A Cry in the Dark (1988)

A mother whose child was killed in a dingo attack in the Australian Outback fights to prove her innocence when she is accused of murder.

Director:

Fred Schepisi

Writers:

John Bryson (based on "Evil Angels" by), Robert Caswell (screenplay)

Stars:

Meryl Streep, Sam Neill, Dale Reeves

Nominated for 1 Oscar. Another 8 wins & 11 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Meryl Streep	...	Lindy
Sam Neill	...	Michael
Dale Reeves	...	Aidan, 6 years
David Hoflin	...	Aidan, 8 years
Jason Reason	...	Aidan, 11 years
Michael Wetter	...	Reagan, 4 years
Kane Barton	...	Reagan, 6 years
Trent Roberts	...	Reagan, 9 years
Lauren Shepherd	...	Azaria
Bethany Ann Prickett	...	Azaria
Alison O'Connell	...	Azaria
Aliza Dason	...	Azaria
Jane Coker	...	Kahlia, New Born
Rae-Leigh Henson	...	Kahlia, 18 months
Nicolette Minster	...	Kahlia, 4 years

Storyline

Based on the true story of Lindy Chamberlain. During a camping trip to Ayers Rock in outback Australia, she claimed that she witnessed a dingo stealing her baby daughter, Azaria, from the family tent. Azaria's body was never found. Police noted some apparent inconsistencies in her story, and she was charged with murder. The case attracted a lot of attention, turning an investigation into a media circus, with the public divided in their opinions.

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Plot Keywords:

dingo | australia | australian outback | wrongful imprisonment | religious prejudice | 

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Taglines:

A family torn apart. A public filled with outrage. A woman accused of murder.

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Genres:

Biography | Drama

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Certificate:

PG-13

Did You Know?

Trivia

In June 2012, Northern Territory coroner Elizabeth Morris officially declared that Azaria Chamberlain was killed by a dingo. "The cause of her death was as the result of being attacked and taken by a dingo", she announced to Darwin Magistrates court. "Dingos can, and do, cause harm to humans."

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Goofs

In the end credits, the movie's copyright year is 1988. In Roman numerals, it would be MCMLXXXVIII. Instead, the year is MCMLXXXIII, 1983.

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Quotes

Lindy Chamberlain: Look, Mr. Barker. I wasn't there. I can only go on the evidence of my own eyes. We're talking about my baby daughter... not some object!

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Connections

Referenced in Tales of Monkey Island: Chapter 4 - The Trial and Execution of Guybrush Threepwood (2009)

User Reviews

A Very Emotional Story

This is an extremely-powerful based-on-a-true story film that can be infuriating to watch. I say that because how brutal a hounding press can be to people, in this case an innocent Australian couple charged with killing their baby.

Meryl Streep received a lot of recognition for her performance when this film came out but I thought Sam Neill was just as good. Let's just say they both were excellent but the role was little harder for Streep because she had to learn an Australian accent. (She learned it so well I had trouble understanding her in parts.)

Without giving anything away, all I can say is this movie will wear you out emotionally.

Details

Official Sites:

Official site

Country:

Australia

Language:

English

Release Date:

11 November 1988 (USA)

Also Known As:

Evil Angels

Filming Locations:

Alice Springs, Northern Territory, Australia

Box Office

Budget:

$15,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$1,561,793, 13 November 1988

Gross USA:

$6,908,797

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$6,908,797

Company Credits

Production Co:

Cannon Entertainment, Golan-Globus Productions, Cinema Verity

Technical Specs

Runtime:

120 min 122 min (DVD)

Sound Mix:

Dolby Stereo

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.39 : 1