Woodyanders Sullen and forlorn 14-year-old incorrigible runaway Chris Parker (a touching and terrific performance by Linda Blair) gets declared a ward of the state. She's placed in a juvenile reform school where she not only begins to feel even more dejected and alienated because of the cold bureaucratic system, but also runs afoul of nasty, disturbed Denny (chillingly played by Janit Baldwin) and dumpy, aggressive lesbian Moco (the equally scary Nora Heflin). Director Donald Wrye, working from a gritty and uncompromisingly realistic script by Gerald Di Pego, relates the grimly plausible and compelling story in an admirably straightforward and nonexploitative manner. The uniformly fine acting from a top-notch cast qualifies as another substantial asset: Joanna Miles as concerned, caring counselor Barbara Clark, Allyn Ann McLerie as strict, but compassionate house mother Emma Lasko, Richard Jaeckel as Chris' stern, volatile, overbearing father, Kim Hunter as Chris' neurotic, ineffectual mother, Mitch Vogel as Chris' supportive, but unhelpful brother Tom, Tina Andrews as the friendly, spunky Josie, and Sandra Ego as the depressed, suicidal, pregnant Janet. Fred Karlin's beautifully moody'n'melancholy score and David M. Walsh's plain, yet polished cinematography are likewise solid and impressive. But what truly gives this hard-hitting made-for-TV drama its considerable impact and poignancy is the welcome and commendable sense of restraint, conviction and raw honesty evident throughout. The potentially lurid plot stays on a steady and tasteful course (although the infamous plunger rape scene is indeed quite shocking and disturbing, its thankfully more suggested than shown), sharply revealing plenty of bleak truths about troubled teens in the process and culminating in a hauntingly downbeat ending. A real powerhouse.

tamstrat I saw this movie when it was originally shown on TV in 1974. It was controversial and shocking to say the least!!!! I was 13 years old and had never seen anything like that on TV before and the rape scene in the shower was all me and my friends talked about for days afterward. The storyline is fairly simple, Linda Blair, as "Chris Parker" gets in some minor scrapes with the law and is sent to a girl's reform school. There she goes from being "Born Innocent" to a swaggering thug over a period of time. The apathy of her parents was sad and the earnest counselor at the reform school tries to save her without much success. I have not seen the movie since the original airing but from what I am reading here the rape scene is deleted or radically edited. That is a shame because that scene, graphic as it was, really set the tone of the movie and let the viewer understand why Chris no longer remains "innocent". I wish I could get my hands on an unedited copy of this movie that made such an impression on me at the age of 13.

Joseph P. Ulibas Born Innocent (1974) is a made for T.V. movie that I caught on the old Black and white many years ago. A sad film about a young girl (Linda Blair) and all the trouble she went through while she was in reform school. Her parents seem oblivious to her problems when a social worker tries to find out about her family life. I am disappointed that this movie is not availible for viewing anywhere. A shame because it's a great made for television film.Strongly recommended.

Stanbabe Linda Blair gives a chilling but pogient performance in this harsh,realistic look into the abusive world of juvenile justice.As "Chris Parker", she tries to flee from her abusive father and her drunken,irresponsible mother.But her running away only leads to her being unjustly placed in a girls reform school.Where she is abused and condemmed even further by the school's insane and dangerous students and by the insensitive and corrupt school officals(The main villian in this dramatic tale is Allyn Ann McClaire.Who plays the evil housemother:"Mrs.Emma Lasko").Ms.Blair's character goes from being a gentle,navie'and put upon young innocent to becoming a tough,violent young punk.Who distrusts and attacks anything that is phoney or authoritative.The most memorable but forgotten scene is Ms.Blair being raped by four perverse girls in the shower room with a brush handle.The scene has since been edited,due to the complaints from one girl's family.That she was raped in a similar manner.Despite the editing of this graphic scene."Born Innocent"is Linda Blair's best tv performance.