Born Innocent
Only 14 Years Old And Already Learning About The Terrible Realities Of Life.
A 14-year-old runaway (Linda Blair) is placed in the care of the state. She is soon to find out her existence means little to many, trapped in the uncaring bureaucracy, the sometimes brutal treatment from her peers and her own abusive family, she will be hard pressed to meet anyone willing to hear her unsung plea for help. Digitally mastered and uncut-contains the original graphic rape scene!
Member Reviews
Gritty and Powerful - andy3
This was a made for TV movie from the '70's. It's pretty gritty for TV...and before things went all pear-shaped with her career, Linda Blair was one brave little actress.
The infamous scene is still pretty shocking today and I can honestly say they don't make TV movies like this anymore.Reform School Girls - cathyottawa
But this isn't some B movie flick about little Lolita's, this is trying to make a real statement about the societal problem of what to do with/ how to help young girls with bad home lives.
It underscores clearly, with yellow highlighter and exclaimation points, that the girls who end up in reform school and youth detention are there because they're running away from far worse at home.
It also does a good job of showing how the system is flawed at it's core, and turns these girls into self-mutilaters and criminals.
Linda Blair's character begins the film your average teen runaway, scared and confused, and ends it an apathetic, hardenned young woman. The film is shown almost entirely from her point of view, which is very effective. Blair does show some promising acting chops here; it's too bad it wasn't enough to shake off The Exorcist typecast. In fact the acting is good all around for a TV movie.
What I didn't like about this film? The unrealistic portrayal of the reform school. One "den mother" watches all of these girls alone, with no weapons or cameras, and her keys dangling from her waist? It makes what's supposed to be a very dramatic ending a little silly in it's unbelievability.
Also, I thought the idea that lesbianism was rampant - as though these girls were in a woman's prison for 20 years - was a little over the top.
By the way - the rape scene isn't nearly as salacious as the descriptor makes it sound, and is pretty tame by today's standards - though I can see why an unprepared 1974 TV audience found it so shocking.
Member Reviews
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Gritty and Powerful - andy3
This was a made for TV movie from the '70's. It's pretty gritty for TV...and before things went all pear-shaped with her career, Linda Blair was one brave little actress.
The infamous scene is still pretty shocking today and I can honestly say they ...Reform School Girls - cathyottawa
But this isn't some B movie flick about little Lolita's, this is trying to make a real statement about the societal problem of what to do with/ how to help young girls with bad home lives.
It underscores clearly, with yellow highlighter and exclaimation ...