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 13 wins & 47 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

The title refers to a European folk legend. Supposedly, fairies, elves, trolls, or even the devil would occasionally steal young children from their cradles, and leave a false child - a "changeling" - in its place. The changeling would grow sick and die, or exhibit bad behavior as it grew up, while the real child would supposedly become the slave of those who took it, and would never be seen again by its parents. The "changeling" legend was sometimes used to explain infant deaths or disorders such as mental retardation or autism in children.

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Goofs

When Christine gets out of bed in the morning, the light hits her left arm, and Angelina Jolie's tattoos can be seen beneath makeup on her arm.

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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

Featured in At the Movies: Episode #6.1 (2009)

User Reviews

Perfection

Although I loved Clint Eastwood very much as an actor, I have to admit that I appreciate him even more as a director because this man does not use the standard Hollywood tricks. He just knows to tell a good story, using only good a script and great acting. "Changeling" is the story woman's battle with the police and the system, and an indeed fascinating tribute to commitment of a person to break the corruption, cover-up and the excavation to find her child that she got taken from her. The film has few explicit scenes and an atmosphere that is really tough to follow. There is really a lot going on in this emotionally difficult and fantastically filmed movie, definitely worth your time and attention. A masterpiece.