Against Her Will: The Carrie Buck Story (1994 TV Movie) User Reviews

A tragic story

[bellafloor-69563 · 8/10 · 20 July 2018]

It might not be the best of acting, however I think it was. The story itself is very important. At the beginning you wonder about what you're watching but it gets more and more intense. Very much worth watching. A story to love.

Good effort by Marlee Matlin and Melissa Gilbert

[rodrigianelli · 6/10 · 1 October 2015]

I saw this movie a couple of times and really liked very much. It is about the story of Carrie Buck, an apparently retarded woman who got pregnant at age 17 as the result of a rape perpetrated by her foster parents' nephew. She was then committed to a colony for fibleminded and epileptics while the adoptive parents took care of her daughter, Vivian. There was an eugenics program going on at that time in Virginia which authorized sterilizacion on all those who were feeble-minded people or have undesirable traits to improve the nation's gene quality. Carrie Buck was sterilized along with her mother and sister (who were also considered fible-minded) in 1927, shortly after having her only child, her daughter Vivian, who died at age 8 of intestinal disease. The case Buck vs Bell was brought to the Supreme Court and in a 8-1 decision it was ruled that the statute of sterilizations of the state of Virginia did not violate the right of procreation with the argument that "two generations of imbeciles were enough". Good performances by Marlee Matlin and Melissa Gilbert make this movie work, even though the pace is kind of slow and direction lacks some vitality to make it great but being a television movie it is a decent enough little picture with nice costumes, art direction and sharp dramatic moments. It will appeal to Matlin's fans (deaf Hollywood star) who will actually get to hear her voice as she speaks even though she cannot listen but she gave it a try and it pays. I gave it a six out of ten.

Historical Accuaracy is Important

[redbanzai · 2/10 · 7 February 2017]

The premise of this movie is flawed because someone did not do their research.

Carrie Buck was not intellectually disabled. She was an average student in school (and moved into above average territory several times as she made the honor roll). Carrie Buck only "sin" was being raped by the nephew of the foster family she lived with. When Buck became pregnant from that rape, the foster family committed her to the Virginia Home for Epileptics and the Feeble-Minded rather than place the blame of her situation where it belonged.

Buck's daughter was taken from at birth (as she was deemed unfit to care for her... again for no reason other than she was deemed "promiscuous") and given to the foster family to adopt.

Buck was then used as a test case for Virginia's new Eugenics Law and sterilized. She was released soon after so the state obviously deemed her competent to care for herself despite labeling her an imbecile.

Carrie Buck's story is a tragedy and an outrage but this movie did her a grave disservice by portraying her in a light that provides justification for the actions of the state.