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.

---

Plot Keywords:

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

---

Taglines:

A true story of conscience, conviction, and courage.

---

Genres:

Biography | Drama

---

Certificate:

PG-13

Did You Know?

Trivia

Meryl Streep has never revealed publicly her opinion on whether or not Lindy Chamberlain was innocent. And rightfully so considering she wasn't present during the events in question nor would she have any first hand knowledge of the subject.

---

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.

---

Quotes

Lindy Chamberlain: [after being released from prison] Hello Kahlia. Hello darling. Don't you look lovely - such a pretty dress.
Kahlia, 4 years: [Shy] Mummy made it in gaol.
Michael Chamberlain: This is Mummy, darling. She's back.
Kahlia, 4 years: Real mummy?
Michael Chamberlain: Real mummy.

---

Connections

Featured in 1,001 Movies You Must See (Before You Die) (2014)

User Reviews

apparently, you can't be a Seventh Day Adventist in a media-centric society

When I first saw "A Cry in the Dark", I had no idea what the plot was. But when I saw it, I was shocked at what it portrayed. When I saw it a second time in an Australian Cinema class, I realized a second point: communication issues. You see, when a dingo snatched Lindy Chamberlain's (Meryl Streep) baby, she and her husband Michael (Sam Neill) were grief-stricken but didn't show it. As Seventh Day Adventists, they believed that God willed this to happen, and so they couldn't mourn it. But when people all over Australia saw their lack of sadness, everyone started believing that Lindy did it herself.

The point is, the wrong message got communicated to the public, and it turned people against Lindy. Even though this was a pure accident, it still happened. It may be one of the biggest disasters resulting from the existence of mass media, regardless of any media outlet's political views.

As for the performances, Streep does a very good job with an Australian accent (no surprise there), and Sam Neill is equally great. You will probably get blown away just by what you see here. Definitely one of Fred Schepisi's best movies ever.

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