Themes: Custody Battles, Mothers and Sons, Adoption
Main Cast: Jessica Lange, Halle Berry, David Strathairn, Cuba Gooding, Jr., Daisy Eagan
Release Year: 1995
Country: US
Run Time: 106 minutes
MPAA Rating: R
Plot
Two women of dramatically different social, economic, and ethnic circumstances find themselves locked into a bitter child custody dispute in this emotionally powerful drama. Khailia Richards (Halle Berry) is a poor and drug-addicted single mother who, while stumbling out of a crack house one night, accidentally leaves her infant son Isaiah in a cardboard box near a trash heap. The next morning, Khailia realizes to her horror that she left her baby behind, and she runs back to the crack spot to retrieve him. However, the baby is missing, and after much search, she presumes that he must be dead. As it turns out, the baby was spotted in the nick of time by sanitation workers and rushed to a hospital, where at the insistence of social worker Margaret Lewin (Jessica Lange) the baby's life was saved. Margaret's heart goes out to the baby, who, along with illnesses brought about by neglect, suffers from emotional and educational problems often associated with children whose mothers used cocaine during pregnancy. Margaret adopts Isaiah and raises the child with the help of her husband Charles (David Strathairn). Four years later, Khailia has successfully gone through drug rehabilitation and holds down a steady and responsible job as a nanny and housekeeper. She learns by chance that Isaiah is still alive, and she quickly hires an attorney, Kadar Lewis (Samuel L. Jackson), to help her reclaim custody of her son. However, Margaret loves the child and is not about to give him up without a battle in court. LaTanya Richardson plays Caroline Jones, the attorney Kadar Lewis squares off against in court; in real life, Richardson and Jackson are married. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
Bill Arnold - Art Director, Aleta Helena Chappelle - Casting, Timothy R. Sexton - Consultant/advisor, Mary Malin - Costume Designer, Ellen H. Schwartz - First Assistant Director, Stephen Gyllenhaal - Director, Harvey Rosenstock - Editor, Mark Isham - Composer (Music Score), Thomas Nelson - Musical Direction/Supervision, Mark Isham - Songwriter, Jeannine Oppewall - Production Designer, Andrzej Bartkowiak - Cinematographer, Naomi Foner - Producer, Howard W. Koch - Producer, Jay R. Hart - Set Designer, Suzan Wexler - Set Designer, Cydney M. Harris - Set Designer, Naomi Foner - Screenwriter
Jessica Lange is Margaret Lewin, a white social worker who works in a hospital. Halle Berry is Khaila Richards, a black drug addict who is addicted to crack cocaine. The film starts with her breastfeeding her baby in an abandoned squat. As she lays the child down to leave, the other squatters tell her that she can't leave the baby there crying. Khaila takes the child outside and hides him in a box in the trash so that she can go get high. She promises to come back, puts a board over the box, and leaves. The next morning, the trash is being collected and everything is thrown in the garbage truck, but at the last moment the workers hear a baby crying and the infant is taken to the hospital.
At the hospital, a social worker named Margaret finds out that the baby was born addicted to crack cocaine and that his name is Isaiah. She develops a strong bond with him and decides to bring him home to live with her husband and daughter. In the meanwhile, Khaila wakes up and notices that her breasts are leaking milk but her baby is not there. She runs to the garbage hysterical and starts rooting through the trash looking for Isaiah. A bum comes out and tells her to leave saying that there had been enough ruckus that morning with police talking about dead babies. After realizing what has happened, she leaves. Later that night, she is arrested for shoplifting and enters a rehab program.
The film cuts to three years later and Isaiah has been officially adopted by the Lewins. Khaila is clean and rents a room in an apartment. She goes to a facility and meets her case worker who is teaching her to read. While reading a book about a pregnant woman, she breaks down and confesses to her caseworker that she put her baby in the trash. Khaila then learns through her caseworker that her baby is still alive, so they hire the lawyer Kadar Lewis (played by Samuel L. Jackson) to contest the adoption. A lengthy court battle ensues which quickly turns into a broader issue of race. In the end, the court decides to give custody back to Khaila. Isaiah fights when forced to leave the Lewins and doesn't adjust well to living with Khaila. Khaila eventually calls Margaret and tells her that she is going to let Isaiah live with them until he understands what's going on. She states that all she cares about is Isaiah and she wants him to be happy. Margaret and Khaila hug and walk in as Isaiah runs and embraces Margaret. The three sit down and watch Isaiah play as the camera zooms out.
