CASE 39
US, 2009, 109 minutes, Colour.
Renee Zellweger, Jodelle Ferland, Ian Mc Shane, Kerry O’ Malley, Callum Keith Rennie, Bradley Cooper, Adrian Lester.
Directed by Christian Alvart.
Stories about government child care agencies can raise very sensitive issues, especially with examples of care workers failing to see the damage wrought on children by cruel or neglectful parents. These stories are usually told in television reports and documentaries or in telemovies.
On the other hand, stories about children who wreak destruction on parents and on carers are the material of horror and terror movies. And there have been many. The Bad Seed gave us a phrase to describe these children. More recently, we have seen Orphan, The Unborn, The Uninvited and many others. Which puts Case 39 in a group of films. It leads us to think that Lilith (now there's a name that dares a horror story) is a nice 10 year old and that her parents, trying to destroy her and send her to hell are monsters. But most audiences will be immediately on the alert and know that this is not the case.
Busy and harassed agent, Emily Jenkins (Renee Zellwegger) accepts case 39 from her organised boss, Adrian Lester. She is so charmed by Lilith and horrified by her interviews with the parents, with some help from her psychologist friend (Bradley Cooper) and her police friend and confidant (Ian McShane) that she takes Lilith into her home to care for her. As we all know, big mistake.
The several strands of interest in the story include watching Lilith exercise her sweetness and light until it turns nasty and diabolical, seeing how Emily manages and when she wakes up to the truth (and visits the poor parents in custody), and waiting for Lilith to exercise her diabolical powers on Emily's friends. There is quite a vivid scene as one victim confronts his fear of hornets who overwhelm him.
German director, Christian Alvart, made the much more tense and eerie Antibodies and went on to make the eerie science fiction film, Pandorum.
Jodelle Ferland is very good as Lilith and gives some credibility to this not unfamiliar terror story.
1. A successful horror film? The films about orphans and bad seed? Family? Social carers?
2. The German director, the American perspective?
3. The realistic presentation of case workers, families, abuse in the families, judicial aspects, social concern? The story subverting expectations about social workers? About orphans?
4. Emily and her work, keeping busy, Wayne and his impositions and her clashes with him, Doug and the friendly relationship, the therapy for her clients?
5. Report 39, Wayne and his wanting Emily to take it? Her being busy? Lilith (and the ominous name)? Her parents, their look, their manner of speaking, reticence, the violent treatment, their wanting to kill their daughter, the oven? The contrast with Lilith and her charming presentation? Who to believe?
6. The reality for the parents, the ten years, the violence, the police raid, the threats, their arrest? Their seemingly cruel, in the kitchen, the oven for Lilith? The interrogations, the revelations about Lilith, her attitudes? Great attention? Lilith and her control, self-willed? The desperate parents, the different ways of trying to kill her? In jail and their reactions?
7. Lilith, her appearance, nice, seemingly the victim, sweet yet cajoling people she came in contact with? Emily believing her? Doug believing her? The applications for permission to adopt? Taking her to her house, all seemingly well?
8. Mike Barron, role as a detective, with Lilith’s parents? Friendship with Emily, help with cases? The talk, the interviews, the viewpoints of the parents? His changing attitude?
9. Doug, his work, his fears about hornets, the phone call, his interrogating Lilith, his death?
10. The story of Diego, the mobile phone call, his killing his parents? The irony of the calls coming from Emily’s mobile?
11. Emily, the reaction to the mobile calls, growing suspicion, discussions with Mike, Doug’s death and its effect? Wayne – and his fate? Going to see the parents, the mother and the experience of fire, the father talking about all the deaths, the family? His being killed by the inmates? Emily and her decision about school, Lilith’s behaviour at school, Lilith turning on her?
12. Mike, the phone calls, listening to the demonic voices? His believing Emily, their plan to kill Lilith? Mike and his fears, his death, seeming suicide?
13. Emily’s dismay, her plan, drugging Lilith, setting fire to the house, Lilith escaping? The final decision, the car, going to the river, drowning Lilith, Emily escaping?
14. Themes of evil children, demonic children, self-centred, exercising power, malicious? Credible or the subject for horror films and psychological case studies?
