A movie review

If These Walls Could Talk (1996)

Yeah, it's about abortion. I watched it today because I'd forgotten to take it off my Netflix list.

The first story takes place in the 1950's, where a young widow has found herself pregnant after a one-night stand with her dead husband's brother. This being 1952, children are only a welcome blessing when conceived under the right circumstances-otherwise they are a sign of shame. And people want to bring those days back?

A desperate character (played by Demi Moore) desperately attempts to terminate the pregancy, first by overdosing on pills, then with a knitting needle, then finally with the services of an illegally operating doctor using unsterilzed equipment on her kitchen table. This first part of the film ends with her bleeding and desperately trying to call for help.

Story #2 opens in 1974. A mother of four (Sissy Spacek) is pregnant again--not what she'd wanted at this point in her life! Even more disturbing is the reaction of her hippie teenage daughter, who resents that she might have to go to a state college instead of the Ivy League school she wanted to go to. I wanted to strangle the braless know-it-all and scream "some of us had to pay our OWN way through college, you selfish child!". She wanted to kill her own sibling more than her mother did.

And in the end, the baby lived. If this portion had ended with an abortion, I don't think I could have made it through the rest of the movie.

Story #3, 1996. Anne Heche is a college student impregnated by a married professor. He breaks it off and hands her some money-not enough to support the child, but enough to get it taken care of. Way to take responsibility there, Professor. Heche's character is struggling with this as she's personally against abortion, as is her best friend (played by Jada Pinkett).

Heche makes a first trip to the local clinic alone. It is mostly peaceful there, the only protests being from a non-violent group of mostly older women praying rosaries in front of the clinic. When Heche approaches, they are polite and offer other options and will pray for her. Finally! A positive portrayal of pro-lifers.

She enters the clinic, but later changes her mind and leaves having not had the abortion.

I wish I could say the film ends there.

First we had Black Friday. SUCH a big deal to line up at the shops at 6am.

Now? Stores are open on Thanksgiving Day.

Not cool, retailers!