A mothers prayer for her kidnapped son to return home is answered though it doesnt take long for her to suspect the boy who comes back is not hers. Studio: Uni Dist Corp. (mca) Release Date: 02/17/2009 Starring: Angelina Jolie Amy Ryan Run time: 142 minutes Rating: R Director: Clint Eastwood
Clint Eastwood's mastery as a director, established over the past decade and a half with Unforgiven, Million Dollar Baby, Letters from Iwo Jima, and others, continues with Changeling, a 2008 offering based on a shocking but all-too-true story about child abduction and police corruption in 1920s Los Angeles. Single mother Christine Collins (Angelina Jolie, excellent in a role with somewhat limited parameters) finds her 9-year-old son, Walter, missing when she returns home from work one day. She files a report with the Los Angeles Police Department, an outfit that was wildly unpopular at the time (in his regular radio broadcast, a crusading pastor played by John Malkovich decries the force as "violent and corrupt," adding that "our protectors are our brutalizers"). When a child roughly matching Walter's description turns up in Illinois five months later, the LAPD, intent on salvaging its tattered reputation, is only too eager to claim that he is Collins' missing child. Little matters that he's three inches shorter, is circumcised (Walter wasn't), and fails to pass muster with Walter's dentist, schoolteacher, and others; the cops, in particular the odious Captain J.J. Jones (Jeffrey Donovan), insist that the mistake is Christine's, not theirs. What follows is almost too nightmarish to believe--except that it actually happened. Exasperated by Collins' continued claim that "Walter" is a fraud, they trot out a doctor to reinforce the bogus ID, declare her unfit as a mother, and finally have her committed to a local psychopathic ward. Through it all, Collins, bolstered by the pastor and thousands of outraged Angelenos, refuses to sign a document that would exonerate the police for their egregious error. As for Walter, it's only when the LAPD's seemingly only honest detective (Michael Kelly) takes matters into his own hands that the grisly mystery of the child's fate begins to be solved. That would have been a good place for the film to conclude, too. Unfortunately, it goes on for more than another half hour, with innumerable false endings that add nothing to the story and could just as easily have been summarized with a few sentences before the final credits. That flaw aside (and it's a major one), Changeling is a powerful film, with a realistic period feel, a wonderfully muted vibe and color palette, and an understated score by Eastwood himself. --Sam Graham
Stills from Changeling (Click for larger image)
Customer Reviews:
Avg. Customer Rating: 4.5 / 5.0
" Don't tell me I'm wrong. I know it in my heart ":
In 1928, in Riverside county, California, a cold, dispassionate, demented and brutally insane serial killer named Gordon Northcott (Jason Buttler Harner) amasses a string of some twenty kidnappings, molestations and murders of young boys. His eventual arrest, capture and trial became National news, leading to his conviction. This extraordinary film is called " Changeling " and is based in part on the true events of the time, including the abduction of Walter Collins (Gattlin Griffith). The crime also lead... more info
Changeling:
Single parent Christine Collins is a supervisor at the local telephone exchange who, having returned home late from having to work overtime on a Saturday, finds her 9 year old son Walter is missing from their home. As the days and weeks go by, the Collins case becomes the object of a campaign by Pastor Gustav Briegleb who rails against the incompetence and corruption of the Los Angeles police Department. Soon, the police arrive with the news that they have found her boy, but when the boy is turned over to... more info
The "Changeling" with Angelina Jolie:
A great story line and who can resist Angelina Jolie with that 1920's Cloche hat and those baleful "doe eyes" of hers! A great story line with great period clothing and cars! If you are fond of the 1920's this is the picture for you! I was never a big Angelina Jolie fan before, but after seeing this great movie, I can almost understand why Brad Pitt lost Jennifer Anniston in the process of chasing this great actress!
pleasantly surprised:
We got this movie quite a while ago and just got around to watching it. I remember hearing mixed reviews when it was first released, so was reluctant to take the time to actually sit down for a few hours and watch it. It turned out to be a great movie! Very gripping and entertaining though also very sad at times, because you know it was based on a true story. Angelina Jolie does an excellent job in this role. One of the few negatives is that the movie is a tad too long. If it could have been condensed a... more info
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