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If These Walls Could Talk

If These Walls Could Talk

List Price: $9.97
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Product Info Reviews

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Rating: 5 stars
Summary: A movie story pertinent today
Review: This movie is about unwanted pregnancies and the issue of abortion. One in the 1950s, 1970s and 1990s. All affect people that live in the same house. Demi Moore in the 1950's is a young widow, Sissy Spacek is an older mother in the 1970's and Anne Heche is a young college student in the 1990's.

EACH PERSON'S STORY IS DIFFERENT:
The story covers 3 women, who clearly have different reasons for not wanting to be pregnant. All three women would find it difficult or near impossible to give up a child to adoption as well. Only one was involved in a stable relationship. Also, these are clearly not people who consider abortion or pregnancy lightly. One clearly had strong feelings on the issue prior to becoming pregnant.

KEY HERE IS THE WOMAN'S RIGHT TO A CHOICE:
In the 1950's there was none. In the 1970s, information was still sparse. However, even 30 years later in the 1990's, there still is a divided line. It is clear this right is divided across religious or philosophical lines. What concerns me, it that it is predominantly religious and our rights really should be clear in that direction.

BOTH PRO-CHOICE AND PRO-LIFE SIDES WILL BE MOVED BY THIS MOVIE:
Without spouting my own beliefs (too much), I feel this movie shows the issues fairly. There are times when a pregnancy, is through no fault of the woman, truly unwanted. Birth control methods fail. It is not like the woman can just go on with their lives as normal, as can be seen in all of the episodes. This is a life altering situation for each woman, for any woman. Even if adoption were considered, there is still the 9 months and the uncertaintly as well as the stigma of giving up a child. We've all heard of adoption horror stories.
Also, the illusion of "support" after birth by the Right to life movement is a "temporary" solution for a long term commitment.

WHAT I FOUND TO BE INTERESTING AND DOES NOT SET RIGHT WITH ME, was some of the Right to Life protestor's tactics. This is also pertinent to this story as well. Right to life should mean just that right to life for all parties. Lets first start with those that are fully realized human beings. I cannot understand how these Right to life enthusiasts can consider the "rights" of an unborn child and consider harming others in the same breath. The logic escapes me. This is not fiction in this sense, it happened 50 miles from where I live. There is no justification if they truly believe in their philosophy. Otherwise they are merely posers trying to control other's lives with their religious dogma.

BASED ON THIS MOVIE AND MY OBSERVATIONS:
This is a religious issue and our country provides for a separation of church and state. Your right's end where mine begin...End of story.

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: good but if these walls could talk 2 are better
Review: This movie was not daring the second one was it was not as out there as this one is which in my oppineon is a good thing. If these walls could talk is ok but if these walls could talk two is a must see.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: A Powerful Take on a Continuing Controversy
Review: This trilogy of stories is both powerful and thought provoking. The movie follows the stories of three women of different eras who are conflicted regarding their unplanned pregnancies. While fictional in form, in reality it reflects the changing views and policies toward abortion from the 1950's to the present era.

The setting of all three segments is in a single house. This masterful production/directorial technique seems to be symbolic for an issue which has always been controversial to many. As the house becomes more and more dilapidated over each segment, we also see that the right to abortion is becoming a compoundingly fragile right that could be taken away at any time. Instead of gaining strength over time, the volatile issue is subject to the demands of the political party in command.

The dynamics of the eras are reflected so realistically in each segment, that a viewer cannot help but to be actively drawn into the drama. The segments feature all-star casts including such heavy hitters as Demi Moore, Sissy Spacek, Cher, Anne Heche, and Jada Pinkett. Cher deserves special attention for both directing and acting in the excellent third segment.

Rather than pro-choice, I think the video challenges us to think, "What if there were no choice?" This is recommended viewing for women and men alike, and this movie will stay in your thoughts for a long time to come.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Wonderful
Review: Very moving trilogy of shorts. Takes a women's view point on the difficulties of deciding on whether or not to have an abortion. As I am in my 30's and have always only been aware of a "Roe vs. Wade" world, the first short was shocking in what what women used to have to endure. While abortion is such a difficult issue and while I consider myself to be pro-choice, I also feel I can see and understand some of the pro-life arguments. The first short in this trilogy made me feel even more strongly that we must never totally outlaw abortion again. The cost would be to high in the end. Buy or rent this video and see what your thoughts are at it's conclusion. All three stories are excellent, moving, and thought-provoking in their own ways.

Rating: 1 stars
Summary: If These Walls Could Preach & Nag
Review: When this film was first broadcast on HBO back in 1996, I found it quite compelling. Yes, it had its less than subtle moments, but for a made-for-cable movie, it was pretty darn effective, I thought. The anthology approach--three stories from three different eras in recent history (the 50s, the 70s and the mid-90s)--effectively portrayed the shift in attitudes toward abortion in the US over the past several decades and how its legalization has profoundly altered women's lives. The film's occasional heavyhandedness was not unexpected, but the top flight cast seemed to overcome the script's occasional lapses into preachiness. And overall, it seemed to reflect as balanced a treatment of a complex issue as you could possibly hope for (while definitely maintaining a "pro-choice" perspective throughout).

Or so it seemed at the time. On re-viewing the film recently, I found I had less patience with its flaws for some reason. I have little argument with the pro-choice point of view being advanced by the film. Indeed the film's message that such a choice is almost never anything but traumatic is a potent one and one that abortion rights opponents need always to keep in mind.

But it doesn't invalidate the film's message to say that it probably could have been handled with more subtlety. There are a number of moments in all three films that could have used a leavening touch, but I'll limit myself to one from the third installment (SPOILER WARNING): namely the shoot-up in the clinic that serves as the film's climax.

As someone else pointed out below, by the mid-90s most abortion clinics had metal detectors. Gunmen outside the clinics remained a hazard, but there is no reported case of abortion providers getting shot on the premises (none that I am aware of anyway). Yes, yes, there is such a thing as dramatic license, but when you're dealing with such an incendiary topic to begin with, it's hardly necessary to invoke it.

WALLS remains worth watching, to be sure, but if I were to recommend just one film on the topic of abortion, this would probably not be the one. A film like CITIZEN RUTH addresses the same themes with more irony and panache than this sometimes ploddingly earnest effort can muster.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Walls and Bridges
Review: When this film was first broadcast on HBO back in 1996, I found it quite compelling. Yes, it had its less than subtle moments, but for a made-for-cable movie, it was pretty darn effective, I thought. The anthology approach--three stories from three different eras in recent history (the 50s, the 70s and the mid-90s)--effectively portrayed the shift in attitudes toward abortion in the US over the past several decades and how its legalization has profoundly altered women's lives. The film's occasional heavyhandedness was not unexpected, but the top flight cast seemed to overcome the script's occasional lapses into preachiness. And overall, it seemed to reflect as balanced a treatment of a complex issue as you could possibly hope for (while definitely maintaining a "pro-choice" perspective throughout).

Or so it seemed at the time. On re-viewing the film recently, I found I had less patience with its flaws for some reason. I have little argument with the pro-choice point of view being advanced by the film. Indeed the film's message that such a choice is almost never anything but traumatic is a potent one and one that abortion rights opponents need always to keep in mind.

But it doesn't invalidate the film's message to say that it probably could have been handled with more subtlety. There are a number of moments in all three films that could have used a leavening touch, but I'll limit myself to one from the third installment (SPOILER WARNING): namely the shoot-up in the clinic that serves as the film's climax.

As someone else pointed out below, by the mid-90s most abortion clinics had metal detectors. Gunmen outside the clinics remained a hazard, but there is no reported case of abortion providers getting shot on the premises (none that I am aware of anyway). Yes, yes, there is such a thing as dramatic license, but when you're dealing with such an incendiary topic to begin with, it's hardly necessary to invoke it.

WALLS remains worth watching, to be sure, but if I were to recommend just one film on the topic of abortion, this would probably not be the one. A film like CITIZEN RUTH addresses the same themes with more irony and panache than this sometimes ploddingly earnest effort can muster.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: If These Walls Could Talk
Review: With Election 2000 right around the corner, this movie is a must see for men and women concered with reproductive health issues. The first short was the best as it showed how society was too quick to judge a woman. The desperation and humiliation of women faced with a unwanted pregnancy just breaks my heart and I hope those days do not return. The last short with Cher was very powerful as well. In the 1950's the woman died from abortion now in the 90's into 2000, It's the Doctors who perform abortions who die! Weather you're pro-choice or pro-life, this movie will give you food for thought.


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