Scream at the abyss

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Movie
German title Scream at the abyss
Original title Small Sacrifices
Country of production United States ,
Canada
original language English
Publishing year 1989
length 118 minutes
Age rating FSK 16
Rod
Director David Greene
script Joyce Eliason
production S. Bryan Hickox
music Peter Manning Robinson
camera Ron Orieux
cut Parkie L. Singh
occupation

Schrei am Abgrund (cross-reference title: View into the Abyss , Original Title: Small Sacrifices ) is an American - Canadian drama from 1989 directed by David Greene , written by Joyce Eliason . The TV film is based on the true crime bestseller of the same name by Ann Rule .

The film is about Diane Downs and the murder and attempted murder of her three children. Farrah Fawcett plays the leading role. The film premiered on November 12, 1989 on ABC .

action

At about 10:48 p.m. on May 19, 1983, Diane Downs drove to McKenzie Willamette Hospital in Springfield , Oregon with a gunshot wound on her arm . She claimed that an unknown assailant tried to tie her up and shoot her three children: Karen, 8, Shauna, 7, and Robby, 3. Shauna was dead upon arrival at the hospital, Diane's son was paralyzed from the chest down, and the eldest daughter Karen survived seriously injured. After a temporary loss of speech due to a stroke after the shooting, she recovered enough to testify against her mother.

After an investigation, prosecutor Frank Joziak found that Diane was indeed the perpetrator . In order to be able to enter into a relationship with the married man Lew Lewiston, who did not want to have children and who was about to separate from his wife, she had tried to get rid of her children. She is taken into custody and landed on trial. There, both her daughter and Lew testify against her when he realizes what Diane did and why. It becomes clear that he has reconciled with his wife because of the events. Eventually Diane is classified as a sociopath by the psychiatrist in court .

Of the jury, Diane Downs is sentenced by the judge to life imprisonment in a maximum security prison for murder, attempted murder and assault on her children . Their two surviving children are then adopted by Frank Joziak and his wife Lola and have a happy life with them.

reception

TV Today thinks the film has an “explosive story” and is “well told and with a prominent cast”. TV Spielfilm writes that Farrah is "almost unearthly good". In contrast, the film service describes the film as "an easy-to-see television production that at the end of the day makes use of increasingly monstrous psychologization" to "identify the perpetrator as the victim of an unhappy childhood". Farrah Fawcett, who delivers "the inadequate stereotype of a sociopath", is "disappointing".

The television film was nominated for both a Golden Globe and an Emmy in 1990 for best mini-series or best television film. Leading actress Farrah Fawcett received a nomination for best leading role in a miniseries or a television movie at both awards.

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Look into the abyss . In: TVToday.de . Retrieved June 23, 2018.
  2. ↑ Look into the abyss . In: TVSpielfilm.de . Retrieved June 23, 2018.
  3. ↑ Scream at the Abyss . In: Filmdienst . Retrieved June 23, 2018.