HER DESPERATE CHOICE

US, 1996, 100 minutes, Colour.
Faith Ford, Kyle Secor.
Directed by Michael Scott.

Her desperate choice is an American telemovie about a father who has molested his daughter, and the wife who has abducted her from a state organisation. Mother and daughter go on the run and are supported by an underground for abused families. The film shows the plight of the mother and daughter, their ability to cope, the support that they receive, support from a genial vet whom the mother eventually marries.

Faith Ford is best known for her performance as the daffy reporter in Murphy Brown. Kyle Secor has played a number of villains, but here he is the nicest of nice people.

The film packs an emotional impact and illustrates a theme of the '90s, molestation of children as well as broken families.

1. Impact of the telemovie? Emotional issues? For the home audience?

2. A film of the American road, the various states, towns, homes, shops? An authentic atmosphere?

3. The title, the focus on Jody and what happened in her life, her care for her daughter? Taking her on the road? The role of the law?

4. The central situation: the mother concerned with the daughter, the daughter and the molestation, her fear of her father, her fear of men? The physical abuse? Illness? The going on the run - despite the court order? The father and his pursuit of his daughter by means of the private investigator?

5. Jody, an ordinary woman, her career, marriage, divorce? Love of her daughter, taking her from the institution, going to her mother and friends? The doctor and the physical abuse? The warning and her going on the road? The refuge? The underground and the phone call from Grace? On the road and the various families helping, the black woman, the Jewish family? Frank and his giving Jody a job? The encounter with Jim and his support? The passing of time and the impact on Jody? On Sammi?

6. Sammi and her experience of the molestation, love for her mother, on the road, fears, worry? With the various families? Finally settling? Frank giving her a job? Going to school? The outings with Jim? The crisis with the wanting to take fingerprints? The teacher's support? The marriage and happily settling?

7. Marcus, his denial of the abuse, his work, hiring the private detective, the passing of the years, the reports? The private detective, his attitude, skills?

8. Grace, the underground, the phone calls, the network and the support, her coming to the wedding?

9. Jim and his genial support of Jody? Falling in love? Seeing the poster? The outings, helping Jody to escape? Going to his house, the family, the wedding? Settling down?

10. The range of people who supported the underground: black families, Jewish, the police?

11. The final catching up of the FBI with Jody and the family? The arrests? The final information and their vindication?

12. The home audience and the emotional experience of this kind of crisis? Helping the audience to understand it better by the telling of the story and the emotional response?