God Bless the Child

Téléfilm
1988
Not Rated
1h 33min

NOTE IMDb

MA NOTE

Mare Winningham and Dorian Harewood in God Bless the Child (1988)

Ajouter une intrigue dans votre langueSingle mother Theresa Johnnson becomes homeless, loses her job, and tries to survive with her young daughter Hillary through charities and public shelters.Single mother Theresa Johnnson becomes homeless, loses her job, and tries to survive with her young daughter Hillary through charities and public shelters.Single mother Theresa Johnnson becomes homeless, loses her job, and tries to survive with her young daughter Hillary through charities and public shelters.

Voir les informations de production sur IMDbPro

NOTE IMDb

7,2/10

498

MA NOTE

Voir les informations de production sur IMDbPro

Récompenses
- 2 victoires et 1 nomination au total

Photos7

Avis des utilisateurs28

7,2498

Avis à la une

capkronos

Well done, non-preachy.

I usually hate made-for-TV movies, but this one is excellent (yeah, and extremely depressing, but it's eye-opening). Mare Winningham is first-rate as a single mother caught in a cycle of homelessness and poverty with her young daughter after they're abandoned by the father and thrown out of their apartment. The scripter offers no easy way outs or fairy tale endings for these two and the film is surprisingly tough and real. It also does an admirable job illustrating how finding employment, a home and a sense of dignity are next to impossible if you're stuck out on the streets starting from scratch. It's really one of those movies with a most important, life-affirming message--don't for a second take what you have or the people in your life for granted. Harrowing stuff.

For the video inquiry--It was released on video (from WorldVision), but yeah, it's a b*tch to find. (I got my copy used at a video store).

Score: 9 out of 10.

dutchtom1

the American disease

The movie portrays the opposite of the American dream. Because for every great winner there are great losers, not because they deserve that, but because bad luck can strike anyone. And when just surviving becomes an impossible dream to achieve, that's when you know you're a goner. Homelessness is humiliating. It is more important that all citizens have homes and medical aid, than to be spoilt for choice, and become obese, sick with a third house and a yacht, while others have nothing. The Amercian dream should be providence for everyone, but the real nightmare is stark capitalism relentlessly leaving people out in the dark. This movie is incredibly touching and has a communistic message, countering the yuppie consensus of the Reagan era. It surpasses its format, eg, a TV movie. And surpasses most Hollywood dross. 10 out of 10

ketchkev

A very Hard-Hitting Film!

I watched this movie on Lifetime about eight years ago, and it still left an impression on me even still today. The struggle with homelessness is not a fun one, for I know first hand. Mare Winningham gives and excellent and very, very sad performance in this film. It just seems that all the odds are against her, and she's left to make some very rash decisions. You just want so much to help people like this out in the time of need, but have to stand by as helpless as they are. This movie should be recommended as a standard for all to watch, as we are all one paycheck away from the shelter, or even the doorways in our streets. This should not be happening in the greatest country the world has ever known.

10eberkopec

Effects of God Bless the Child live on

This movie is still relevant after 18 years. The characters in the movie would face the same problems today. The movie drives home the point of how homelessness can happen and how hard it is to recover or break the cycle of poverty.

Not only does this movie show how someone can fall into homelessness and poverty and how that devastates a family, it actually inspired someone to DO something about homelessness.

An Ursuline sister, Margaret Scheetz, in Youngstown Ohio, saw the movie and was inspired to start a program for homeless women with children. The program, Beatitude House, provides transitional housing for homeless women while they pursue a full-time education. It also provides counseling, parenting programs, case management, group counseling and budgeting education.

The program started in 1991 with one apartment; it now has 24 apartments in Youngstown and 7 in Warren, Ohio. Beatitude House now includes an education and career preparation program for disadvantaged women, and has added a permanent supportive housing program for disabled homeless women or women who have disabled children. (More information is available at www.beatitudehouseonline.org.)

So, Thank You Mare Winningham, D. Michael Nemec (the writer), and everyone who produced or acted in this movie. Your work has truly changed lives.

9Nozz

God Bless Mare Winningham

I think there's no better actress out there than Mare Winningham. It seems that almost always she plays a victim, maybe because she's not jaw-dropping beautiful. But she's believable in every role, and in this one she takes you with her on a downward spiral where the only consolation is her own dogged innocence. Helps you realize, once more, that the people you don't stop to look at twice are each, no less than the striking ones, a complete human world.

Histoire

Modifier

Le saviez-vous

Modifier

Gaffes
When Theresa first looks at her low-income apartment, lots of holes and other damage are visible in the walls; the damage changes and even disappears in later scenes.

Citations
Theresa Johnson: [to Hillary] Honey, it's almost lunchtime. I'm gonna go get us some sandwiches. Do you think you can stay here and play by yourself for a little while?
Hillary Johnson: Yeah, I wanna go on the swings.
[as she runs towards them]
Theresa Johnson: Good.
[pause]
Theresa Johnson: No, wait!
[she beckons Hillary back over]
Theresa Johnson: Don't forget Mary Beth!
[hands Hillary her doll]
Hillary Johnson: [happily] Okay.
[she runs back to the swings, Theresa walks off to a large tree in the park and hides behind it, watching Hillary swing as Reed's van pulls up. He exits the vehicle with a social worker]
Calvin Reed: Hillary!
Hillary Johnson: [happy to see him] Hi!
Calvin Reed: Hi! Could you come over here, please?
Hillary Johnson: [getting off the swing and walks to him] Mom's gone. She went to get sandwiches.
Calvin Reed: I know. She asked me to come get you, take you over to my house.
Hillary Johnson: Why? Is she gonna be there?
Calvin Reed: [patiently] Now Hillary, you and I are going to have to talk about some things.
Hillary Johnson: [pointing to the social worker] Who's that?
Calvin Reed: Her name is Mrs. McCurdy, and she's a very nice lady. She's going to come with me.
Hillary Johnson: [protesting as Calvin leads her to his van] But I'm not supposed to go with anybody but my mommy.
Calvin Reed: [as Theresa watches from behind the tree, crying] I know, sweetheart. But this time is different.
Hillary Johnson: [frightened] My mommy told me to stay here.
Calvin Reed: [soothingly] It's OK, we're just gonna go over to my house.
Hillary Johnson: [crying] Why can't we wait for her?