In the Custody of Strangers

In the Custody of Strangers
Approx. run time	120 minutes
Written by	Jennifer Miller
Directed by	Robert Greenwald
Produced by	Farnk Vor Zerneck
Starring	Emilio Estevez Martin Sheen Jane Alexander
Editing by	Robert Florio
Music by	Matthew McCauley
Country	United States
Language	English
Original channel	ABC
Release date	May 26, 1992 (1992-05-26)

In the Custody of Strangers is a 1982 ABC made-for-TV drama film. It directed by Robert Greenwald and written by Jennifer Miller. The film stars Martin Sheen, Jane Alexander and Emilio Estevez, which made his feature film debut. Film nominated for Golden Globe Award for Best Mini-Series Or Motion Picture Made for Television but lost to the Brideshead Revisited (TV serial).

Plot Synopsis

Danny Caldwell (Emilio Estevez) angry small town teen whose father has been laid off and can't find work. His mother Sandy (Jane Alexander) works in order to provide for the family of five. Caldwell, frustrated with the town, tries to get work or leave the town to find a decent job, but often butts heads with his father (played by real-life father, Martin Sheen), who's staunch perception that allowing his son to go to work is a threat to his masculinity. In other words, a father should provide for the family, not his wife, and certainly not the boy.

So, Danny and his father are at odds a lot, and as a result, the teen indulges in a lot of trouble, particularly a night of joyriding drunk and hitting a police car, which is what lands him in trouble. The dad supposes that maybe a night in jail is just what the kid needs to straighten up, but, due to events that happen while Danny is incarcerated, he ends up spending six weeks in jail and assault charges. Meanwhile, his father gets a job in Ohio and the family has to move. At his trial the assault charges are dropped and he is only charged with drunk driving and operating without a license. He is sentenced as time served and released. His parents realize the mistake of leaving their son in jail and tell the people in the courtroom that they really need to change how they treat children that come to them. Danny returns home to his family and their home but is forever changed by his time in jail.

Trivia

Lists of miscellaneous information should be avoided. Please relocate any relevant information into appropriate sections or articles. (July 2009)

• Feature film debut for Emilio Estevez, son of Martin Sheen.
• It is the first film which Martin Sheen stars with his sons Emilio Estevez and Ramon Estevez.
• Feature film debut for Ramon Estevez, another son of Martin Sheen.
• First television movie which stars Jon Van Ness.
• Film's working title was Forty Days for Danny.

External links

• In the Custody of Strangers at the Internet Movie Database