moonspinner55
13-year-old girl from an upper-middle class home, growing out of her 'daddy's girl' stage and tentatively starting to date, is struggling with a dark secret and finally lays on a bombshell on her mother: she's been the target of molestation by her own father. TV-movie produced with a high level of filmmaking competency (if not craft). The family at the center of this story, as written, isn't very believable, even with Emmy-nominated Glenn Close and Ted Danson cast as the parents; their stilted-bickering interactions both before and after Amelia's revelation aren't convincing. This is the kind of movie where the wife counts the number of weeks her husband hasn't made love to her, leading to her feeling like a scorned woman after digesting her daughter's story. The Emmy-winning teleplay by William Hanley fails, really, to give us a strong, sound foundation in which to build the central drama, while the young heroine (Emmy-winner Roxana Zal) internalizes her pain, becoming a somewhat somnambulant victim.
Kitty
I watched this film back in the late eighties when someone had recorded it on tape (remember tape?). It was a revelation to me. As I watched, I got more and more uncomfortable, because I realised that I was a victim of abuse myself. It might sound strange that I hadn't realised that what went on in my home was not normal, I assumed it was just how life was. This was before the internet, there was much less access to information, and kids were not warned about abuse in school. This is a powerful film, although a bit depressing that the issue is handled by family counselling, this does allow the viewer some sort of insight into the mindset of those involved, which might have been harder to achieve if the abuser had simply been ejected from home or sent to jail.I think this was a very brave film to make in the time it was made, and I'm grateful that it was made, because it opened my eyes to the situation I was in, and was the first step in seeking help.
dennis
There are 2 main ways to handle a case of incest. One is to place the offender in jail, and let him rot there for a while. The other method is shown in this one-of-a-kind movie: Counseling for everyone in the family.Some of the counseling sessions with the father are emotionally overwhelming to me (he slowly but surely admits the "crime" ... and works through his assorted feelings about the incest). Amelia has to work through various problems with her therapist (including some jealousy from her mother, and confusion and anger from her sister).This movie left me bleeding (emotionally) for weeks after. It was SO true, I felt like I knew the family.There (truly) is nothing to compare this movie to.
Hessian499
An excellent film that handles a difficult topic well. The casting and sets create an atmosphere to let the story unfold in a seemingly average American home, which adds both to the realism and power of this movie. Ted Danson plays the deceptively normal father to the hilt, and the rest of the cast handle their roles with a high degree of believability. This is a powerful film that handles a difficult subject with intelligence and emotion without sensationalizing. Highly recommended.
AD
