"Born Innocent" Again.

Linda Blair's second major role was in the made-for-TV classic "Born Innocent" (the first being, of course, "The Exorcist"). Aired in1974, it was the excessively depressing tale of Chris Parker, a young runaway brought up in a dysfunctional family, who is placed (by her parents) into a juvenile detention center.
The movie was extremely controversial when it was first shown on NBC, mostly as a result of a scene featuring a rather graphic depiction of a lesbianistic rape taking place in a shower. The network was flooded with phone calls at the time, people offended, complaining and just expressing the shock they were experiencing having seen such a brutal thing on TV.
Indeed, it was pretty hardcore, ESPECIALLY when you take into account that it was shown in '74, long before television had ever thought of "Mature Content" disclaimers. I saw it when it was first shown...it was rarely shown again, even in syndication (I think I've seen it twice since), and ever since that first airing the rape scene has been cut. Now, I despise rape and it's depiction as much as I'd hope the next guy does, but in this case the missing footage is to the detriment of the overall effect of the film.

Now, with the advent of DVD, once again "Born Innocent" can be viewed in it's entirety. And the offensive scene still seems as graphic and appalling as it ever did.

I really can't believe that I was allowed to watch this movie when I was just 12 years old...for crying out loud, my son is that age right now and I sure wouldn't want him to see this.

But I was in love with Linda Blair at the time...my whole bedroom wall was covered with pictures of her I had cut out of movie magazines and teeny bopper rags (just like an infatuated David Cassidy fan). When "Born Innocent" came on I was thrilled. I loved every minute of it.

Now that I've seen the DVD after the passage of so much time I can only wonder how such a disturbing downer of a movie could have ever lodged itself in my consciuousness as a beloved classic.

Oh, it's still quite good by the standards of the "made for TV" movies of that period. But it NEVER lets up. Shit is really bad leading up to the rape scene, which is some seriously bad shit in itself, then shit stays bad and gets even worse.

Watching this, my pre-pubescent memories of Blair's incomparable beauty were given a serious reality check, although she was a very pretty girl and I could see the qualities that made her appeal to me. And for the most part she is a really good actress (the afore-mentioned rape scene puts her on a paar with some of the best I've ever seen...I don't know how she mustered that at such an early age).

There are two scenes that were just downright awful though...they're so bad that I can even remember them being terrible the first time I saw it, I'd just forgotten all about them.

The first is when Christine persistantly requests the shampoo from house director Lasko. "The shampoo Lasko...", "Shower time is over, Christine", "The shampoo, Lasko", "But it's almost bedtime, Christine", "The shampoo, Lasko...the shampoo, Lasko...the shampoo, Lasko...the shampoo, Lasko..." until eventually it starts a frightful riot by the other girls. Linda's deadpan delivery of that line is ridiculous.

Then there's the other scene...to set it up you must know that Christine and her only friend at the time, a pregnant Indian girl, are both put into seclusion for starting a food fight. The pregnant girl begins to feel something wrong within her womb, calls out for Chris across the room (both behind locked doors) and then begins yelling about "something being wrong with the baby". Chris hollers for someone, anyone to help, and it takes quite a while for their cries to be heard and answered.

Long story short, the baby doesn't make it.

So next thing you know the whole population of the girl's home is at the baby's memorial service. The teacher for the center (who everyone calls "Mom") is giving the eulogy, and at one point she says something about how the bereaved girl, true to her Native American heritage, had bore her loss with quiet dignity and grace.

"She screamed," whispers Christine.

The eulogy, after a pregnant pause, continues.

"She screamed," Christine repeats, somewhat louder.

The teacher is at a loss for words now, distracted from her speech. "Now, Christine..."

"She SCREAMED!" this time at a volume designed to get the point across and put an end to the misunderstanding.

In a movie that is able to avoid melodrama in spite of subject matter that could encourage it, these are the only two scenes that come close (to be honest, they actually cross that threshold). It's the classic tale of good girl gone bad, or the more-or-less innocent maiden corrupted and scarred, whose life will from that point on be characterized by resentment, hate and the jadedness of one who was forced to grow up much too soon.

The final scene shows Christine walking away from the memorial service surrounded by a group of girls. Somehow, somewhere down the line she has earned the friendship of the others. Even the girls who raped her have respect for her now and evidently see her as a friend now.

Does that mean that Chris has forgiven them for what seems to be an unforgivable act of violence? Or has she just accepted that she's at the dead end of her life and she figures it would be better spent in the company of others like her? And the scary thing is, whose to say that she won't eventually be among the gang that initiates a new inmate in the same way she was initiated? After all, she's shown no remorse, no repentance, nothing but a downward spiral since the day she first showed up. Why should anyone think that anything is going to change? The film certainly never hints at it being otherwise.

It's a little bit dated, to be sure, but worth checking out. It's one of Linda Blair's best performances (her other great work was in "Sarah T.: Portrait of a Teenage Alcoholic", which, unfortunately, is not currently available on DVD). But be forewarned, "Born Innocent"'s aura of despair and hopelessness is palpable.