Main Cast: Helen Shaver, Lauren Bacall, Malcolm Stoddard, Peter Firth, Paul McGann
Release Year: 1990
Country: UK
Run Time: 100 minutes
MPAA Rating: R
Plot
Innocent Victim is a psychological thriller based on the Ruth Rendell novel Tree of Hands. London based, best-selling author, Benet (Helen Shaver), who has just written a controversial novel, lives alone with her young son. Benet's mother, Marsha (Lauren Becall), visiting from the United States, is a manic-depressive who has psychotic episodes. When Benet's young son dies, Marsha kidnaps a local child to serve as a substitute. Benet believes she should return the child but upon investigation she finds out that the child has been severely abused by his parents. After the child's disappearance, the parents are charged with the murder. A more skillful filmmaker might have dealt, as the novel does, with the moral issues of guilt and responsibility and the terrible moral dilemma faced by Benet. Instead, director Giles Foster presents the film in a rather straightforward, nonjudgmental fashion which allows for little character growth and diminishes the impact of what should be an ironic and disturbing ending. Innocent Victim, while at times compelling, and based on an interesting premise, would have been a memorable film if Foster had taken more chances and pushed his actors to give the performances that they are capable of but here are only hinted at. ~ Linda Rasmussen, All Movie Guide
Kate Hardie - Carol Stratford; Barnaby Brown - Jason; Amanda Dickinson - Molly; Elvi Hale; Anthony Haygarth - Kostas; Phyllida Law - Julia; Charles Pountney - James; Simon Prebble - Newscaster; David Schofield - Detective Inspector
Credit
Henry Harris - Art Director, Alison Stewart-Richardson - Art Director, Ann Wingate - Associate Producer, Pierre David - Co-producer, Frank Mancuso, Jr. - Co-producer, Barbara Kidd - Costume Designer, Giles Foster - Director, Dave Martin - Editor, Robert L. Estrin - Editor, Brian Banks - Composer (Music Score), Mike Figgis - Composer (Music Score), Richard Hartley - Composer (Music Score), Anthony Marinelli - Composer (Music Score), Jenny Shircore - Makeup, Waldemar Kalinowski - Production Designer, Adrian Smith - Production Designer, Kenneth MacMillan - Cinematographer, John A. Alonzo - Cinematographer, Ann Scott - Producer, Florence Fellman - Set Designer, Andrew Bradford - Stunts, Gareth Milne - Stunts, Tip Tipping - Stunts, Henry Bean - Screenwriter, Ruth Rendell - Book Author
