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.
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Cast
| Cast overview, first billed only: | |||
| Meryl Streep | ... | ||
| Sam Neill | ... | ||
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Dale Reeves | ... |
Aidan, 6 years
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| David Hoflin | ... |
Aidan, 8 years
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Jason Reason | ... |
Aidan, 11 years
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Michael Wetter | ... |
Reagan, 4 years
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Kane Barton | ... |
Reagan, 6 years
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Trent Roberts | ... |
Reagan, 9 years
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Lauren Shepherd | ... |
Azaria
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Bethany Ann Prickett | ... |
Azaria
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Alison O'Connell | ... |
Azaria
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Aliza Dason | ... |
Azaria
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Jane Coker | ... |
Kahlia, new born
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Rae-Leigh Henson | ... |
Kahlia, 18 months
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| Nicolette Minster | ... | ||
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Plot Summary
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Plot Synopsis
See All (139) »
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. Written by Murray Chapman <muzzle@cs.uq.oz.au>
Plot Keywords:
dingo | australia | australian outback | wrongful imprisonment | religious prejudice |Taglines:
A family torn apart. A public filled with outrage. A woman accused of murder.Genres:
DramaParents Guide:
View content advisory »
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See more on IMDbPro »
See full technical specs »
Details
Language:
EnglishRelease Date:
11 November 1988 (USA) See more »Also Known As:
A Cry in the Dark See more »Edit
Box Office
Budget:
$15,000,000 (estimated)Gross USA:
$6,908,797Company Credits
Show more on
IMDbPro »
Technical Specs
Runtime:
| (DVD)Sound Mix:
DolbyColor:
ColorAspect Ratio:
2.35 : 1
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Lindy Chamberlain: Can you believe it, the rumours are in New Zealand already!
Cliff Murchison: A lie goes 'round the world while truth's still putting its boots on, sweetheart.
See more »
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." See more »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. See more »Quotes
Cliff Murchison: Was that Michael's brother?Lindy Chamberlain: Can you believe it, the rumours are in New Zealand already!
Cliff Murchison: A lie goes 'round the world while truth's still putting its boots on, sweetheart.
See more »
The facts in the case of an Australian couple persecuted by a headline-hungry press should be familiar to viewers of the CBS news show 60 Minutes, which aired the story (not coincidentally) just before this film was released. Both versions recount the disappearance during a weekend camping trip of Lindy and Michael Chamberlain's infant daughter, and the subsequent three-ring media circus which led to wild (and totally fabricated) accusations of cult fanaticism and ritual sacrifices, and eventually to a murder conviction for the bereaved mother. But the big screen dramatization has more in mind than just a strong reprimand for misguided journalism ethics. The reporters covering the case are shown to be more ferocious than the wild dingo dog claimed by the Chamberlain's to have killed their child, but the screenplay wisely implicates public opinion as well, which condemned Lindy Chamberlain to prison for not having a telegenic personality (the same trait might also lose her sympathy with moviegoers, despite another challenging performance by Meryl Streep). Director Fred Schepisi presents the story as a straightforward, undemonstrative docudrama, letting the cold-blooded courtroom drama speak for itself, with a pair of excellent actors (Streep and Sam Neill) taking up the slack.