Everything about If These Walls Could Talk totally explained
If These Walls Could Talk is a
1996 Golden Globe and
Emmy Award-nominated
made for television movie, broadcast on
HBO. It follows the plights of three different women and their experiences with
abortion. Each of the three stories takes place in the same house in three different years:
1952,
1974, and
1996. All three segments were co-written by
Nancy Savoca. Savoca directed the first and second segment while
Cher directed the third.
The women's experiences in each vignette are designed to demonstrate the popular views of society on the issue in each of the given decades. The film became a surprise success, and was HBO's highest rated movie ever. The film's success was followed by an international release, and spawned a sequel,
If These Walls Could Talk 2 (
2000), starring
Sharon Stone,
Michelle Williams,
Chloë Sevigny and
Ellen DeGeneres, which deals with
homosexuality in three different eras.
The films
Common Ground (2000) and
The Hours (2002) would also use a similar format to address the issue of
homophobia as
If These Walls Could Talk.
Anne Heche, who starred in the 1996 segment went on to direct the sequel, which received an
Emmy Award.
Plot
1952
The 1952 segment deals with Claire Donnelly (
Demi Moore), a widowed nurse living in suburban
Chicago, who becomes pregnant by her brother-in-law and decides to undergo abortion in order not to hurt her late husband's family. However, abortion at the time is strictly illegal. Donnelly eventually finds another nurse (
CCH Pounder) who provides her the name of a woman who can find her someone who will perform the abortion. She finally manages to abort, but dies shortly after due to hemorrhage.
1974
The 1974 segment deals with Barbara Barrows (
Sissy Spacek), a struggling and aging mother with four children, who discovers she must welcome another addition to the family, despite having recently gone back to college. She considers abortion with the support of her teenage daughter (
Hedy Burress) but ultimately chooses to keep the child.
1996
The 1996 segment deals with Christine Cullen (
Anne Heche), a college student who got pregnant by her married professor decides on an abortion when he breaks up with her and only offers her money. She is operated on by Dr. Beth Thompson (
Cher). However, the abortion takes place during a violent protest, and an abortion protester (
Matthew Lillard) walks in on the operation and shoots Dr. Thompson.
Cast
1952 segment:
1974 segment:
Sissy Spacek - Barbara Barrows
Xander Berkeley - John Barrows
Hedy Burress - Linda Barrows
Janna Michaels - Sally Barrows
Ian Bohen - Scott Barrows
Zack Eginton - Ryan Barrows
1996 segment:
Anne Heche - Christine Cullen
Cher - Dr. Beth Thompson
Jada Pinkett Smith - Patti
Eileen Brennan - Tessie
Lindsay Crouse - Frances White
Craig T. Nelson - Jim Harris
Matthew Lillard - Protester
Awards and nominations
Emmy Awards
- Outstanding Made for Television Movie (nomination)
- Outstanding Editing for a Miniseries or a Special - Single Camera Production (nomination)
- Outstanding Hairstyling for a Miniseries or a Special (nomination)
Golden Globe Awards
- (nomination)
- – Demi Moore (nomination)
- – Cher (nomination)
NAACP Image Awards
- Outstanding Lead Actress in a Television Movie or Mini-Series – Jada Pinkett Smith (nomination)
National Educational Media Network, USA
Satellite Awards
- Best Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for TV (nomination)
- Best Supporting Actress in a Series, Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for TV – Cher (nomination)
Further Information
Get more info on 'If These Walls Could Talk'.
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