CONVICTED: A MOTHER'S STORY

US, 1987, 95 minutes, Colour.
Ann Jillian, Kiel Martin, Fred Savage, Gloria Loring.
Directed by Richard T.Heffron.

Convicted: A Mother's Story is an American telemovie, a blend of women's prison story and family values. It is a star vehicle for Ann Gillian.

The film shows Gillian as a single mother, two children, in love with a man who uses her to take money, does not repay it and she goes to jail, not revealing that she stole for him. She realises during the typical enough prison experiences that she has allowed him to come between her and her children.

The film presents conventional enough material from the prison sequences. However, the heroine is not financially affluent as are so many characters in American telemovies. She is dependent on her wealthy sister to look after her children while she is in prison. It does not work. The film shows the alienation of the children, the young boy (played by Fred Savage) running away, the teenage girl becoming more and more ashamed of her mother.

Designed for the popular audience, the film is relevant to social questions and issues of the time. Direction is by veteran Richard Hefron.

1.Interesting telemovie, entertaining? Impact? Point?

2.American locations, homes, workplaces, courts and prisons? Musical score?

3.The title, the focus on Billie, in prison, her role as mother?

4.The portrait of Billie: at work, friendly, busy? Busy with her children, loving them, tensions? Her relationship with Van, his being bashed, her looking after him, the children's resentment? Her stances for Van? His request, her taking the money? His not turning up, her feeling sick, desperate? The arrest and the humiliation in front of her children? In court, pleading guilty, her not wanting to reveal the truth to her lawyer? The separation from her children?

5.Billie in prison: the usual procedures, the prison itself, the expected sequences of cells, yard, dining room? Rivalries? The friendly black prisoner who was her support throughout the period, advice? Angie and her girl, coming on tough, Billie not putting her in? The friendship, the gift, her getting her help for information to save her son? The fight with the friend? Her being penalised? The other people in the prison, the old lady in the sewing room? Information about her child, the court, the warden not giving the information, her writing to the social worker, getting support, going to the hearing? The adding to her time in prison and the possibility of her losing Matthew? Her relationship with her children, the phone calls, urging them to come? Janice, her love for her sister, tension, affluence? Janice not wanting the children to go to the prison? The visits and their tension? No messages from Van?

6.The final court appearance, the judge and his listening to both parties, the Arnolds wanting to adopt Matthew? Billie's speech, her concern? The judge attentive, giving her custody?

7.The return home, the farewells from prison, the bonds made there? The final support of the warden? At Janice's, the talk about prison, the embarrassment, the family tension? Tiffany and her not wanting to be with her mother, going to her aunt for support? The decision to look for a house? Tiffany's reaction, Billie's strong stand? Van turning up, Janice telling the truth about his messages? Her going to have the cup of coffee, his proposal, the air ticket? Her walking out on him? Reunited with her children, the lesson she learnt about putting Van in front of her children?

8.Janice, her relationship with her sister, despising Van? Looking after the children, tensions, school, Matthew fighting with his cousin, Matthew running away? Tiffany and school, the dances, saying that their mother was in the mental instruction? The husband, his support of Billie?

9.Matthew and Tiffany, their relationship with their mother, the court? With Janice, the fights, not doing well at school? The dance and the humiliation? Matthew running away? Tiffany and her concealing the truth, relying on her aunt?

10.The portrait of the prison inmates, power struggles, the laundry, the fights, emotional relationships, support, strength?

11.The legal system, the court, the judge and the custody of the children?

12.Audiences being interested in the prison story, the difficulties of finance, betrayal? Family and family unity?