ROE vs WADE
US, 1989, 92 minutes, Colour.
Holly Hunter, Amy Madigan, James Gammon, Kathy Bates, Terry O'Quinn.
Directed by Gregory Hoblitt.
Roe vs Wade is a television docu-drama about the famous case in Texas which was brought before the Supreme Court in the early '70s and opened the way for abortion being decriminalised. The film was made by the NBC American network and screened in May 1989, at a time when the Supreme Court was reconsidering the Roe vs Wade decision.
The film takes the point of view of the pro-choice stance. However, it also portrays aspects of pro-life stances. The film re-creates the basic situation - based on a true story, rather than presenting a true story - and fictionalises the original woman who became the anonymous Jane Roe of the case.
Holly Hunter (Raising Arizona, Broadcast News, Miss Firecracker is very good as the ill-educated carnival roustabout Ellen, who wants the abortion and whose case is brought before the Texas and Supreme Courts. Amy Madigan is also very good as the lawyer. Terry O'Quinn (The Stepfather) is Jay Floyd, the attorney who argued the anti-abortion case.
The film highlights in its drama many aspects of the abortion debate: the role of the police, the backyard and ugly abortions, the philosophical questions about women's rights to their own body, the ethical questions of the life of the child. While the film does take the point of view pro-abortion, it is a dramatisation of the point of view which raises emotional questions as well as dramatising ethical questions.
Gregory Hoblitt directed episodes of Hill Street Blues and moved into feature films with Primal Fear, Fallen, Frequency, Hart's War.
1. The issue of abortion? Pro-abortion, pro-life? Questions of pro-choice? The American background, the law? Moral issues? The epilogue with its comment about the divisive nature of the debate about abortion in the U.S?
2. The television treatment of the issues, for the widest possible audience, the dramatising of the issues, asking for emotional response, presenting facts and their interpretation? Ethical principles?
3. Audience knowledge of the abortion debate? Their own stances? The issues in the U.S? The repercussions?
4. Attitudes towards abortion, pro-life, pro-choice, abortion on demand? The history of abortion? Law in the 18th century, changes in the 19th. century? The prevalence of backstreet abortions? The development of techniques for
abortion? The role of the law?
5. The stance of the film, of each character, dramatising the stances?
6. The film based on a true story, fictionalising the characters? Giving dates, a diary format?
7. Holly Hunter's portrayal of Ellen: age, experience, family, at the carnival (and the irony of showing the freaks at the beginning of the film)? Her mother looking after Cheryl? Her phoning her, the clash between mother and daughter? Her second pregnancy, unwillingness to marry? Experience of divorce? Her explanation of her first marriage and pregnancy? Going to the doctor, lying that she had been raped in order to get an abortion? The lawyer? The visit to the backstreet abortionist and her horror? The police car going past? Her going to her father? The question of adoption or not - and her remark about not knowing -if adoptive parents would be brutal to the child?. The dilemma? Her position in society, reference to herself as trash? Mental and emotional state? The opportunity or not for abortion?
8. Sarah and Ron, Linda, their legal work, the abortion campaign, their contacts? The interview with Ellen at the coffee shop? Her lying about the rape? Her agreeing to go for the case? To wait? The long preparation of the case, the nature of the law, nervousness all round, groups and their
support?
9. Jay Floyd and Wade? The government of Texas, stances? Floyd as a bachelor, his pro-life beliefs and stances, the law and interpretation?
10. Ellen pregnant, searching for jobs, living with her friend? Her discussions with the lawyers, the winning of the case but the appeal preventing her from having an abortion? The birth of the child, its health, her not seeing it or knowing whether it was a boy. or a girl, giving it for adoption? Her visit to her mother, her mother's hostility? Her daughter turning away? Living with her friend, the various jobs? Sarah calling - and Ellen chiding her for her neglect?
11. The court proceedings, the processes, the putting of cases, the winning of the case in Texas, the nature of the appeals? The appeal to the Supreme Court and the wait whether the Supreme Court would accept the case?
12. Floyd and the importance of the case, his preparation of the pro-life argument, his personal involvement? Discussions with Wade?
13. Sarah and her tension, the support of the group, Linda having to pull out, going to New York, the promises of help but not giving any; the phone call to Ron, his coming, helping her with the brief, the point about the law applying only to persons who are born, not before their birth? The rehearsal
of the presentation?
14. The presentation, the Justices present, their interventions and questions? Sarah and her presentation? Floyd awkward?
15. The vote, the consequences, the opening up of the availability of abortion in the U.S., the subsequent appeals, the appeal being heard at the time of the screening of the film?
16. The finale with Ellen, her friend assuring her that she had achieved something in life, that she was somebody?
17. The point of view of the film, the attitude of pro-life audiences? Democracy and the freedom to express and dramatise an opinion?
