If These Walls Could Talk

Plot synopsis:
Warning: some details may be disturbing.If These Walls Could Talk is a made-for-HBO movie consisting of three segments, set in different time periods, with different characters--in the same house. Each segment focuses on a character facing an unexpected pregnancy, and how each character deals with the situation.The opening credits show various clips of news reports, interviews, protests, rallies and newspaper headlines regarding abortion. We see picket signs and hear comments from both sides of the issue. We hear a news anchor announcing the Supreme Court decision legalizing abortion, amid clips of people cheering and a sign reading Thank You Supreme Court. We also see a few commercial clips from the 50s, just married couples, a few family shots, among others.The first segment begins with a shot of the front of a house in the process of being painted, and the year 1952 is shown. Down the street, we see a nurse, Claire (Demi Moore) exiting a city bus, coming home from work after a night shift.After she enters her home, we see various photos, giving us a silent introduction to her and her life: pictures of her and her husband, pictures of them with his family, their wedding picture, his military picture, and finally, an "in memory of" card with her husband's picture. Claire walks about, closing the drapes in the front windows. Next, we see her sitting in a chair, deep in thought and obviously distressed.We then see Claire at work at the hospital, heading toward one of the doctors to speak to him in his office. Apparently he informed her of her pregnancy; she tells him she's been in shock since they spoke but that she's thought about it and knows what she needs to do--and needs his help and information.The doctor replies that she's putting him in an awkward position; he's known her in-laws for a long time. She says that she's thinking of them too, as they're all the family she has. She then asks the doctor to prescribe something for her; "I know there are things I could take, I just don't know the dosages."The doctor says he can't do that; it's illegal to terminate a pregnancy. He offers to give her the number of a home that can take care of the adoption and give her a place to stay. She says that's impossible, how can she go away for seven months? What would she tell everyone? The doctor says he doesn't know, and tells her one should think of that before one puts herself in this situation.We then see Claire sitting at home reading books on pregnancy and looking for information on abortion. Next, we see her rummaging through her medicine cabinet, and finding a bottle of prescription medicine. She pops several pills into her mouth and chases them with a glass of hard liquor.Afterwards, we see her vomiting in her bathroom, and we hear a knock at the door: Claires sister-in-law Becky. Claire grabs the pill bottle, wraps it in toilet paper and tosses it in the bathroom trash can.Becky is in the kitchen, carrying a toddler and washing Claires dishes. Claire enters and says she doesn't have to do that. Becky, who we see is about 6 months pregnant, apologizes for waking Claire, and Claire says she's just sick. She says hi to the baby, and Becky tells Claire no offense, but it's probably contagious and she doesn't need a sick baby. Becky said her mom wanted her to bring her some chicken soup, a hot water bottle, and Becky brought her some magazines. Claire says that Becky's mom does too much for her. Becky says you know how she is but to let her help--that by doing for Claire, she feels that she hasn't completely lost Steven (Claire's late husband.)Becky prepares to leave, and as Claire stands at her front door a mutual friend stops to speak to them. After Becky leaves, Claire calls Louise to come to the door. She does, and Claire says she has a friend with three kids at home, one in the hospital, and just found out she's pregnant and is overwhelmed. Claire asks if she knows anyone who can "do something." Louise says she doesn't, but figures she could ask around. She then says she's heard rumors about an old, big house in an area of abandoned houses--that her "friend" would have to be desperate. She suggests Claire ask at the hospital; someone there should know of a better place.We see Claire enter the nurses lounge, and speak to Nurse Jenny Ford about a patient--then she tells her about "her friend who's pregnant" and that she can't have the baby. Nurse Jenny asks what she wants from her; Claire says she'd hoped they could help her, and she "heard theres someone in ER..." Nurse Jenny is obviously offended. Claire apologizes, that she didn't know who to ask and she knew Nurse Jenny worked there the longest. Nurse Jenny says she'd like to keep working there--2 nurses were recently dismissed. As they are leaving the break room, Claire asks what she should tell her friend, and Nurse Jenny says she doesn't know--but don't ask her anymore.Next, Claire is in a cab looking for "the big house" Louise told her about. We see house after house, trashed and boarded up, and then the big house with a light on upstairs. Claire looks, and sees someone turn off the light--and is obviously turned off by the scene. The cab driver says he doesn't know what shes doing here, but he can wait (we get the sense he's taken women there before.) Claire says its OK, she made a mistake.Then we see Claire about to go to her in-laws for Thanksgiving, pinning her too-tight skirt and trying to zip it. She gives up and wears her shirt untucked. We then see the family finishing dinner, Claire serving everyone pie, then saying she has to leave to work that night. Becky offers to take her home, but Claire says the kids are tired, she'll just walk. The family objects and says Kevin (Steven's young brother) will take her home. We see that he's not comfortable with the idea.Before she leaves, Claire's mother-in-law says she's worried about her, and she's working too hard. Claire assures her she's fine. Mother-in-law says she doesn't want Claire to worry about money because they want to be able to take care of her--that they're still family.As Kevin takes Claire home, we sense uneasiness between the two. At home, she thanks him and starts to get out, but he stops her--becoming emotional and apologizing. During the conversation, we see flashbacks of Kevin confronting Claire about her drinking, Claire becoming upset, Kevin comforting her and then the two beginning to kiss--showing how she got into her situation. She says it's not his fault, she knows he didn't mean to hurt her, but he has to forget about it--"It never happened."Next, Claire is at work charting when Nurse Jenny hands her a piece of paper with a name and phone number, telling her to give Jenny's name. Claire thanks her, and we see that Nurse Jenny knows its Claire who wants the abortion.Claire calls the woman, Audrey, telling her how she got her number and why she's calling. Audrey says it's a woman in Puerto Rico--and the place is clean, but it will cost about $1000. Claire becomes upset, saying she doesn't have that kind of money. Audrey says this is the only one she would trust; but, hearing Claire upset, tells her she'll try to find someone closer--but she can't promise anything.We see Claire looking for and then finding a knitting needle, and then in her bathroom attempting to do the abortion herself. She injures herself; at that moment Becky knocks on the door and enters. She hears Claire sobbing, and finds her in the bathroom. She asks what's wrong, follows her to the bedroom and Claire reluctantly tells Becky she's pregnant. Becky assumes Claire was raped and asked who did this to her. Claire says she can't tell her, but confides that she was lonely, hurting, and didn't mean for it to happen--and that she's very sorry. Becky is shocked, saying her brother's been dead 6 months (as if Claire was supposed to be over it.) She says everyone knows us; you have to have this baby somewhere else. Claire says she can't have the baby, she needs an abortion. Becky asks how could she do this, then takes her child and before she leaves, says if her mother finds out it will kill her, so she doesn't give a damn what Claire does--and how dare Claire "shame us like this."Later, Audrey calls Claire to tell her she found someone named Tom who "comes to your house." She said it seems safer, and Claire asks for his number. Audrey says "you can't call him, he'll call you" and needs Claire's name and work number. Claire asks why, and Audrey assures her he'll be discreet but he needs to be able to reach her, and says he wants $400.We then see Claire at work, reacting to the nurse's station phone ringing when the call isn't for her. When Tom does call, he says he needs the $400 cash in full, asks for her address, tells her what items to have, and that he'll be there at 8:00 the next night. That night, Claire sits in her dining room, counting the money and waiting for Tom. He arrives, asks for the money, and she says he'll get it when its done. He turns to leave, saying he doesn't have time for games. She goes after him, saying come back, I'll give it to you, handing him the money.They enter her house and then the kitchen. He tells her to take off her underwear, and lie down on the table. As she does, she sees him getting out his instruments. She asks if he's going to disinfect them, to which he says they're fine. She says she doesn't want an infection, and he asks do you want to do this or not? She says yes, and he says OK, lets do it--lie down. He inserts the speculum, and as he begins she yells out in pain. He tells her several times not to move, the more you move the more it'll hurt. She tries to be still but is obviously in pain. Finally he says alright, that's it. He wipes off and puts away his instruments, tells her she'll have some cramping and bleeding. He says if she starts to hemorrhage, call the hospital. She asks if she's OK, getting no answer and only hearing the kitchen door and then her front door slam. She lies on the table a moment, holding her stomach and still in discomfort.Finally, we see Claire standing but hanging on to a kitchen counter, calling the hospital--"I need your help." Blood is all over the floor and between her legs. We hear the woman on the phone ask for her address. Claire becomes disoriented, falls to her knees and drops the phone. The woman on the phone says they can't send an ambulance without the address, and saying hello. The scene fades.We see the front of the house again, the camera moving in on the upstairs window and back, with a different appearance of the house. A caption reads 1974.In this segment, a new family lives in the house and there is no connection (other than the house) or mention of the previous characters. The segment begins with an early to mid 40-something woman (Sissy Spacek) at her kitchen table, writing, waiting for the toaster, and watching the clock. We see her children, two about middle-school age and two high-school age, getting up and ready for school. Then, we see Barbara (Spacek) on the phone asking about her pregnancy test results, and they tell her the test was positive.As she hangs up, her kids come down to eat, and we see that Barbara is shocked but tries to control her emotions. The kids fuss and argue, and then the father comes home from a night shift job. He sees Barbara is upset, and she says they need to talk--later.Barbara runs out the front door to her friend Julia, waiting to pick her up for her college class. Julia sees she's upset, asks what's wrong, and Barbara says she's pregnant--then urges Julia to "drive, drive."Julia pulls over, despite Barbara's objection, and says they're going to talk. She asks if John knows; Barbara says no, she just found out. Julia says she knows it's a shock, and knows what she's going through. We find out Julia has had an abortion when Barbara simply asks, "Do you regret it?" Julia says no, even though her friends said she'd be depressed and feel guilty--she was "so relieved." She points out that not everybody's the same.Barbara checks out Our Bodies, Ourselves in the library and then talks to her professor about the topic for her paper. She wants to find out how a woman writer, with children, has time to write and balance their lives. Her professor encourages her.Later, we see Barbara reading about abortion in the book she checked out. We then hear her oldest daughter, Linda, behind her saying that's a good book. Barbara says casually, "oh, you've read it?" Linda says she owns it.Barbara starts putting groceries away, and as Linda starts helping her, tells her she can "get one" at a health clinic. Mom pretends she doesn't know what she's talking about. Linda says "It's your legal right." When mom still plays ignorance, Linda says she saw her reading about abortion, then asks if she's going to get one. Mom says she's not ready to talk about it, but thanks her for the information.Later that evening, from the kitchen, we hear oldest brother's band rehearsing in the garage. John comes down after sleeping, and after getting the kids out for a moment alone, Barbara tells him she's pregnant. John is surprised as well. They don't get much chance to talk with the kids arguing and some of them in/out of the kitchen.We then see Barbara and John in their room, discussing the news. John expresses that "its done" and "we'll just have to figure it out." Barbara doesn't express the same sentiment, saying she thought she was through having kids and objecting to John's statement that her degree will have to wait and everyone else has to make sacrifices--him not getting to retire early, Linda not getting to go to the expensive school, instead going to state college. We see a shot of Linda overhearing, with a friend visiting, and slamming her door. John keeps asking what else she wants to do, what is she saying is the alternative? Barbara keeps saying she doesn't know. A look on John's face appears that he may be wondering if she's considering abortion, but it doesn't come up.After John leaves for work, Linda races downstairs to tell mom shes not giving up going away to college "just because you guys screwed up." Mom says she doesn't want her to give that up, that nothing is decided yet, and she doesn't want everyone in the house to know about this until they've decided what to do. Linda, caught up in the women's lib movement in full swing at that time, sees the newly legalized abortion as a simple solution to mom's problem. She doesn't understand why mom isn't jumping at the opportunity. She tells mom to be a "martyr" but she's not going to pay for mom's mistakes.Next, Barbara is telling Julia how Linda reacted, and Julia says her daughter calls her a martyr too. Barbara says "after all I do for her," listing a few. Julia says that's a martyr. Barbara disagrees, but Julia says to listen to herself--they're both one; and self sacrifice, unconditional love is BS. They expect gratitude for what they do.Later, after Barbara reads a book on a past woman poet, she calls the local clinic to ask for information on abortion. Then, she enters her daughters' room while Linda is on the phone. Barbara tells her to get off the phone so they can talk. She tells Linda that she's still going away to college. Linda tells mom she doesn't think mom wants to have this baby, and asks if the baby would have a good life if the mother resents it being there. Mom says she's exaggerating how she feels, to which Linda says she doesn't think she knows how she feels. She says we know how dad feels, how Linda feels, but that mom isn't giving herself the right to her opinion. Mom says she has her opinions, but doesn't feel the need to shout it out to the whole world.We then see Barbara telling her professor that she discovered all the women poets didn't balance anything--their lives were a mess. Her professor tells her don't give up, maybe you can make something of what you found. We then see her watching a group of college kids on the lawn, one strumming a guitar, as she's in thought.Next, she's in the kitchen helping her youngest son with his homework, sees younger daughter and oldest son talking and not arguing, and Linda outside being kissed by a boyfriend--which brings a few tears to mom's eyes. John comes in to say good night, preparing to leave for work.Finally, mom comes into Linda's room and tells her what she's decided--she's going to have the baby. Linda is obviously disappointed, and mom says it's the only decision she can live with. Linda gives a light smile and a "that's great--really." Mom says she knows everything seems simple when you're young. She then goes over to hug her daughter, and says not to worry, it's what she wants--it'll be OK. The camera moves away from them and the segment ends.Once again we see a shot of the house front, camera moves in and back, the house's appearance again changed, and the year 1996 is shown.This time, the house is occupied by several college students. We see them coming and going, music blaring, a yard sale next door, and a young girl (Anne Heche, "Christine") talking to a man (Craig T. Nelson) in a jeep. We learn that she's an architecture student and he's her professor. He's telling her she left so quickly she forgot her blueprints, and compliments her on her work. Chris smiles at him with the "school-girl crush" look, and he shatters her feelings by handing her an envelope with cash inside. He asks her what she expected, what did she think would happen--to which she replies, "That you cared--I expected that you cared about me." He says he does care, and then "I'm late, I have to go." Chris tells him sarcastically not to let her keep him.She heads inside, past a guy who tells her there's a party that night. She says she never misses a party. We then see a TV with a talk show on, with arguing and words bleeped out--further illustrating how different times are compared to the first two segments. Chris' roommate, Patti, (Jada Pinkett) asks how the girl on TV talks to her mother like that, and cheers when a man in the audience says he wouldn't talk to his mother like that.Christine comes in, and the girls are living in what appears to be the house's attic. It takes a moment for Patti to notice Chris, then she finally turns off the TV and tells Chris her mom called, telling her a few things Chris' mom said. Patti then says she went to a bookstore that day and found the best books on pregnancy, diet, etc. Chris gives a sarcastic "Yay," to which Patti asks what is wrong. Chris said that she'd just seen Jim, and that he basically said "See ya--wouldn't want to be ya," then gave her money. Patti says she'd really like to know what he thinks she's going to do with that. Chris asks what Patti thinks he expects, and then says maybe he's right.Patti asks what Chris means by that, that Chris doesn't even believe in abortion. Chris says OK, shes a hypocrite and a coward, but she can't go through with this. Patti says so you've decided to kill your baby?? Chris asks why this is so important to her, to which Patti replies that this isn't--she is. They'd been friends 8 ½ years we hear, and Patti says "I know you--if you get this abortion, you won't be able to live with yourself. Please think about what you're doing." Chris replies, "Think about it? Im 10 weeks already! How long you want me to think?" Patti finally tells her if she gets an abortion, she's on her own, and walks away.Next, Chris is riding her bike down a street and we hear a group of women praying the Hail Mary in front of an abortion clinic. Christine gets off her bike, starts toward the clinic, when one of the women stops her, asks her name, and says, "You're not going in there to get an abortion, are you?" The woman's daughter, Doreen, approaches carrying a baby and tells Chris to just hear her out a minute. She says she has four kids, and that she's not rich or a supermom, but she's grateful for God's gifts to her--her children. She says maybe you're not married, but your baby shouldn't have to pay for that. Chris tries to walk away, and Doreen tells her to just wait--when she has her baby and holds him/her in her arms, the love and maternal instinct just takes over. Then a clinic escort, Francis, approaches and asks what happens to the mothers who beat, abandon, or murder their kids because they didn't want them in the first place. Their maternal instinct just didn't click in like Doreen's. The protesters try to stop Chris, saying they can help her financially, but Chris continues inside.Inside, Chris is given paperwork to fill out and read. We see her getting her vitals taken, blood drawn, and finally talking to a counselor, Marcia (Diana Scarwid) who says she's not clear if Chris wants to be there, or if someone's pressuring her. Chris replies that she wants to be there but doesn't, and is just confused. The counselor is understanding, and goes over options with her. Chris asks about the women outside saying they can help with expenses. The counselor says they have been able to help some women, with baby supplies and a place to live temporarily. The counselor asks if Chris has tried to talk to her parents; Chris says they're really strict Catholics; she's one of five kids and considered "the good kid." The counselor asks about the relationship that caused the pregnancy. Chris explains that situation, and goes on that it isn't fair that he gets to go about his life and she's there, making this decision. She then expresses concern about "the baby being ripped out of me" and asks if it can feel it, as she's been told. The counselor assures her that even though the people outside are saying that, she's asked this of the medical workers she trusts and that it is not true--a first trimester abortion is painless to the embryo. Chris says this is hard, and the counselor empathizes--and says she's there to help her be clear on her decision.Outside, we see the women singing and Chris exiting, telling Francis she couldn't go through with it. Francis tells her it's OK, to take her time and think about it. The women tell Chris they'll pray for her, and Chris says she didn't do it. The women stand and join hands in a rejoicing prayer, and Doreen writes a number down for Chris to call them--which Chris snatches out of her hand. We see the clinic doctor (Cher) leaving and asking Doreen how her baby's doing, and Doreen's mother politely says "Good afternoon, Doctor."We see Chris in the bathtub, talking to her mother on the phone. They have a decent conversation, but at one point it seems Chris wants to tell her she's pregnant--but then tells mom to go ahead and get her door, she'll talk to her later.Later, Chris is walking about, a party at the house in full swing. She sees Patti, who looks away. Chris continues about, talking to a guy and obviously impaired. She finally heads upstairs, plops down, and is startled by Patti turning on a light. Chris says she noticed while in the bathtub she looks pregnant--that she looks pregnant because she chickened out, but she's going back tomorrow. Patti angrily asks why Chris is telling her this. Chris says to excuse her for being confused--she's not always right--she doesn't always have the right answer. Patti tells her that's BS, she knows what to do; she just wont accept it. Chris tells her that's right, that's right girlfriend--I'm so screwed! Chris gets up and sits in a chair, and starts crying. She tells Patti she made a mistake--one hell of a big mistake. She asks if her friend, her f'ing best friend, can forgive her for making a mistake; as she sobs heavily Patti keeps giving Chris a dirty look. Finally, Patti gets up, hands Chris a tissue and sits down to hug her. Chris asks if Patti could help her, if she can for once throw her morals away and help her. Patti tells her it's cool, she'll be there for her.Patti and Chris pull up to the clinic, to the sound of sirens and a large crowd of protesters. Patti says this looks too intense and says maybe they should come back tomorrow. Chris says she can't, she just wants to get it over with. They make their way through the crowd, and the women who saw her the day before asks why she's back there, they talked about this yesterday. They try to no avail to stop her; Francis and another woman help Chris and Patti inside. A man yells to Chris that if she gets an abortion, she's still a mother--just a mother of a dead baby.They make it inside, a couple is helped inside with the girl hysterical, and the staff is talking about how bad it is outside. As Chris is taken to a room for the abortion, we see Dr. Thompson trying to pull in and protesters surrounding her vehicle, yelling at her. Chris watches from a window inside. Marcia, the counselor, is there and tells her Dr. Thompson flies twice a week to a clinic that always has picketers. Dr. Thompson is later inside a room, taking off a bullet-proof vest, sitting and trying to gather her emotions before starting.We see the outside/inside scenes back and forth; a group sitting singing "Jesus loves the little children," other people yelling, holding signs and picketing. A woman staff member says the people are crazy, to which Patti, behind her says they're not--that one man might be a little radical but their overall concept is right. The woman asks what she's doing in there.We then see Dr. Thompson enter and introduce herself, listens to Christine's heart, and tells her to lie back. Chris tells her she's nervous, to which the doctor says its OK, it's perfectly normal. As Chris lies down, she asks the doctor with all she has to deal with, why does she still do this? The doctor says she remembers what it was like when it was illegal for women to make this decision and doesn't want to see those days come again--and when a woman tells her she doesn't know what she would have done without her help, she knows she's doing the right job. Dr. Thompson prepares to begin the procedure, and explains to Chris everything as she goes along.We see Patti and the staff member talking again, and Shameeka asks Patti if she thinks the 12-year-old in there last week should've had the baby. Patti says she could've given it up for adoption, to which Shameeka says yeah, right girlfriend. She tells Patti she's living in a fantasy world, because she was just thinking what a "big demand" there was for black babies.As Chris is prepped, the counselor talks to her, asking about school--we see the outside scenes still alternate with inside--and Marcia tells Chris she's going to hear a suction machine, which we then hear. Chris is silent, staring at the ceiling and crying softly.We see Shameeka and Patti again; Shameeka says she sees this all the time--you people come in, get your abortion, and the next day back out there on the line. The clinic administrator passes, hears this, and reprimands Shameeka that this is inappropriate conversation in there. The administrator is then bumped into by a nervous young man who we saw earlier with his hysterical girlfriend. He apologizes, saying he was just looking for the restroom.Back to Chris; the doctor tells her its almost over. We see a large swab covered in blood, which Chris sees and looks away with disgust. The doctor tells her it's all done, she came through like a trooper, and Chris sighs with relief.Suddenly, the door bursts open, and there stands the young boy seen earlier. He aims a gun at the doctor, yells "Murderer!" and begins shooting at the doctor. Chris and Marcia scream, and a bloodied Dr. Thompson falls to the floor. The boy, aiming the gun at Chris, asks if he shot her; he didn't mean to. He puts the gun on the floor, again apologizing to Chris and saying he didn't mean to hurt her. He leaves the room; Marcia gets up from the floor, sounds an alarm and as she runs from the room, yells that the doctor's been shot.Chris gets down from the table, down onto the floor, and helps a still (but barely) alive Dr. Thompson turn over. Dr. Thompson smiles lightly at Chris. The camera backs away, in a view from the ceiling, blood spreading about the floor. Chris cradles Dr. Thompson and yells "Somebody! Help!" The segment ends and credits roll in front of the 1996 view of the house.

Tags: violence, murder, flashback

Review:
This film should be mandatory viewing material for any person who thinks that abortion is an easy choice or that women faced with an unplanned pregnancy should have their right to choose taken away from them.Sissy Spacek did a wonderful job portraying the most overlooked unplanned pregnancy demographic: the aging career mother who must choose whether or not to make the sacrifice of raising another child.
Anne Heche's role in the final story was the most 'typical' of the three: the single college student who must struggle with her own moral and personal issues when making a choice about her pregnancy.
But the most riveting and heartbreaking of the three stories featured Demi Moore as a young widow who must make the hardest decision in her life-- to risk not only her career and reputation but the relationship of her in-laws who have taken her in as one of their own by carrying to term the baby of her dead husband's brother, or to risk her life by choosing what was once a barbaric and incredibly dangerous procedure due to the illegality of abortion.
This story in particular showcases why keeping abortion safe and legal is so very necessary.What struck me most about this film was not only the realism in all three situations, but how each one of the stories showed that "Pro-Choice" is not always "Pro-Abortion"; a fact that those of us who support a woman's right to chose will be all too glad to point out while those of the stauncher anti-choice fold may be a little slow to admit.
Rape and incest are not the causes for most unplanned pregnancies, and a great number of women who choose abortion are of legal age to do so.
And while violence against abortion providers isn't an every day occurrence, there are people in our society who wish that were the case-- and including this scene in the film shows us, in graphic detail, the hypocrisy of that opinion.I was surprised that this film, especially the final story, didn't tackle other reproductive choice-related issues such as birth control.
However, I was extremely pleased with how the final story educated viewers on the realities of the abortion procedure (mandatory counseling and all)-- a reality which couldn't be further from the horrific depictions offered up by many in the anti-choice camp.
Speaking of which: I was grateful for this film showing that not all people who oppose abortion are stereotypical, out of control lunatics, but that the most radical in this faction tend to be, ironically, male.
And one comment made by a character regarding adoption truly hit home for me as I once worked in a residential facility for abandoned and abused children that was, like so many others in this country, bursting at the seams: "The last time I checked, there wasn't a shortage of little black babies".This film needs to be aired during prime time and piped into the Bush White House, if for no other reason than to show that abortion is not a black and white issue, that the argument surrounding it cannot be settled through protest, violence or prohibition, and that restricting a woman's legal right to reproductive choice will only complicate matters further but will not be an end to abortion.
She had it so much easier than Demi Moore's character, yet her struggle and ultimate decision were just as hard in a lot of ways, maybe even harder.
Anne Heche and Cher play two women who are up against Pro-Lifers who "love babies".
All three of these short films are good, but the first is outstanding, largely because Demi Moore, whose performances I've otherwise never particularly liked, is so excellent.
The result is an exemplary piece of film acting.Of course, how much do we need in the way of tears and histrionics when we can see Moore attempting the old knitting needle cure, and later dealing with the aftereffects of a ghastly kitchen-table operation?
For all the folks who have no clue as to what a woman who finds herself pregnant goes through, this movie could be a great educational tool.
Sometimes there are no right answers, only better choices.There are now 2 generations of women (and men) who have no idea what life was like before women had access to reliable birth control and safe abortion.
"If These Walls Could Talk" is one of the most powerful films I've ever seen in my life.
It is divided into 3 segments:  1) 1950s - Demi Moore plays a woman who must either face becoming the town tramp or getting an abortion; 2) 1970s - Sissy Spacek is a woman forced to choose between losing her lifelong dream or terminating her pregnancy; and 3) 1990s - Anne Heche must come to terms with her own choices amidst a world of hate.
This is a heart wrenching movie that examines the paths that separate women throughout the years (1950's to present) take when faced with an unexpected pregnancy.
I have a strong opinion on the issue being show in the 1996 TV movie, `If These Walls Could Talk', which is about abortion.
This film presents the issue in 3 different generations and shows what the attitudes and dilemmas are when it comes to a woman choosing and/or having an abortion.
Is abortion the right choice for a woman who is pregnant?
I am not so sure it is.Here is a film with three powerful, intimate stories of abortion and how times and freedoms have changed.
These women, living in the same house at different times, share one thing in common, the decision they must come to on how to deal with an unplanned pregnancy.
Each different story has a main character that it focuses on, with their views on abortion and how far they will or will not go being very interesting.
What is also interesting are the different characters we meet in the stories, as they present a different view on how they feel about abortion, another good aspect to the story.
The 1952 story has a widow nurse, Claire Donnelly (played by executive producer Demi Moore) who we find out is pregnant, but do not understand the circumstances for how she got that way.
Her daughter Linda (Hedy Burress), is a girl who states to her mother, do you think this baby would have a good life, if its mother resents it even being there?' saying that abortion is the only sensible option.Finally we have the 1996 story.
She lives with Patti (Jada Pinkett Smith), a girl who strongly opposes abortion, but considers other options as better for the child's life.
Men and women consent to having sex whenever they feel like they want it, but most do not consider the consequence of that action, which in most cases ends up in a pregnancy, an unwanted one at that.
I believe God is the only one who has the right to abort a child.This film puts my life in perspective.
I do not want to have sex outside of wedlock, or have to go through the painful (and wrong decision in my view) of looking at abortion as a way of covering up any mistake.
If These Walls Could Talk' might be a TV movie, but it is a film that we all can learn from.
The last story (with Cher) is based on real documentary-footage, so the things the anti-abortion-club does and the things these people say, were really done and said.
((((SPOILERS))))Among the characters in IF THESE WALLS COULD TALK, there is a doctor, an abortionist, played by Cher.
Oozing with sympathy and sweetness, Cher shows us just what a wonderful, life affirming operation an abortion can be.In the film we also meet a couple of people who are against abortion.
The other is a man who is portrayed as a raving maniac who burst into Cher's cozy little abortion clinic and wildly starts shooting people.Now, ya got that?
That is the level on which this simplistic little movie works.The sad thing about this film is not that it is so obviously pro-abortion, but that it has so little faith in its beliefs that it won't even try to deal with the issue with any honesty.
The fact that they believe this is sadder still.The film doesn't even come close to dealing with the conflicts -- morally, ethically, philosophically -- that swarm around the issue of abortion.
The filmmakers want us to know that there are dozens, hundreds, thousands of reasons for a woman to have an abortion; but they won't even allow for the possibility that there might be even one single logical reason for an unborn child to have the right to live.
The film doesn't want to deal with questions of when life begins, or if a fetus has value beyond being the property of the mother, or if society should have the right to protect all life, or if abortion is anything other than a simple act of selfishness.
Don't know what you're talking about.The film rather smugly expresses pity for the grandmothers and mothers who never had abortion as an option, missing the obvious irony that if those women had that option, the makers of this film might not even exist to produce this propaganda.
The first is the best, and features Demi Moore as a woman in 1952, when abortion is not only illegal but utterly shameful to consider for most people.
But Moore's character is a sympathetic one, and if you feel she should "just have the baby" as some in the movie do, she could only do so at great sacrifice (if losing your job, your friends, and your current life by having a baby and giving it away is a sacrifice).
Furthermore, the star actress is not the one who is pregnant, but the clinic doctor, played by Cher (who also co-directed this segment).
Although this film does a good job of showing both sides of the abortion issue in positive lights, it definitely has a pro-choice bias.
The writing is great, and the creators do an excellent job of making the audience think about abortion from various angles.
From Demi Moore's attempt to give herself an abortion with knitting needles to a pro-life crowd outside a clinic, If These Walls Could Talk provides powerful images and intriguing characters.
If these walls could talk (1996) is a TV movie made in an episodic way.
This movie examines the issue of abortion throughout very different time periods.
The first time period that this movie takes on is 1952, before Roe v Wade, when abortion was illegal.
It portrayed back alley abortion that women were unfortunately forced to undergo if they wanted to terminate a pregnancy.
Sissy Spacek stars in this segment, I love her and her movies, and she does a great job here, very realistic portrayal of a woman already with 4 kids, mulling over the tough decision of whether or not to have an abortion.
This portion of the movie stars Anne Heche, Cher, and Jada Pinkett.
Review: I quite enjoyed this deep, emotional drama which is set from the 50's to the 90's about 3 different women, Demi Moore, Sissy Spacek and Anne Heche, who all have problems concerning abortion.
The first story, which stars Demi Mooore, is the most emotional out of the 3 because it was illegal to have an abortion during the 50's.
The second story, which is based in the 70's is starring Sissy Spacek as a house wife and a mother of 4 who struggles to have any time for herself because of her hectic lifestyle.
When she finds out that she is pregnant, she has to make the difficult decision if to keep or abort the baby.
The third an final storyline which is set in the 90's is starring Anne Heche as teenager who gets pregnant by a married man.
She also has to make the decision if to keep or abort the baby, but she gets help from her close friend Jada Pinkett Smith, and the nurses at the clinic.
Round-Up: This movie came out when Demi Moore and Cher were in the spotlight and extremely popular.
Although the movie came out in the 90's, it doesn't seem dated or out of touch with matters of this day and age which is why it's worth watching.I recommend this movie to people who are into there extremely emotional dramas about 3 stories based on abortion which takes place over the years in the same house.
I understand the teacher's argument would probably be that those teenagers are most likely sexually active and therefore need to be informed of what the reality is really like but I know the very graphic scenes can instantly make an average person to stay or become pro-life and I guess that would be missing the point the film was trying to accomplish.
It's one to make her character such an advocate of life when statistically speaking most blacks than whites are getting abortions in this country (purely economic reason I suppose) but to make her Ann Heche's best friend was just too politically correct for me.
Demi Moore, Sissy Spacek and Anne Heche play three very different women from different eras (the 1950's, 1970's and 1990's respectively) who are each confronted with the same dilemma.
They're pregnant, and struggling with whether or not to end the pregnancy, with each story being set against the value system of the day.
The stories are unrelated in any other way, but together they represent an interesting evolution of thoughts around the abortion issue.Moore's performance is probably the one that brings forth the greatest feelings of sympathy from the viewer.
She chooses abortion after a lot of soul-searching, but while it's legal in the 90's she's confronted by pro-life protesters at the door of the clinic who do cause her to think twice about the decision, although she ultimately goes ahead with it.
However, the movie does provide a very powerful picture of what it is like when you get pregnant and don't want to.
Beyond the technical-medical-moral issue of abortion itself, the movie also shows very well how, basically, the main problem of a women living an unexpected pregnancy, be it in 1952, 1974 or 1996, is often that she is downright alone and must face the indifference and despise of society at large and of most people around her - including the father of the baby..
I watched If These Walls Could Talk II (which is much more accessible here in the Netherlands) before this one, but I must say I'm not too impressed with either of them.This one picks up the issue of abortion, telling three tales in three different periods.
And in the third, a young woman is pregnant by her professor.The movie is showing us how abortion laws and ideas about it change over the years.
Some scenes were hard to watch (in particular in segment no 1) and one of the movie's conclusion is that it's best that women have the ability to have an abortion in a clean and safe envirement.Although I agree with that, I still have major problems with the concept of abortion.
I don't care where you stand on the abortion issue, this movie is a must.
Demi Moore, Sissy Spacek, and Anne Heche deliver wonderful performances of women facing the issue for the period of time they were set in..
I find it bizarre that the comments on this film seem to think that the movie is pro-choice.
What a notion eh?What an original idea.The problem with this is why should an innocent die because a woman does not have the decency to have the baby one way or another.Most of the time a woman has sex and thinks that the answer to everything is the taking of a life of a child.The child has no say in the matter.The child has no rights.I do not care who tries to make the act of murdering a baby in a womb cool or chic,it is NOT.Cher with her misguided pathetic life.Cher pretending to be a doctor who is telling the woman I care about you and I know how hard this is for you.Bull!Demi Moore with her messed up life.Demi Moore is a great example for American womanhood.Sissy Spacek who is not as screwed up acting as most Hollywood women,but she is wrong.Her character decided to keep her baby and not to destroy the baby.Thank you writers for advocating that it is a wonderful thing to have the child.I believe they wrote the baby being saved in the end in that story because a lot of people would not want to watch a movie to its end unless there was a ray of light in the dark forest of murder.If you believe that God made each and every living creature then don't watch this movie.It is painful..
I know she ended up keeping the baby and that was a good decision, but I really didn't feel for Sissy Spacek's character much at all.SPOILERS!!!
I gave this film a nine because, as testified to at I'mNotSorry.net, I don't believe it's true that all women who find themselves pregnant and don't want to be agonize over it; and neither do I believe that having an abortion necessarily affects a woman negatively or for a long period of time.
Honestly this movie was pretty crappy the way it's not in proper order as the second movie was!So in the first story, we see Demi Moore's character as a 1950's nurse and is wanting to terminate the baby because it seemed to be that she slept with her dead husbands brother.
Then she is arguing with Jada Pinketts character because she believes if Christine aborts the baby, she would go to hell.
They go to the health clinic and are introduced by Cher's character who will be aborting Christines babies.