Mockingbird Don't Sing (2001)

On November 4, 1970 on The CBS Evening News, Walter Cronkite reported on a true, horrific story that was about to rock the country. A 13-year-old girl was discovered in the small Los ... See full summary »

Director:

Harry Bromley Davenport

Writer:

Daryl Haney

Stars:

Melissa Errico, Joe Regalbuto, Sean Young

1 win.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Melissa Errico	...	Sandra Tannen
Joe Regalbuto	...	Dr. Norm Glazer
Sean Young	...	Dr. Judy Bingham
Michael Lerner	...	Dr. Stan York
Kim Darby	...	Louise Standon
Tarra Steele	...	Katie
Laurie O'Brien	...	Beverly Glazer
Ed Brigadier	...	Mr. Manning
Sharon Madden	...	Mrs. Manning
Jack Betts	...	Wes Standon
Ben Messmer	...	Rob
Lora Anne Criswell	...	Colleen
Michael Azria	...	Billy Standon
Josh Boyd	...	Johnathen Glazer
Bryn Larsen	...	Rachel Glazer

Storyline

On November 4, 1970 on The CBS Evening News, Walter Cronkite reported on a true, horrific story that was about to rock the country. A 13-year-old girl was discovered in the small Los Angeles suburb of Arcadia who was still in diapers, barely able to walk and unable to speak. Kept in severe isolation by her parents with virtually no human contact for more than 10 years, she was confined to her bedroom, tied to her potty-chair and left to fend for herself. As Cronkite noted, it was one of the most horrendous cases of child abuse ever to surface. Much like an animal, the girl spat, sniffed and clawed. She had none of the traits or characteristics of conventional human behavior, nor could she comprehend such modern societal conveniences as silverware or bathroom etiquette. Her emotional development was practically non-existent, and she could not speak. With this heartbreaking story, the world was being introduced to a fragile, beautiful teenager who seemed and behaved like an infant, or ...

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Plot Keywords:

child abuse | mute | child neglect | foster family | linguistics | 

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Genres:

Drama

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Details

Country:

USA

Language:

American Sign Language English

Release Date:

4 May 2001 (USA)

Also Known As:

Pour l'amour de Katie

Box Office

Budget:

$3,000,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Dorian Films, Genieworks

Technical Specs

Runtime:

98 min

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Based on a true story.

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Quotes

Beverly Glazer: Katie, do you remember what you're supposed to do before you reach for something at the table? You're supposed to ask. Now, can you say, "May I please have the applesauce"?
Sandra Tannen: Come on, Katie, I know you can say that.
Louise Standon: Don't torture the child. If she doesn't want to say anything, she doesn't have to.

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Soundtracks

"Time Together"
Written by Mark Hart
Performed by Bo Weevil and the Beau Weevils

User Reviews

The Fathers Affect on Katie

Mockingbird Don't Sing seemed to portray a very close comparison to the life Katie has lived. This isn't a movie of great excitement and joy, but then again, most of her life wasn't a very pretty picture. Her father was the main enforcer in this tragedy she went through. It seemed as though he had no clue what he was doing. His actions were immoral, violent, and showed no love for his daughter. His last letter said "The world will never understand." It raises the question if he maybe had a good reason for excluding his daughter from society and all it has to offer. A man wrote "No ideas can be shown scientifically to be right or wrong"(Deflem 1). The fact is that if the girl was born retarded or not, Katie was deprived of her childhood and civilization which lead to her problems and abnormalities. The best part about this story is that people never gave up on her once she was found. As the film came to a close, there wasn't a smile on my face, but I think the objective of the movie is to acknowledge the idea that a life is very precious and often turns out the way it has been molded.