FAMILY SINS
US, 2004, 100 minutes, Colour.
Kirstie Alley, Deanna Milligan, Kathleen Wilhoite, Will Patton, Kevin Mc Nulty.
Directed by Graeme Clifford.
Family Sins is one of several films that director Graeme Clifford made with Kirstie Alley. The others are Profoundly Normal where she played a mentally impaired woman and Write or Wrong. In this film she portrays a driven woman who is sociopathic. She appears to be normal, even exemplary on the surface but the film shows years of fostering children, corrupting them, brutalising them.
Deanna Milligan is a young woman who is under the power of Brenda Geck (Kirstie Alley’s character). Her mother, played by Kathleen Wilhoite, has been oppressed and often locked up in the basement. The film opens positively with the children bringing gifts for Mother’s Day. However, cracks begin to appear in the surface, there are flashbacks to harsh behaviour and a whole revelation of criminal activity. Will Patton portrays the district attorney who eventually prosecutes the Geck family.
Kirstie Alley appeared in various series, especially Cheers, but later emerged as a serious actress in her fifties. This is a good example of her strong screen presence, creating an evil woman.
The film is said to be based on actual events – and the sentences for Brenda Geck and her husband are very severe.
Australian-born director Graeme Clifford directed several films in the United States including Frances, Gleaming the Cube and many television films. He also directed, in Australia, Burke and Wills with Jack Thompson and Greta Scacchi.
1.The impact of this film? For a television audience? The revelation of shocking behaviour? The portrayal of family and abusive family?
2.The New Hampshire town, small-town atmosphere, homes, church fetes? The contrast with the law courts, prison? The musical score?
3.The title and its relevance to Brenda, to Ken, Joe, the whole family?
4.The opening, Mother’s Day, Brenda and her receiving all the gifts (and later taking them back to the shop for refunds)? Ken’s presence? The many children, their spouses, the little children? The seeming happiness? Yet Brenda as a smiling but controlling woman? The church fete? The minister and his support? Her eruptions and stern discipline? The woman whose videos were stolen, returning them? Audiences beginning to wonder?
5.Taking Marie to the supermarket, Marie and her shoplifting? The reaction of the store detective? Brenda’s reaction? The irony of the later revelation that Brenda taught and encouraged the children to shoplift? Marie, her child, her seemingly mentally impaired? Her decision to run away? Her application for a job, told that she looked too scruffy? The second application, her getting the job, the trailer? With her baby? Her going to the authorities, the police not listening to her, not believing? Going to other authorities, the police interrogation of Brenda and Ken? Her going to Philip Rothman? Her writing to the television personality, his speaking on television? Going to Rothman again? The charges, Rothman and the police in the raid on the house? Arresting Brenda, Ken and the family? Discovering Nadine in the basement?
6.The flashbacks, Nadine’s story, helpless, the child, Brenda taking her in? Making her a slave? Bringing up Marie? Teaching her to shoplift? Nadine and her doing the chores, put in the basement for punishment? The control, the threats – even of death?
7.Joe, his position in the house, the sexual assault on Marie? His behaviour, control, dominance? Ken, the sexual abuse of some of the children? Supporting his wife?
8.The various flashbacks to weddings, family disputes?
9.Brenda, her background, her going to the house to ask for the rent, the girl pleading? Her associations with Helen, the revelation of the arson, burning the houses down? Getting the children to do this as well?
10.The evidence, the witnesses, the interrogations? Carol, in prison, testifying against Brenda? Brenda’s brutality to her in the prison, her being bashed by the inmates?
11.Brenda, her contact with Leroy, the stolen goods? The phone call, her asking him to terrorise Marie? The trashing of the house, the burning of her car? Sitting next to her in court?
12.Nadine, freed, with her daughter, her grandson? Her simplicity? Marie’s outburst about her sending her love to Ken? Nadine and the possibility of a new life? With her grandson?
13.Marie, the intelligence test, Brenda wanting her to fail? Her getting the photos, giving them to Rothman? The increased number of witnesses? Their being interrogated?
14.In court, the evidence? Brenda and her threats? The evidence against the family? Their pleading no contest? The severity of the sentences, the anger of the judge?
15.Marie, a new life?
16.The hypocrisy of respectable-seeming families, doing good, fostering, having articles written in papers about them the church blessing? The neighbours and their suspicions but not doing anything? The need for checking on those in charge of foster care, of any kind of care, especially for children?
