Evil Angels (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 (novel), 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 | australian outback | wrongful imprisonment | religious prejudice | religious persecution | 

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Taglines:

A true story of conscience, conviction, and courage.

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Genres:

Biography | Drama

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Did You Know?

Trivia

Lindy Chamberlain refers to a case in which expert testimony wrongly sent three boys to prison. She's referring to the 1972 murder of Maxwell Confait in southeast London. Confait, 26, was strangled, and the building in which he lived was burned down. Eighteen-year-old Colin Lattimore, 15-year-old Ronnie Leighton, and 14-year-old Ahmet Salih were arrested and charged with murder and arson. All three had alibis, but three prominent forensic pathologists testified to the time of death. One, Dr. Cameron, changed his mind on the stand, and said Confait could have died at a time when the boys were not covered by their alibis. The boys were convicted and sentenced to prison. Two years later, the convictions were overturned. It turned out that Confait had been dead for more than 48 hours before the fire, and the forensic pathologists were wrong about the fire speeding up the on-set of rigor mortis. In 1980, Douglas Franklin was found to be the true murderer.

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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: I'm told, "Don't talk like you normally talk. Watch how you hold your mouth. You look too sour and crabby. Don't get angry. Don't ask too many questions, or they think you're trying to be smart. And never, never, never laugh or you're an uncaring bitch." Well, I can't cry to order, and I won't be squashed into some dumb act for the public... or for you.

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Connections

Featured in Siskel & Ebert & the Movies: Everybody's All-American/U2: Rattle and Hum/The Good Mother/Little Dorrit/A Cry in the Dark (1988)

User Reviews

Another example of Meryl Streep's enormous talent.

Meryl Streep is such a genius. Well, at least as an actress. I know she's been made fun of for doing a lot of roles with accents, but she nails the accent every time. Her performance as Lindy Chamberlain was inspiring. Mrs. Chamberlain, as portrayed here, was not particularly likable, nor all that smart. But that just makes Streep's work all the more remarkable. I think she is worth all 10 or so of her Oscar nominations. About the film, well, there were a couple of interesting things. I don't know much about Australia, but the theme of religious bigotry among the general public played a big part in the story. I had largely missed this when I first saw the film some years ago, but it came through loud and clear yesterday. And it seems the Australian press is just as accomplished at misery-inducing pursuit and overkill as their American colleagues. A pretty good film. A bit different. Grade: B

Details

Official Sites:

Official site

Country:

Australia

Language:

English

Release Date:

3 November 1988 (Australia)

Also Known As:

Un cri dans la nuit

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