FIRELIGHT
US, 2012, 100 minutes, Colour.
Cuba Gooding Jr, Q’orianka Kilcher, De Wanda Wise, Rebecca Rivera, Sianoa Smit- Mc Phee, Emily Tremaine.
Directed by Darnell Martin.
Firelight is a Hallmark Hall of Fame television film. It is very inspirational – edifying and encouraging for people concerned about young people, crime, rehabilitation.
The film shows life in a correctional institution for young women. The focus is on Caroline (Q’orianka Kilcher) who is arrested as an accomplice with her boyfriend after a robbery. In prison, she is self-contained, a touch resentful. She encounters several of the inmates, especially De Wanda Wise as Terry, in prison because of her behaviour in a hit-run accident. However, Terry is a serious person, has an ailing mother in hospital, is the leader of a special squad, designed for helping the girls to achieve skills and for rehabilitation. This is the brainchild of one of the counsellors, played sympathetically by Cuba Gooding Jr. The women are trained as fire-fighters, learning how to back-burn, control fires. However, there is also the tough girl, Pedra played by Rebecca Rivera.
Caroline comes under the influence of Pedra, but realises she is being exploited and wants to be her own woman. Befriending Terry, she becomes interested in studies, especially in Plato and the Republic (quite some dialogue about Plato and his philosophy).
Terry and Keisha are hoping for parole, Terry not being granted parole. This creates some tensions. Caroline, however, begins to respond to Terry, moves away from Pedra, even into protective custody where she continues to study. She finally is accepted on the team for the fire-fighting and the film shows her training.
The culmination of the film is a dangerous rescue by the squad, a young man whose car has crashed over a cliff. The self-worth that the young women experience helps them in their rehabilitation.
There are several subplots about some of the other inmates, especially Emily Tremaine as Amy, a white-collar thief who cannot bear facing her father, and Sianoa Smit- Mc Phee (the sister of Kody Smit- Mc Phee) as one of Pedra’s followers.
The film is sympathetically written and directed by women, writer Ligiah Villalobos and Darnell Martin.
1. The Hallmark Hall of Fame and its reputation, making edifying and inspiring films? Realism? Hope?
2. The title, the fires, the squad, their work, rehabilitation?
3. The introduction to Caroline, the robbery, her boyfriend and the attempt to escape, the arrests, her going to court, the sentence?
4. Caroline as a person, seventeen, disillusioned, dependent, on the bus, seeing the squad and their work with the fires? The check-in, her cell?
5. Prison life, small, ordinary, no overt violence, no overt sexuality and relationships, the cliques, the program?
6. Cuba Gooding as Dwayne Johnson, his role, as a person, the program, his family life? The help from his wife? Getting to know the girls, listening, talking, affirming them? The establishing of the squad? Terry as leader? His concern about Keisha, Amy and her not visiting her father? Visiting day? His discussions with Caroline, Plato and the discussions, her studies, giving her the DVD? Caroline and her drawings of the inmates on visiting day? Caroline in protective custody? His interest in the parole hearings, supporting Terry, disappointment at the rejection? Helping her to cope?
7. Caroline, the focus of the film, initially sullen, Pedra and her taking over, the exchange of letters, Pedra and her dominating? The therapy session, Caroline and her participation? The drawings and their skill, the reactions of the inmates, Amy and the picture of her father? Plato, the DVD, reading Plato with Terry? Terry urging her to better things, her defying Pedra, going into protective custody, joining the squad, the training sessions, her morale? Her eighteenth birthday?
8. Terry as a person, in charge, helping Keisha, helping Caroline, defying Pedra? Reading Plato’s Republic? Preparing for the parole board, the meeting, her statement? The flashback to the hit and run, her behaviour, her relationship with her mother? Her mother’s visit, hoping for parole, her mother in hospital, the news of her dying alone? Her disappointment, her sense of responsibility?
9. Keisha, agreeable, parole and being granted parole, her dependence on Terry, on the women, her return to prison?
10. Amy, her back-story, the financial fraud, her shame, her seeing herself as a thief, unable to face her father? Her heroism? Her father coming to visit her – and her seeing him?
11. Pedra, personality, defiant, her followers, the clashes with Terry, walking out of therapy, tough? Her resentment of Caroline’s becoming independent of her?
12. Amy, her discovering the car crash? Terry and Caroline, going down with the ropes, the danger in the car, the victim and his desperation, the car falling, the ropes, Caroline and her decision, saving the young man, Terry’s help? The response of the media?
13. Terry and her final parole speech, accepting responsibility, accepting blame? Granted parole – and her leaving?
14. Caroline, her achievement, hope?
15. The value of this kind of film for the general public, understanding prisons better, understanding the young criminals, the juveniles, the possibility for rehabilitation, the quality of the programs?
