Changeling (2008)

Grief-stricken mother Christine Collins (Angelina Jolie) takes on the L.A.P.D. 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. Single mother Christine Collins (Angelina Jolie) returns from work to find her nine-year-old son Walter (Gattlin Griffith) gone. She calls the L.A.P.D. to initiate a search. Five months later, a boy is found in Illinois who fits the description, and he says he's her son. To fanfare and photos, the L.A.P.D. 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

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

This marks the first time since The Eiger Sanction (1975) that Clint Eastwood directed a movie for Universal Pictures. It is also the first time Eastwood worked outside in any capacity outside of Warner Brothers (with the exception of television) since Absolute Power (1997).

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Goofs

When Sanford Clark is first looking at the photographs of the missing boys, the picture on the bottom of the stack is of a 9-year-old boy. When he eventually gets to the final picture, the age written on the photo is 10.

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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 Getaway: Greek Islands: Part 2 (2010)

User Reviews

Wow, Talk About A Film That Hooks You In!

Wow, is this an involving story. It hooks you in fast and really grabs hold. It's very good in that aspect because it really makes you care about what happens. The story involves a parent's worst nightmare, so I would expect moms and dads to be particularly horrified. The movie manipulates, no doubt being overdone here and there, but it's generally effective.

Angelina Jolie does a superb job of portraying a Los Angeles woman ("Christine Collins") in the late 1920s whose boy is kidnapped. Five months later, the "proud" police department brings her kid back, making it a good PR session. Unfortunately, it's not her kid and stupidly, although she's naturally upset about, she poses with the kid and takes him home. (Would that really happen?).

Then she begins her quest of finding her real "Walter." Further twists and turns make the story increasingly horrifying. In all, you won't be able to keep your eyes off the screen wondering if justice will ever prevail in the end and who exactly is involved in what. It's not particularly a fun ride - you'll have a frown on your face for quite some time - but it sure is interesting and an excellent two hour-plus of entertainment. By the end, you'll be emotionally exhausted.

Kudos to all the actors in here for riveting performances and to the production and design team for a great period piece. Where else can you feel you're back 75-80 years in time with the boxy cars and flapper hats than in movies?