
7. The phone call to Lois Jurgen? Her promises, her fears? Her not following up the phone call and changing her number?
8. The portrait of Lois Jurgen and her husband, upright citizens, religious? Lois disciplining Dennis in the yard with Robert? Robert always doing the right thing? Dennis being wild, refusing to come in, to eat his food? The pressure put on him by Lois? The revelation of his death, the report, the bruises (Lois calling them blotches), peritonitis? The incomplete coroner's form? The revelation of the truth, especially Robert's flashbacks, the cruelty to Dennis, Lois's niece in the court telling about the force feeding of the vomit? His being thrown down the stairs, punched and kicked? Lois responsible for his death?
9. Lois and her husband? A strong minded religious and vindictive woman? Terrorising the rest of the family? The witnesses at the time of the investigation? Her threats? Her ineffectual husband, avoiding the issues, supporting his wife, seeing Robert in the cafe, hurt by his son's investigations, in the court and his bewilderment? Lois and her sitting in the court, staring at her son, indicating his answers? The sentence and her being led away to prison?
10. Gerry and her investigations in the papers, going to the police, their inability to help, the growing interest, their supporting her case, discussions with Robert, in the courts? Her looking at the papers with her son? Going to the doctors, to the lawyers? Melissa and her antagonism? Clayton and his support? The pressure on Melissa from the law firm to move quickly with the case?
11. Frank Maxwell as the newspaper reporter, listening to the story, starting his investigation, the neighbours, writing the article? Leading to the opening of the case, charging Lois Jurgen? His presence in the court and support of Gerry?
12. The investigation, the files, the doctors' opinions? Robert and the discussions with the police, his having been in the home for five years, his relationship with his parents, his own marriage and child and entrusting the child to his mother, his worry about not having been told about Dennis's death? His changing attitudes towards testifying? Giving evidence, his memories, his being asked whether his mother had killed Dennis? His reply that she had? The visit to the cemetery, a reconciliation with Gerry and the family?
13. The trial, the witnesses, the evidence? The verdict and the judge's harsh comment on Lois and on the hardship experienced by Gerry as well as her bringing up of her family well? Her former husband coming to support her at the court case?
14. The final scene at the grave and the bringing to conclusion and closure this experience of their lives?
15. The importance of physical abuse of children, the reticence of the '70s, the transition to the '90s and the court cases, charges and sentences?
