Changeling (2008)

User Rating:

8.1/10   

Director:

Clint Eastwood

Writer (WGA):

J. Michael Straczynski (written by)

Release Date:

31 October 2008 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | History | Mystery | Thriller

Tagline:

To find her son, she did what no one else dared.

Plot:

A grief-stricken mother takes on the LAPD to her own detriment when it stubbornly tries to pass off an obvious impostor as her missing child, while also refusing to give up hope that she will find him one day.

Plot Keywords:

Police | Boy | Corruption | Single Mother | Missing Child

Awards:

Nominated for 3 Oscars. Another 3 wins & 30 nominations

Cast

Angelina Jolie	...	Christine Collins
Gattlin Griffith	...	Walter Collins
Michelle Gunn	...	Sandy
Jan Devereaux	...	Operator
Erica Grant	...	Operator
Antonia Bennett	...	Operator
Kerri Randles	...	Operator
Frank Wood	...	Ben Harris
Morgan Eastwood	...	Girl on Tricycle
Madison Hodges	...	Neighborhood Girl
John Malkovich	...	Rev. Gustav Briegleb
Colm Feore	...	Chief James E. Davis
Devon Conti	...	Arthur Hutchins
Ric Sarabia	...	Man at Diner
J.P. Bumstead	...	Cook

MPAA:

Rated R for some violent and disturbing content, and language.

Runtime:

141 min

Country:

USA

Language:

Portuguese | English

Colour:

Colour

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

SDDS | Dolby Digital | DTS

Certification:

USA:R (certificate #44429) | UK:15 | Canada:13+ (Québec) | Canada:14A (Alberta/British Columbia/Manitoba/Ontario) | Ireland:16 | Switzerland:14 (canton of Vaud) | Switzerland:14 (canton of Geneva) | Australia:MA | Finland:K-15 | Denmark:15 | Iceland:16 | Netherlands:16 | Sweden:15 | Japan:PG-12 | South Korea:18 | Czech Republic:15 | Singapore:NC-16 | New Zealand:R16 | Portugal:M/12 (Qualidade) | Brazil:16 | Philippines:R-18 (MTRCB) | Norway:15 | Germany:12 (f) | Hong Kong:IIB | Taiwan:PG-12 | Argentina:13 | Peru:14 | Austria:14 | France:U (with warning) | Mexico:B

Filming Locations:

Daniel Webster Elementary School - 2101 E. Washington Boulevard, Pasadena, California, USA

Company:

Imagine Entertainment

Trivia:

The first cut ran 50 minutes longer. It includes two major scenes shot but removed. The first subplot is a long roof chase where Northcott (Jason Butler Harner) eludes capture from the Mounties. Another major deleted sequence is where after Christine returns from the mental institution, Briegleb (John Malkovich) brings men to protect her as he believes that she was in danger from the LAPD.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: The last scene shows an L.A. street. An old-style traffic post with a GO signal is on the right. Cars come and go as the credits roll, but the signal never changes to STOP.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Christine Collins: Walter, honey. Time to wake up.
Walter Collins: Just ten more minutes...
Christine Collins: Sorry, sport. You can sleep in tomorrow, that's what Saturdays are for.

Movie Connections:

References "Babylon 5" (1994)

A Terrific Film!

Changeling is the new film from director Clint Eastwood. It is based on a true story that takes place in 1928 L.A.

The story is about a woman who returns home one day to find her son missing. Then a few months later the police return a child to her, but it isn't her son. The woman keeps on telling everyone that this child isn't her son, but the police keep on claiming that it is her son and are calling the woman crazy.

The film is a wonderful study about police corruption in L.A. in the late 1920s. The film is emotionally gripping, and at times disturbing.

The film was superbly directed by Clint Eastwood, who was working from a terrific script by J. Michael Straczynski. Not only that, but Eastwood also wrote the film's score, which was very good as well. Of course the acting is what truly stole the show for me. Angelina Jolie delivers an Oscar worthy performance as the mother of the missing child, but what truly surprised me was how good these children in the cast were. All of the child actors were very well cast and all delivered amazing performances.

As a whole Eastwood's Changeling is one of the best films of the year, and should be up for some big-time Oscars at year's end.

A perfect 10 out of 10!