Changeling (2008)

A grief-stricken mother takes on the LAPD to her own detriment when it tries to pass off an obvious impostor as her missing child.

Director:

Clint Eastwood

Writer:

J. Michael Straczynski

Stars:

Angelina Jolie, Colm Feore, Amy Ryan

Nominated for 3 Oscars. Another 14 wins & 50 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Angelina Jolie	...	Christine Collins
Gattlin Griffith	...	Walter Collins
Michelle Gunn	...	Sandy
Jan Devereaux	...	Operator
Erica Grant	...	Operator
Antonia Bennett	...	Operator
Kerri Randles	...	Operator
Frank Wood	...	Ben Harris
Morgan Eastwood	...	Girl on Tricycle
Madison Hodges	...	Neighborhood Girl
John Malkovich	...	Rev. Gustav Briegleb
Colm Feore	...	Chief James E. Davis
Devon Conti	...	Arthur Hutchins
Ric Sarabia	...	Man at Diner
J.P. Bumstead	...	Cook

Storyline

Los Angeles, 1928. A single mother returns from work to find her nine-year-old son gone. She calls the LAPD to initiate a search. Five months later, a boy is found in Illinois who fits the description; he says he's her son. To fanfare and photos, the LAPD reunite mother and son, but she insists he's not her boy. The cops dismiss her as either a liar or hysterical. When she joins a minister in his public criticism of the police, they in turn use government power to silence and intimidate her. Meanwhile, a cop goes to a dilapidated ranch to find a Canadian lad who's without legal status; the youth tells a grisly tale. There's redress for murder; is there redress for abuse of power?

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Plot Keywords:

missing child | abuse of power | los angeles police department | wrongful conviction | miscarriage of justice | 

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Taglines:

To find her son, she did what no one else dared.

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Genres:

Biography | Crime | Drama | History | Mystery | Thriller

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for some violent and disturbing content, and language

Details

Official Sites:

Universal [Germany]

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

31 October 2008 (USA)

Also Known As:

El sustituto

Filming Locations:

All Saint's Episcopal Church - 132 N. Euclid Avenue, Pasadena, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$55,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$489,015, 26 October 2008, Limited Release

Gross USA:

$35,739,802

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$113,020,256

Company Credits

Production Co:

Imagine Entertainment, Malpaso Productions, Relativity Media

Technical Specs

Runtime:

141 min

Sound Mix:

SDDS Dolby Digital DTS

Color:

Color Black and White (opening and end sequence)

Aspect Ratio:

2.39 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Christine tells Walter there is a new Charlie Chaplin Picture. This picture she is referencing is Chaplin's "The Circus" released in 1928 when this film takes place.

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Goofs

A telephone caller tells Christine to go to Lincoln Heights Precinct. Police stations in California have never been known as precincts. The term precinct is limited mainly to police stations in New York, Boston and Chicago.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Christine Collins: Walter, honey. Time to wake up.
Walter Collins: Just ten more minutes...
Christine Collins: Sorry, sport. You can sleep in tomorrow, that's what Saturdays are for.

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Crazy Credits

The black-and-white Universal logo used in the 1940s opens the film.

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Connections

Referenced in Saturday Night Live: John Malkovich/T.I. (2008)

User Reviews

An Emotional Adventure

Do you want to see a good movie? -- One that will tear at your every emotion, make you so mad you tread territory inside of yourself you never knew existed, and then make you cry as if someone reached in and tore your heart right out?

Do you want twists and turns at every juncture taking you in so many different directions that you think your lost and then instantly you know exactly where you are? -- an adventure in the waiting.

This movie is a movie that delivers. It even surpasses the delivery of you everyday Hollywood movie.

I loved this movie -- Its based on an actual account.

Its a must see.

^5