Abandoned (2001)
"Torzók" (original title)

Áron is a happy child in his family. But at some point things take a different turn, and his mother starts to lose her health rapidly. As this happens, the man in charge decides what's best... See full summary »

Director:

Árpád Sopsits

Writer:

Árpád Sopsits

Stars:

Tamás Mészáros, Szabolcs Csizmadia, Attila Zsilák

12 wins & 1 nomination.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Tamás Mészáros	...	Soproni Áron
Szabolcs Csizmadia	...	Heltai Attila
Attila Zsilák	...	Máté
Péter Müller	...	Seprõdi
Imre Thúri	...	Csontos
Krisztián Tóth	...	Hajós
Zoltán Nádházi	...	Váradi
Pál Mácsai	...	Csapó
László Gálffi	...	Nyitrai
Dóra Létay	...	Marika
Tamás Fodor	...	Igazgató
Sándor Gáspár	...	Apa
Krisztina Somogyi	...	Anya
Lajos Kovács	...	Józsi bá
László Szabó	...	Rendõr

Storyline

Áron is a happy child in his family. But at some point things take a different turn, and his mother starts to lose her health rapidly. As this happens, the man in charge decides what's best for Áron without consulting the young boy's opinion, and the boy finds himself thrown out of his warm home into an orphanage in the woods. He's utterly displeased by what's happening, without knowing he has yet to face much worse. After a hard time getting over the harrassment of his classmates and being accepted as one of them, another obstacle on the way to his peace of mind faces him: His obnoxious teachers. He has no intention of being bad, but it's beyond his ability to blend into the revolting place he's in. The nasty treatment of the teaching crew gets the better of him, and he's not all that calm and passive anymore. But that leads into unpleasant events which Áron himself wouldn't want.

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Plot Keywords:

orphanage | boyhood friends | loss of friend | prayer | sadistic teacher | 

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Genres:

Drama

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Details

Country:

Hungary

Language:

Hungarian

Release Date:

25 October 2001 (Hungary)

Also Known As:

Abandoned

Company Credits

Production Co:

Budapest Filmstúdió, Duna Televízió

Technical Specs

Runtime:

100 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby SR

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1

User Reviews

Realistic Portrayal of Failing Institutions, Children Ignored

I wonder if viewers sometimes give a film low marks not because it's poorly made, but because it's a film that doesn't deliver a happy ending, nice and tidy--just as others can't stand The Sound of Music because the finale, though cherry, is overly simplistic, given the circumstances. Abandoned is about the way some institutions operated in Hungary at a certain time and place, the way government at all levels abandoned it's responsibility as did parents and teachers and those in charge of children. This is not a make-believe Rodgers and Hammerstein song-fest with happy kiddies mindlessly dancing by the riverside, but a grim and realistic picture of the hopelessness of a happy future when the system fails everyone. It is not a cheerer-upper but a well-acted film accurately reflecting a time and place--so if you're looking for children rising above a situation over which they have no control, this is not the film for you. But it is an often compelling film which was meant to make a positive difference, and as such, one gives it credit.