Against Her Will: An Incident in Baltimore

Delbert Mann is one of the greatest directors of our time, an Oscar-winning director for "Marty," and a pioneer of great television. In this film his skills are as good as they get. His work with Walter Matthau demonstrates how he understands Matthau's intelligence and depth. Mann's choice of Susan Blakely is notable because she's got the brilliance as an actress to be able to hold her own with someone like Matthau. This is an example of what TV Movies should be and can be if the talent is both on the page and on the screen.

As there have already been several comments written about this movie, I'd like to add some information that seem to be unknown to all the comment authors so far.

One of them praises Delbert Mann for giving role to Susan Blakely. This certainly wasn't Mann's choice, because "Against Her Will" is a sequel of 1990. movie "The Incident" where Blakely plays the same role of Matthau's daughter-in-law. As death of her husband (Matthau's son) is a part of the first movie's plot, it is natural that her new found love in the sequel has to be reflected in her relation to her father-in-law.

The last movie in trilogy "Incident in a Small Town" was also made by Mann, but this time without Blakely (and without child SF star Ariana Richards playing her daughter).

The first movie wasn't made by Mann, but by another well-known director (working mostly for TV) Joseph Sargent.

Walter Matthau delivers a stunning portrayal of a near defunct attorney who takes a desperate case. In this film, Matthau's character must gain the release of severely troubled patient of the "corrupt" state mental hospital of Maryland. With a performance such as this, many must wonder why Matthau settles for such poor roles on the big screen.

When I began watching "Against Her Will: An Incident in Baltimore", I was completely unaware that it was the second of three films with the same actors and characters. In 1990, the TV movie "The Incident" debuted and in 1994 "Incident in a Small Town" debuted. I know that these three films are currently posted to YouTube.

Harmon Cobb (Walter Matthau) and his daughter-in-law and granddaughter have just moved to Anne Arundel County in Maryland. This is because retired Judge Bell (Harry Morgan) has given Cobb a job at his legal practice. But Bell is odd in that he not only gives him a job but buys him a car and house....and apparently this generosity is related somehow to the previous movie...which I'll be seeing next.

At this law firm, Cobb is well paid but also a bit unhappy, as he doesn't have much to do and Judge Bell is too generous. In the midst of this, a man comes to Cobb and asks him for help. It seems his Greek girlfriend is stuck in a hellish Maryland state mental hospital. She checked herself in but cannot check herself out...and the hospital isn't being very cooperative.

I assume this is not based on any particular true case, though the story rings true in many ways. Back in the 1940s, some psychiatric facilities were indeed awful and did more harm than good. In essence, many were just dumping grounds for the unwanted. Now I am not attacking current psychiatric treatment, after all, I am a trained psychotherapist...but things were often quite bad back in the 'good old days'...and the film does a nice job of addressing this problem.

There's plenty more to the film, including a subplot involving the daughter-in-law, but the bottom line is that the film is well worth seeing due to the fine acting and lovely period look of this story. Well worth seeing...and it left me eager to see the other two movies.

BACKGROUND ON THIS FILM

1992 Made for TV starring Walter Matthau and Harry Morgan, a "family approved" story about improving legal protections for those improperly incarcerated in state mental institutions circa 1947. Although Baltimore was chosen, the state of Maryland should not be singled out. Mistreatment of the mentally ill was, and is, a nation wide problem.

As recently as yesterday [11/02/2002], the news services reported on the failure of major federal and state programs to deliver on promised multi-agency initiatives to help the mentally ill WITH NO ADDITIONAL EXPENDITURE LEVELS. Where there is ignorance and fear, there is apathy and inertia.

The film's Primary Issue is sovereign immunity: the ability to sue the state AT ALL on behalf of inmates.

Related issues are covered: overuse of insulin therapy. electro-shock therapy, budget-limited feeding (49 cents a day), billing for therapy and other treatments not provided, "ice-pick lobotomy, and on an on, in a system with no checks and balances. etc.

A fascinating and typical story told in a film style without the horrific raw edges that would make the film impossible to show to younger children or citizens' groups.

I say "family approved" because if you surf the internet you can find this film pointed out at various sites which list films that treat issues for specialized populations. The following is illustrative of the TYPE of group that honors AGAINST HER WILL by placing it on their list. I have changed a word here and there to protect their privacy.

QUOTE This website presents a list of 3000 feature films which involve in one way or human disabilities. It is directed towards teachers, students and anyone who has an interest in how disability is represented in films. UNQUOTE

The pacing and intensity of the film is along the lines of the TV series MURDER SHE WROTE or MONK, but with most (not all) of the humor extracted. Issues are introduced gradually and fully elaborated. Gradations of issue, and new points, are "acted out" by having a character embody or manifest the plot development so that the viewer does not have to bring a large vocabulary of prior knowledge. (However, ice-pick lobotomy is left to the advanced viewer who either knows, or doesn't know. No illustrations provide.)

This film is not BIRDY (1984)or DON'T SAY A WORD (2001) or even ONE FLEW OVER THE CUCKOO'S NEXT (1975).

I might especially recommend this for parents of children who--and this happens--were led to tease, bait, bully, or disrespect the mentally ill either in specific (a classmate) or in general ("those wackos").

While it won't build compassion from scratch, the film may build back compassion that was there, and may educate. It's also a great film for the budding attorney in your brood.

Besides which, watching Harry Morgan and Walter Matthau circle each other, and then bond, in typical "old Disney" style, can only be fun for all age groups.

Six out of 10 for basic made-for-TV film accomplishment plus a bonus point for casting equals 7 out of 10.