Born Innocent
Picture: C+ Sound: C Extras: D Telefilm: C+
In what
is an attempt to be shocking and attempt to examine a societal problem that
would likely not get made as both today as a theatrical film, Linda Blair
starred in Born Innocent (1974). This was a telefilm on commercial network
broadcast television that dealt with a young 14-year-old (Blair) as a multiple
runaway. At every turn, no one
understands her problems and there is not access to anyone who can help.
We later
find out why she left, because of the hostile, dysfunctional, toxic and awful
parents she has. The father being angry,
the mother accusatory. It is a while
before we discover that, or even that she has a brother. We see her isolated and gong through a system
that is cold and hopeless. The charm of
this telefilm is the assumption about secure families before the problems with
families came blaring out further as the 1980s ideology struggled to hold the
truth back with lies and 1950s-type “back to the family” archetypes that had
long failed and failed to deal with the reasons we had problems to begin with.
Things
get worse when she gets gang raped with a broom handle! Yes, you read that right, and in a TV movie
of all things. Even as limited as it is,
the scene is still very ugly and graphic, but is also sadly a too-common story
that happens al the time. The later
cliché in films about gangs is that non-participation leads to rape, but there
is no gang here, just a group of institutionalized bad girls. Even more disturbing as compare dot today,
the situation looks like “the good old days” before things got far worse. The film was a warning, like so many other
great socially aware films of the 1970s, but the 1980s “don’t worry, be happy”
attitude wiped away any chances of getting many of these bad situations out of
control and we are now paying the price profoundly.
Despite
such events, the film drags on longer than it should and director Donald Wrye
has some pacing troubles. The resolution
of the rape is very limited and problematic, showing that this was definitely
made by men who thought they were being sensitive. Other cast members who help Blair’s sometimes
awkward performance include Joanna Miles, Kim Hunter, Richard Jaeckel, Janit
Baldwin and some determined unknowns. It
runs 99 minutes.
The full
frame, color image is above average, looking fairly good for a TV movie from
its time, with few problems on the actual print. At least it was shot on film. The Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono is a bit weaker
than expected, but will carry the dialogue well enough. We have heard TV movies form this time sound
better on DVD, so the sound is simply down a few generations. Extras include three biography pieces on
three of the actresses and trailers to other VCI DVD titles. Too bad Blair and company could not have done
a commentary, maybe with an expert on women in TV and media. Though not a classic, Born Innocent is from a time that TV took risks, and that alone
makes it worth seeing. You will have to
decide whether you agree with its conclusions or not.
- Nicholas Sheffo
