Dr. Farley: Kevin Conway. Made by fans in Aotearoa New Zealand. Basically, the patriarch of the Bennett family is a scumbag who's been sexually abusing his thirteen-year old daughter for going on a couple of years. Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Limited Series, Outstanding Writing in a Limited Series or a Special, Best Performance by an Actor in a Limited Series or a Motion Picture Made for Television, In a Controversial TV Movie, Teen Actress Roxana Zal Tackles a Taboo SubjectIncest. She gets them into couples therapy. She's a bit shy but, except for a sudden moment of panic, she handles her first date rather well, enough for the boy to want to take her to the movies the following week. Her husband finally confesses and counters that when she had a health scare years earlier he was lonely and felt like he got no attention, so he decided why not force his 11 year old into sex actsand it continued because she (the wife) later got a higher paying job than his and made him feel immasculated. 2023 TV GUIDE, A FANDOM COMPANY. Armstrong, Lois & Eric Estrin (16 January 1984). See production, box office & company info. I saw this when it aired originally in 1984. Her sister can also be removed from the home, even though the father has not been legally convicted of any crime. The counselor calls the police, who remove Amelia to a foster facility as an emergency measure, yet tell the dad they won't arrest him. Another family therapist tells Amelia she should forgive her father and "move on," so he can heal. I didn't like the way they made it sound like poor old dad just needed some counseling and therapy and the family would be able to stay intact. Here is a great review of the movie from a few years ago explaining just what kind of atrocity this movie was, http://www.scaredstiffreviews.com/something-about-amelia-1984-tv-movie-free-on-youtube-trigger-warning-read-before-watching/. A kindhearted counselor, the gentle Olivia Cole, takes on Zal's case and explains the facts to her to convince her that she's not to blame. The only solution for that problem is for him to move to a hotel and promise that he will have no contact whatsoever with the children. Like counseling is going to fix a man who had sex with his daughter, and she's supposed to live with him like it's all good now? The cops tell them it's not worth breaking up a family over this. That's a serial pedophile, not some troubled soul. Something About Amelia 1984 Drama TV MovieSomething About Amelia 1984 Drama TV MovieSomething About Amelia 1984 Drama TV Movie At first I was looking forward to see if this movie was going to handle the subject of incest in a positive (as in positive for survivors) way only to have it spit in my face with how awful it is. View Interview. The title of the movie is "Something About Amelia." That something, is the case that a father has been forcing his daughter, Amelia, to have sexual intercourse with him for almost two years. Something About Amelia is a 1984 American television drama film directed by Randa Haines which aired on January 9, 1984 on the ABC network. Something About Amelia Jump to Edit Summaries Counseling helps family deal with the discovery that their child was sexually abused by the closest relative. The casting and sets create an atmosphere to let the story unfold in a seemingly average American home, which adds both to the realism and power of this movie. Danson's commendable for taking on such an unlikable character while young Zal is quite credible as his abused daughter. The hospital tried to keep her alive for a couple of months but she was dead. 3:19. NEW YORK -- 'Something About Amelia,' the made-for-TV movie about incest, carried ABC to the top of the prime time network ratings last week, followed consecutively by season frontrunner CBS and NBC. Well-acted for an 80s TV movie, but insanely dated and offensive. Mr. [Ted] Danson's intense yet slightly distant Steven, Miss [Glenn] Close's reluctantly comprehending Gail, and Miss [Roxana] Zal's heartbroken Amelia add up to a television project of unusual power.". Making the relationship completely believable are two extraordinarily fine performances from Ted Danson (the series ''Cheers'') as Steven, and Glenn Close (the film ''The World According to Garp'') as Gail. "Something About Amelia" revolves around a typical, middle-class family named the Bennetts. The plot opens with pretty, smart thirteen year old Amelia growing up in upper middle class suburbia with her parents and younger sister. Fallen Angel was another creepy as fuck TV movie. Watchlist. People had bizarre attitudes towards sex back then. R20 A movie with that ending wouldn't be made today. Roxana Zal is the daughter and gives an understated effective performance. I'd expect nothing less from her in a film like Something About Amelia, where she initially doubts her daughter's claim of molestation. Otherwise, you'll just have to find some other site But as Amelia starts to believe that Steven might harm her younger sibling in similar ways, she unburdens herself of her awful secret. I caught this made-for-TV movie one afternoon many years ago, and I was stunned by its delicacy and intelligence of an extremely candid subject matter: incest. She's not the bouncy and attractive cheerleader type, but she has her own quietly appealing assets. Highly recommended. Really, if you watch this, you'll be yelling at the tv like I was. I was 10 when it came out. Wasn't there some TV movie in the 70s where Linda Blair played a teen who got sent to a juvenille detention center and got raped? Roxana Zal gives a poignant performance as the victim. See his full interview at http://www.emmytvlegends.org/interviews/people/leonard-goldberg By joining TV Guide, you agree to our Terms of Use and acknowledge the data practices in our Privacy Policy. This movie set new standards in TV movies, and must have brought about so much dialog on the topic of incest. It was Escandalo at my Middle School, iirc there was an assembly about it so we could talk about speaking out if molested. It's blunt, serious and unfolds organically. The film stars Ted Danson, Glenn Close, Roxana Zal, and Missy Francis. It's not until she notices that her sister is about to become his next victim that Amelia lets out her secret. Mr. Danson's intense yet slightly distant Steven, Miss Close's reluctantly comprehending Gail, and Miss Zal's heartbroken Amelia add up to a television project of unusual power. Posters are sourced from TMDb and Posteritati, and appear for you and visitors to your profile and content, depending on settings. The plot opens with pretty, smart thirteen year old Amelia growing up in upper middle class suburbia with her parents and younger sister. By rejecting non-essential cookies, Reddit may still use certain cookies to ensure the proper functionality of our platform. I saw that as a kid some Saturday afternoon and it was fucked up. I've never hated a film so much as I hate this one. In all this, Amelia is practically forgotten. I hate the ending. In his review for "Something About Amelia", John J. O'Connor from The New York Times wrote: "Obviously aware of the subject's built-in sensationalism, the producers of "Something About Amelia" have taken pains to be responsible in their treatment and, to a remarkable degree, they have succeeded. Amelia, played touchingly by Roxana Zal, has been becoming more withdrawn and her grades have been suffering in school. "Something About Amelia" was the most-watched TV show the week it aired January 9, 1984, nominated for eight Emmys and winning three. The wife attacked her husband because she caught him fucking their daughter. This film is a whited washed piece of garbage and an insult to incest survivors. She sends Amelia to her room. Hello. This aired during my prime TV-watching years as a kid and I think, maybe, I remember the cover of the TV Guide, but otherwise have absolutely no memory of this at all. More at Gail and Steven Bennett have two daughters, thirteen year old Amelia and ten year old Beth. When a counselor asks her if anything is the matter, the distressed girl. It's the subject matter that's highly offensive and honestly disgusting. Something About Amelia was notorious in its day, but its eight Emmy nominations (three wins) and four Golden Globe nods (two wins) have long since been forgotten, as has the film itself. TV Shows. 1984 An intelligent treatment of incest in a middle-class household. Near the start of the film, Steven is talking to Amelia about her date for the dance. Directed by Randa Haines. Amelia goes into therapy at the facility with the therapist telling her she did nothing wrong. Ted . This was before the internet, there was much less access to information, and kids were not warned about abuse in school. Add it to your Watchlist to receive updates and availability notifications. Mobilesite. Some features on this site require registration. The casting and sets create an atmosphere to let the story unfold in a seemingly average American home, which adds both to the realism and power of this movie. Drama, Family. The other method is shown in this one-of-a-kind movie: Counseling for everyone in the family. When the mom finally starts to realize her daughter is likely telling the truth, does she kick her husband out and press charges? Nothing happens. The message is that a victim of incest and rape should "forgive"! Letterboxd is an independent service created by a small team, and we rely mostly on the support of our members to maintain our site and apps. He declined, feeling that he was so strongly identified with the role of the morally upright father Charles Ingalls on. The film follows 13-year-old Amelia Bennett, who breaks her silence about being sexually abused by her father after fearing that her younger sister might be harmed by him too. Steven is a white-collar worker and, in just about every respect, a decent man. In this instance, William Hanley's screenplay focuses on a suburban middle-class family called the Bennetts. The family at the center of this story, as written, isn't very believable, even with Emmy-nominated Glenn Close and Ted Danson cast as the parents; their stilted-bickering interactions both before and after Amelia's revelation aren't convincing. Randa Haines directed. Confronted with this horrifying piece of news, Steven's wife, Gail, can't believe it's true, and he professes his innocence. Reddit and its partners use cookies and similar technologies to provide you with a better experience. The A.C. Nielsen prime time ratings for the week ending Jan. 15, gave ABC an 18.1 rating with a 28 percent share of the viewing audience; CBS a 16.9 rating with a 26 shareand NBC a 15.4 rating . Some features on this site require a subscription. Michael Landon was originally the first choice for the role of Steven Bennett, but Landon declined because he felt that he so strongly identified with his character of Charles Ingalls on "Little House on the Prairie", nobody would accept him portraying the role of a sexually abusive father. The role ultimately went to Ted Danson. As a 10 year old gayling, I remember being extremely jealous of Amelia. One is to place the offender in jail, and let him rot there for a while. Please click here to register for free. And some authorities argue that, because of the ostracism connected with the act, many instances go unreported. Find helpful customer reviews and review ratings for There's Something About Amelia at Amazon.com. Please click here to get full access and no ads for $1.99 or less per month. I have always remembered Ted Dansen putting a new carton of cigarettes on top of the refrigerator. Not even of all the Emmy nominations! When Amelia (portrayed by Roxana Zal) confesses, the father Steven (portrayed by Ted. I suppose it does show how much progress weve made in 37 years, a relatively short amount of time. https://www.nytimes.com/1984/01/09/arts/tv-amelia-on-abc-a-movie-about-incest.html. Written and directed by Colm Bairad, this Irish drama is an adaptation of Claire Keegan's novella Foster. Co-directors Jon Erwin and Brent McCorkle tell the story of a '70s revival movement that brought together countless Christians in Southern California. Something About Amelia is a 1984 TV movie exploring the trauma to a family caused by incest. I watched this film back in the late eighties when someone had recorded it on tape (remember tape?). Uma Thurman stars as an assassin who seeks bloody revenge on those who left her for dead on her wedding day. Sothats why, I guess? Her father, Steven (Ted Danson) has been raping her. Some piece of dialog? The Top 10 shows for the week ending Jan. 15, according to the A.C. Nielsen Co.: 1. This would make a great feel-good jukebox musical. Learn more. [4], The movie was also nominated for four Golden Globes and won two, for Best Miniseries or Television Film and for Best Performance by an Actor in a Limited Series or a Motion Picture Made for Television (Ted Danson).[5]. Its kind of amazing that something like that a little girl coerced into kiddie pron including scenes of the moms boyfriend shooting the photos could just be your average TV movie of the week. It could have been a career killer. It wound up playing too exploitative. Early evening news ratings gave 'CBS Early Evening News' a 15.3 rating, while ABC 'World News Tonight' had a 12.1 and 'NBC Nightly News' an 11.5. Smart thirteen year old Amelia growing up in upper middle class suburbia with her parents and younger sister keep alive! 'S not the bouncy and attractive cheerleader type, but insanely dated and.. 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