I saw this movie as a young teenager myself in the mid-80s. At that time, sexual abuse by a parent, especially the child's real father (as opposed to a stepfather, or mother's new partner) was still often swept aside--not discussed, not acknowledged, hidden in the surface trappings of so-called respectability. This movie set new standards in TV movies, and must have brought about so much dialog on the topic of incest. I hope it helped many incest survivors, and their families, to face the past and move on to a better future.
25 years later, I happened to remember the movie and found that a very wise person had taped parts of it and added them to the Internet. (Which begs the question, why is the whole movie not available for general viewing? Such an important, well-made movie...) I watched the excerpts and found myself crying with Amelia once again, just as I did 25 years ago. Now I have two girls of my own, the exact same ages as Amelia and her sister Beth in the movie. How much more painful to watch it as a parent! Roxana Zal as the confused and abused Amelia is amazing. Glenn Close is also excellent. And Ted Danson--you won't recognize him as the cheerful Sam from Cheers now.
In a nutshell, this movie stands the test of time. Treatment for and attitudes to survivors and their families might have changed over time, but the raw emotions don't change.
25 years later, I happened to remember the movie and found that a very wise person had taped parts of it and added them to the Internet. (Which begs the question, why is the whole movie not available for general viewing? Such an important, well-made movie...) I watched the excerpts and found myself crying with Amelia once again, just as I did 25 years ago. Now I have two girls of my own, the exact same ages as Amelia and her sister Beth in the movie. How much more painful to watch it as a parent! Roxana Zal as the confused and abused Amelia is amazing. Glenn Close is also excellent. And Ted Danson--you won't recognize him as the cheerful Sam from Cheers now.
In a nutshell, this movie stands the test of time. Treatment for and attitudes to survivors and their families might have changed over time, but the raw emotions don't change.