BLINDED BY THE LIGHT

US, 1982, 90 minutes, Colour.
Christopher Atkins, Kirsty Mc Nicoll, James Mc Nicoll, Anne Jackson.
Directed by John Alonzo.

Blinded By The Light is a topical telemovie about religious cults and their influence on young people in the United States. A cinema treatment of the film was R. L. Thomas's Canadian feature A Ticket To Heaven with Nick Mancuso and Meg Foster. This film is effective for home audiences. It has the advantage of starring Kristy Mc Nicoll with her brother James Vincent Mc Nicoll. The situation is realistic enough - youngsters caught up in religious movements, the brainwashing, the hold over the adherents by the all powerful religious leader - the leader portrayed here resembling the Reverend Moon of the Moonies. The sequences of brainwashing and of rehabilitation could be quite frightening for parents if not for children. An interesting topical drama.

1. The impact of this type of telemovie? Relevance? observation of social situation? Warning? How sensational the treatment?

2. Telemovie techniques: establishing the scene, inviting audience identification with the characters, crises? The pace and intensity for the home audience? Colour photography, musical score?

3. The stars and the force of their presence and personalities?

4. The impact of the opening rescue? The situation and its drama, haste? The techniques for abducting youngsters from the communes? Audience sympathies for the youngsters or for their parents? The personnel operating in the rescuing of youngsters? The debriefing and the opposite effects of the brainwashing? The intensity, the long hours, the psychological techniques, the fightback of the young person? The group disillusioned with religious cults? The parents employing them? The reaction of the youngsters?

5. The presentation of the family: ordinary American family, details of lifestyle, parents? Kristy Mc Nicoll as heroine? Her relationship with her brother? Puzzle about him? The decisions about rescue, fights with her parents and their seeming intolerance? Her involvement in the plans after visiting? Her changes of mind? The impact of the ceremonies on her - a type of brainwashing?

6. The heroine in herself, her relationship with her brother, contact, letters, the visit and her suspicions, her experience, the pressures, her brother being absent and seeking him, her escape?

7. The build-up to the plan and the rally? Her getting caught up and the plan going awry? The young infiltrator and his death? The final escape and fight?

8. The religious group: the innocent types involved in the cult, games, meals, missions, money? The enthusiasm for the leader and the deep reverence for Father? Religious ritual, fanaticism? The rally and its media techniques? The focus on money? The audience reaction - and the heroine getting caught up in the atmosphere?

9. The young man pretending - his convincing style, his trying to rescue people? His death?

10. The glimpse of Father and his style? Indications of hypocrisy?

11. The business helpers, the aides, the salesmen? The harrowing debriefing and the possibility of a happy ending?

12. The impact of the film as drama? As warning?