A peculiar and disturbing case catches the attention of the police when a young mother and her children, all severely injured, show up in a hospital's emergency room.
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Title: Small Sacrifices (TV Movie 1989)
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Cast
| Cast overview, first billed only: | |||
| Farrah Fawcett | ... | Diane Downs | |
| Gordon Clapp | ... | Detective Doug Welch | |
| Ryan O'Neal | ... | Lew Lewiston | |
| John Shea | ... | Frank Joziak | |
| Emily Perkins | ... | Karen Downs | |
| Garry Chalk | ... | Boyd Paul Downs (as Gary Chalk) | |
 |
Ken James | ... | Daryl Chapman |
|
|
Sean McCann | ... | Russell Wells |
| Garwin Sanford | ... | Matt Jensen (Part 2) | |
| Tom Butler | |||
|
|
Elan Ross Gibson | ... | Rosalind Dyring |
|
|
Lynne Cormack | ... | Lola Joziak |
| Jayne Eastwood | ... | Evelyn Slaven | |
|
|
Christopher Caravalho | ... | Robbie Downs |
|
|
Anne Bradley Jaeger | ... | Herself |
Edit
Plot Summary
|
Plot Synopsis
See All (15) »
Storyline
On the 19th of May 1983 Diane Downs stops at the McKenzie-Williamette-Hospital and cries for help. She is wounded on her arm and her three children are also wounded seriously. She says that a stranger shot at them but the investigation of detective Welch bring out that Diane is a liar. Written by Volker Boehm
Plot Keywords:
histrionic personality disorder | murderess | spandex disco jeans | filicide | oregon |Taglines:
Her children got in the way of her loveParents Guide:
View content advisory »
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See more on IMDbPro »
See full technical specs »
Details
Language:
EnglishRelease Date:
12 November 1989 (USA) See more »Also Known As:
Blick in den Abgrund See more »Edit
Box Office
Budget:
CAD 7,300,000 (estimated)Company Credits
Show more on
IMDbPro »
Technical Specs
Runtime:
(2 parts)Sound Mix:
StereoColor:
ColorAspect Ratio:
1.33 : 1
Edit
Karen Downs: [Distraught] Yeah...!
Frank Joziak: [Gingerly] Who shot you?
Karen Downs: [Sobs as she glances in fear at her mother] My mom.
[Cut to Diane, hiding her face in her hands]
Frank Joziak: And do you love your mom, Karen?
Karen Downs: [Crying] Yes...!
See more »
Did You Know?
Trivia
Other than Diane Downs most of the names have been changed and are not the same as those in the actual case. See more »Goofs
When Diane brings a pizza over to her mailman friend Matt Jensen's house, she asks him if he likes mushrooms on his pizza while holding the pizza out to him. He says yes. But the pizza has no mushrooms on it, it is clearly plain. See more »Quotes
Frank Joziak: [Trying to calm Karen on the stand] Just stay with me, Karen; do you remember when you were shot?Karen Downs: [Distraught] Yeah...!
Frank Joziak: [Gingerly] Who shot you?
Karen Downs: [Sobs as she glances in fear at her mother] My mom.
[Cut to Diane, hiding her face in her hands]
Frank Joziak: And do you love your mom, Karen?
Karen Downs: [Crying] Yes...!
See more »
Today, we've been true-crimed to death. Yet, this story was one of the firsts of it's kind and not to mention the best. Akin to Burning Bed, Fawcett rings in an absolute superb performance as she realistically and accurately portrays the sociopath known as Diane Downs. The movie carefully plots the turn of events without over dramatizing. The moving portrayal of Christie Downs (known as Karen Downs in the series) is quite haunting. Many true crime dramas leave me with a taste of ratings-desperation in my mouth. The focus of these are not feelings but instead dramatic effects. This series however was much different. What you find here is Diane's self-centeredness and apparent inability to feel sorrow contrasted with a child who, even without speaking, manages to convey a fear of her mother as well as true love for her in a very tender heart wrenching way. While this description may very well sound overly dramatic it truly isn't. This is just such a well made series. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.