I enjoyed this film an afternoon in 1979. Here in Chile was called "Mensaje a mi hija" (a simple translate from the original title). The audio was Latin-Spanish (dubbing in Mexico). First, I called my attention the transfer from record reel to the "brandnew" cassette (the mp3player from yesterday). I never forget the incredible communication that the died mother has with her daughter via tapes recorders. At the end, another unforgettable scene: she called by telephone to her stepfather, and say him "papá me puedes enviar dinero estoy en bancarrota" ( Dad, may you send me money, I have't any dollar). Yes, this American film is this kind of movies that its owner is the world. Very beautiful film, I never couldn't see again, but i can remember every scene.
15 Reviews
Whip out those Kleenex....
planktonrules9 March 2017
The story in "Message to My Daughter" is very, very maudlin...so I am warning you. If you are depressed, it's NOT a good film to see and it's definitely a film to watch with a box of Kleenex nearby!
When the film begins, young Miranda (Kitty Winn) is driving like she would just as soon die...and she nearly does! She winds up in the hospital and her father (Martin Sheen) is scared but only seems to know how to yell at her. Later, after trying very unsuccessfully to communicate with her about her problems, he offers her a VERY strange gift--a stack of audio recordings her mother made specifically to be given to Miranda when she is older. What is this all about anyway? Well, it seems that Miranda's mom, Janet (Bonnie Bedelia) died when Miranda was only a toddler...and the tapes consist of her mother talking to her, talking about her life and giving her nuggets of wisdom (such as a sex talk, dealing with parents, struggling with wanting to get an abortion, etc.). The plot is a bit contrived and odd, that's for sure! But it IS something will suck you into the film as Miranda goes through a journey of self-discovery.
Overall, this is a very good and very manipulative film...with a theme song that might just annoy the heck out of you. In the 1970s it worked...today...not so much. A great film if you're looking for a good cry. And, quite daring since it deals with abortion...which was hardly ever talked about at the time or even now.
By the way, wouldn't the tapes have been reel to reel since the mother died in 1956? Cassettes weren't invented until 1962. Yet, oddly, it's all on cassettes.
When the film begins, young Miranda (Kitty Winn) is driving like she would just as soon die...and she nearly does! She winds up in the hospital and her father (Martin Sheen) is scared but only seems to know how to yell at her. Later, after trying very unsuccessfully to communicate with her about her problems, he offers her a VERY strange gift--a stack of audio recordings her mother made specifically to be given to Miranda when she is older. What is this all about anyway? Well, it seems that Miranda's mom, Janet (Bonnie Bedelia) died when Miranda was only a toddler...and the tapes consist of her mother talking to her, talking about her life and giving her nuggets of wisdom (such as a sex talk, dealing with parents, struggling with wanting to get an abortion, etc.). The plot is a bit contrived and odd, that's for sure! But it IS something will suck you into the film as Miranda goes through a journey of self-discovery.
Overall, this is a very good and very manipulative film...with a theme song that might just annoy the heck out of you. In the 1970s it worked...today...not so much. A great film if you're looking for a good cry. And, quite daring since it deals with abortion...which was hardly ever talked about at the time or even now.
By the way, wouldn't the tapes have been reel to reel since the mother died in 1956? Cassettes weren't invented until 1962. Yet, oddly, it's all on cassettes.
Move ahead of its time
wedgewood5825 December 2014
I watched this movie in the '70s and was very moved by it. I think it was ahead of its time in that it addressed the issue of abortion by showing how dangerous it was for young women at the time as the procedure was not regulated. It also showed how judgmental society was at that time. The young woman's parents were more concerned about what their neighbors would say rather than what was happening to their daughter. The 3 main actors played their parts with strength and understatement.
I still remember the poem by Christina Rossetti,the young woman read to her daughter "When I am dead, my dearest . . . "
I still remember the poem by Christina Rossetti,the young woman read to her daughter "When I am dead, my dearest . . . "
A voice from the grave, a mother's love comforts.
wisewebwoman17 November 1999
This is a movie ahead of its time in its portrayal of a troubled young woman who decides not to have an abortion. In her tapes to her daughter, she is real, angry at times, hostile to her own parents. When I saw it years ago on TV I remember a different soundtrack, a John Denver one, with "sunshine on my shoulder" being the theme. I must have mixed up movies. The movie itself left a lasting impression on me, as my mother had died two years before. I bought it the other day. It is dated and rather choppy now. The daughter's character is not fully explored but the mother's is. A good double hanky number.
What kinda teenager was I?
timothy801722 April 2020
I was so drawn to this then. I remember it so well. Miraculously my search on YouTube with very little information was spot on!! Now I want to Rewatch The Panic in Needle Park. This picture is dated a little. But, when the mother says "My baby!" I was a blubbering mess. ABC TV Movies in those days are GREAT. Reccomendation. Watch The Jericho Mile, with Peter Strauss 1979.
Cassette tapes
kimberjoy-5630030 January 2024
Warning: Spoilers
Miranda's father gave her a stack of reels, and Miranda had them copied to cassettes.
I watch this film on occasion, having read the novel first.
Miranda was jaded and felt disconnected from her father; I thought she was self-absorbed & rude at times. Trying to see the world through her eyes is too depressing!
So I switch to Janet, hoping she inspires curiosity and gratitude. Eventually she does, through her courage & humour. I especially liked Johnny's affection for Janet and how viscerally he was affected by her refusal to let self-pity steal her joy. Johnny's outburst at the hospital was a direct result of this effect on his experience through Janet's determination to stay upbeat through her terminal illness.
Overall it's a sappy, corny & bittersweet way to spend a stormy afternoon.
I watch this film on occasion, having read the novel first.
Miranda was jaded and felt disconnected from her father; I thought she was self-absorbed & rude at times. Trying to see the world through her eyes is too depressing!
So I switch to Janet, hoping she inspires curiosity and gratitude. Eventually she does, through her courage & humour. I especially liked Johnny's affection for Janet and how viscerally he was affected by her refusal to let self-pity steal her joy. Johnny's outburst at the hospital was a direct result of this effect on his experience through Janet's determination to stay upbeat through her terminal illness.
Overall it's a sappy, corny & bittersweet way to spend a stormy afternoon.
a great early martin sheen performance
keithi-123 June 2005
i've read all of the other reviews but no one mentions martin sheen . i saw this film by chance. it must have been a rebroadcast in 1975 or 1976. and i have never forgotten the magnificent, underplayed performance by martin sheen, exhibiting the quiet strength that is so characteristic of much of his later work. it made me a lifelong fan. and yes, bonnie bedelia was also wonderful (although frankly, until i read the other reviews, i had not remembered it was her, this being so early in her career). a powerful film, that says so much about how little we sometimes know about the people we are closest to, until something surprises us (noting the daughter's comment near the end of the film, speaking of her father).
The message was shocking but necessary.
mark.waltz19 April 2022
Warning: Spoilers
The performances by Bonnie Bedelia and Kitty Winn are truly winning in this drama about a mother and daughter who never got to meet in adulthood. Winn died years ago and has left behind reel-to-reel tapes for her daughter to listen to when she's an adult. Husband Martin Sheen has held on to them for years, and when Bedelia has a breakdown which results in a very bad car accident, he decides it's time to hand them over, with him only knowing the reason why he waited so long. That's the question I had throughout the film until a Twist really tells why. Bedelia takes off for train trip nearly across country, taking the tapes with her as well as a portable player that she takes with her and listens to everywhere she goes. The life of the deceased mother is explained through her own relationship with her own parents, as well as twists along the way that are parallel in many ways to the emotional strain the 19 year old Bedelia is feeling even though her situation is completely different. The emotional breakdown she has is never explained in reasons other than the trouble of youth, and considering everything, her issues aren't too difficult to understand and empathize with.
You get to see Martin Sheen in mature makeup and as his young self as well, and as he was not too much older than Bedelia, that's realistic casting, and he doesn't look ridiculous with the slicked-back hair and mustache. The flashbacks going to 1959 are mixed in with those set in the early seventies, but the narrative is never confusing because of the jumping around of time. Both stories are interesting, and both characters have encounters with people along the way that add a bit of humor and insight into their personalities. Winn's estrangement from her parents it's also dealt with in a way that is realistic, with her being the one to decide when it's time to mend those broken fences. There are a few social elements of Winn's story that were very topical when this was released. I like the usage of a Karen Carpenter song although it's obviously not her singing. It is a film that shows a triumph over despondency and certainly is a message for hope.
You get to see Martin Sheen in mature makeup and as his young self as well, and as he was not too much older than Bedelia, that's realistic casting, and he doesn't look ridiculous with the slicked-back hair and mustache. The flashbacks going to 1959 are mixed in with those set in the early seventies, but the narrative is never confusing because of the jumping around of time. Both stories are interesting, and both characters have encounters with people along the way that add a bit of humor and insight into their personalities. Winn's estrangement from her parents it's also dealt with in a way that is realistic, with her being the one to decide when it's time to mend those broken fences. There are a few social elements of Winn's story that were very topical when this was released. I like the usage of a Karen Carpenter song although it's obviously not her singing. It is a film that shows a triumph over despondency and certainly is a message for hope.
tearjerker
debbiejeff17 October 2005
I saw this movie years ago before i had my first daughter, i have two now that are almost thirty.It touch me so deeply that i swore if i ever had a daughter and knew my time to die was near that this was the most clever way to bond with her. It made me cry a lot. Well the daughters name was Maranda and that's my second daughters name.Over the years i've never heard a name even close other than the miranda rights. My daughter hated the name because no one else had it. But now through the 90's its appearing even in movie stars. So to the writer thank you for writing a movie that i will never forget and I'm 50yrs. young and for helping me name my daughter.I'm searching for a copy so she can see it too. The message was very clear and the movie well written. Its sad that movies these days aren't as powerful in showing true love and this one.
good movie
batcavehotline31 May 2006
amazing i saw this film when i was 14 and still remember it today.was very moving and as it was on in the afternoon was quite shocking for the year ,wish i could buy it on DVD.excellent acting from all party's and a real tear jerker,I've always been a film buff and even at a early age i kept a log of films i would like to see again ,unfortunatly I've never seen it aired again,we get American love stories here on TV here every afternoon now(england) and i always check the listings for it,sadly no sign of it yet.any body with imfo please e mail me,batcavehotline@aol.com or if you have any comments about my view,thanks for taking time to read my comment,steve
Memorable
Ripshin25 March 2004
I saw this, at age eleven, when it first aired in 1973. My parents had left us alone for the evening, and I'm certain they would have been quite angry if they'd known we had watched a film involving a potential abortion. Frankly, I can't even imagine a current network TV movie daring to approach this subject in the same way. This film had a lasting impression on me - so much so, that I clipped the TV listing from the paper, and put it in my box of "favorite movies" after I saw it. I just came upon this title again, while performing a cross-reference IMDb search. Now, if I can only find that box with all those TV clippings - I'd love to revisit the films which meant so much to me as a child.
The First Really Sad Movie I Ever Saw
Reteena13 August 2006
The first time I saw this movie I was 9 or 10. The movie is much more about the mother whose recounting events on a audio tapes for her daughter. Her daughter listens to the tapes when she is about 17 or 18. I don't want to give too much away, but by the end of the movie you are totally experiencing the multiplicity of emotions that her daughter experiences. I loved every single person in this movie - all of them. If you need a super deep cry, grab this one and a large box of Kleenex. It is moving, touching, and as the other reviewer said, way ahead of its time.
PS - This is not sappy, unrealistic or predictable, either. It's not a "Terms of Endearment" or anything like that, either.
PS - This is not sappy, unrealistic or predictable, either. It's not a "Terms of Endearment" or anything like that, either.
Memories
peaches10275429 March 2009
I saw this movie in 1976 while I was pregnant with my son. I thought I would never stop crying....(actually I haven't) but I remember if I had a girl I was going to name her Miranda...his name is Matthew so that never happened but it made an impact on me. I am going to get if for my 21 year old daughter to watch since she has a one year old now. My daughter was on her way to have an abortion, but did not do it. She decided to keep her child even though there would be a lot of difficulty since her father and I are divorced and I live in another state now. She has not been diagnosed with a terminal illness however leaving a recorded message to our daughters is not a bad idea. As we grow and age and times change basically we all have the same human behaviors and feelings of those who have gone before us, the fears and rejection. There is no greater rejection than abortion even though it is a woman's right to choose.
Very well done-- Should check to see if a Library has it.
inquiryworks22 March 2008
I was looking for a Martin Sheen movie similar to this, and re-connected to this movie. It's so long ago, but all three characters were (are) moving to me, and very well played. It could very easily have been sappy or preachy, but it played quite well.
I watched this when I was "between", about 22-23, beyond teen-age angst, but not a grown up parent. All three characters spoke to me. Truly one of those "open filming" movies that were shown 1971 approximately, and now they cut or fuzz over, topics or body parts.
I guess I remembered Bonnie Bedelia strongly from this movie, and she had not been in many movies, particularly just after that. If I find a place that owns it, I will let you all know.
I watched this when I was "between", about 22-23, beyond teen-age angst, but not a grown up parent. All three characters spoke to me. Truly one of those "open filming" movies that were shown 1971 approximately, and now they cut or fuzz over, topics or body parts.
I guess I remembered Bonnie Bedelia strongly from this movie, and she had not been in many movies, particularly just after that. If I find a place that owns it, I will let you all know.
Salem's Lot
richard.fuller18 April 2005
I'm watching it as I type.
Bonnie Bedelia. I am always reminded of how beautiful she is and that she looks like Molly Shannon, formerly of Saturday Night Live, I think, anyway.
I had heard of her Oscar nominated performance in "Heart Like A Wheel" a movie about race car driver Shirley Muldowney, and I knew Bedelia was in the Die-hard movies, two of them anyway.
I looked her name up to see what else she might have done that I had seen.
Message to My Daughter, a 1973 telemovie.
About the right time. A quick read of the plot confirmed it. This is what I saw way back then.
I didn't watch all of it, but it seemed incredibly intriguing, and I do remember the abortion attempt, but she changed her mind.
It was the year of Roe v. Wade.
So was this movie pro abortion or anti abortion? 1973 wasn't a tame year for subject matter, but it is astonishing that more isn't heard about this film.
Bonnie Bedelia. I am always reminded of how beautiful she is and that she looks like Molly Shannon, formerly of Saturday Night Live, I think, anyway.
I had heard of her Oscar nominated performance in "Heart Like A Wheel" a movie about race car driver Shirley Muldowney, and I knew Bedelia was in the Die-hard movies, two of them anyway.
I looked her name up to see what else she might have done that I had seen.
Message to My Daughter, a 1973 telemovie.
About the right time. A quick read of the plot confirmed it. This is what I saw way back then.
I didn't watch all of it, but it seemed incredibly intriguing, and I do remember the abortion attempt, but she changed her mind.
It was the year of Roe v. Wade.
So was this movie pro abortion or anti abortion? 1973 wasn't a tame year for subject matter, but it is astonishing that more isn't heard about this film.
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