If These Walls Could Talk

Hauntingly memorable
Abortion�s current sound bite nature means that both sides of the debate forget the women wanting control of their own bodies--and lives.

Graphically showing how government decisions impact private citizens, this film places women back into the center of this social issue. The audience is constantly reminded each of the women in the vignettes is a three-dimensional person with dreams and aspirations; only a callous person would believe women undertake abortions for fun.

I have previously seen many horror movies, but nothing prepared me for grim "1952". Discovering she is pregnant, nurse Claire Donnelly tried to obtain a safe illegal abortion. Repeatedly suggesting death/mourning (ironically in a supposedly 'pro-life' era) Claire's world is intentionally drab and the frequently drawn curtains also convey secrecy and shame. The white nightgown worn on the night of her septic abortion made her already pale complexion even more ghostly. Watching this segment is still very...

A Powerful Take on a Continuing Controversy
This trilogy of stories is both powerful and thought provoking. The movie follows the stories of three women of different eras who are conflicted regarding their unplanned pregnancies. While fictional in form, in reality it reflects the changing views and policies toward abortion from the 1950's to the present era.

The setting of all three segments is in a single house. This masterful production/directorial technique seems to be symbolic for an issue which has always been controversial to many. As the house becomes more and more dilapidated over each segment, we also see that the right to abortion is becoming a compoundingly fragile right that could be taken away at any time. Instead of gaining strength over time, the volatile issue is subject to the demands of the political party in command.

The dynamics of the eras are reflected so realistically in each segment, that a viewer cannot help but to be actively drawn into the drama. The segments feature all-star casts including such...

Good movie, but biased...
I'll start off saying that even as an abortion supporter, I found the movie biased. The one segment of three, which was set in the 70s and acted brilliantly by Sissy Spacek, where the woman chose not to have an abortion was the weakest. The story focused more on her life rather than the abortion, and I jus felt it didn't speak to me as much as the first and last segments. It was still good, but that segment seemed out of place. I also found the 70s segemnt out of place in the sequel, but that's a different subject.

The first segment, set in the 50s spoke to me the most. You could feel Demi's pain. I wanted to just strangle her sister. As I said before, the 70s segment was acted well, but lacked a moving story for me. I just didnt feel for Sissy's character like the other two. The last segment, set in the 90s, ws my favorite. Maybe it was because it is more relevent to me, since it's when I grew up. The end was really an unexpected turn, and superbly acted by Matthew Lillard. He...

Click to Editorial Reviews