Evil Angels (1988)

User Rating:

6.9/10   

Director:

Fred Schepisi

Writers:

John Bryson (novel)
Robert Caswell (screenplay) ...

Release Date:

11 November 1988 (USA)

Genre:

Drama

Tagline:

A family torn apart. A public filled with outrage. A woman accused of murder.

Plot:

The story of a mother whose child was killed in an animal attack, only to have herself accused of the infant's murder

Plot Keywords:

Police | Australia | Media | Dingo | Baby

Awards:

Nominated for Oscar. Another 8 wins & 9 nominations

Cast

Meryl Streep	...	Lindy Chamberlain
Sam Neill	...	Michael Chamberlain
Dale Reeves	...	Aidan, 6 years
David Hoflin	...	Aidan, 8 years
Jason Reason	...	Aidan, 11 years
Michael Wetter	...	Reagan, 4 years
Kane Barton	...	Reagan, 6 years
Trent Roberts	...	Reagan, 9 years
Lauren Shepherd	...	Azaria
Bethany Ann Prickett	...	Azaria
Alison O'Connell	...	Azaria
Aliza Dason	...	Azaria
Jane Coker	...	Kahlia, new born
Rae-Leigh Henson	...	Kahlia, 18 months
Nicolette Minster	...	Kahlia, 4 years

Also Known As:

A Cry in the Dark (Australia) (video title) (International: English title)
Ein Schrei in der Dunkelheit (West Germany) [de]
Ett skrik i mörkret (Sweden) [sv]
Huuto pimeydestä (Finland) [fi]
Karanlikta bir çiglik (Turkey: Turkish title) [tr]
Kravgi sto skotadi (Greece) [el]
Krzyk w ciemnosci (Poland) [pl]
Um Grito de Coragem (Portugal) [pt]
Um Grito no Escuro (Brazil) [pt]
Um Grito no Esuro (Portugal) [pt]
Un cri dans la nuit (France) [fr]
Un grido nella notte (Italy) [it]
Un grito en la oscuridad (Spain) [es]
Zeaka B'Afella (Israel: Hebrew title) [iw]

Runtime:

120 min | 122 min (dvd release)

Country:

Australia | USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Iceland:L | Germany:12 | Argentina:13 | Australia:M | Chile:14 | Finland:K-14 | Sweden:11 | UK:15 | USA:PG-13 | Singapore:PG

Filming Locations:

Alice Springs, Northern Territory, Australia

Company:

Cannon Entertainment

Trivia:

Last cinema film of Dorothy Alison.

Quotes:

Lindy Chamberlain: I'm told, "Don't talk like you normally talk. Watch how you hold your mouth. You look too sour and crabby. Don't get angry. Don't ask too many questions, or they think you're trying to be smart. And never, never, never laugh or you're an uncaring bitch." Well, I can't cry to order, and I won't be squashed into some dumb act for the public... or for you.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in The Nugget (2002)

apparently, you can't be a Seventh Day Adventist in a media-centric society

When I first saw "A Cry in the Dark", I had no idea what the plot was. But when I saw it, I was shocked at what it portrayed. When I saw it a second time in an Australian Cinema class, I realized a second point: communication issues. You see, when a dingo snatched Lindy Chamberlain's (Meryl Streep) baby, she and her husband Michael (Sam Neill) were grief-stricken but didn't show it. As Seventh Day Adventists, they believed that God willed this to happen, and so they couldn't mourn it. But when people all over Australia saw their lack of sadness, everyone started believing that Lindy did it herself.

The point is, the wrong message got communicated to the public, and it turned people against Lindy. Even though this was a pure accident, it still happened. It may be one of the biggest disasters resulting from the existence of mass media, regardless of any media outlet's political views.

As for the performances, Streep does a very good job with an Australian accent (no surprise there), and Sam Neill is equally great. You will probably get blown away just by what you see here. Definitely one of Fred Schepisi's best movies ever.