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If These Walls Could Talk
If These Walls Could Talk is a 1996 American anthology television film, broadcast on HBO. It follows the plights of three women and their experiences with abortion. Starring Anne Heche, Cher, Demi Moore, and Sissy Spacek, each of the three stories takes place in the same house, albeit 22 years apart (in 1952, 1974, and 1996, respectively). All three segments were co-written by Nancy Savoca, who directed the first and second segments; Cher directed the third segment, and was an executive producer, along with Moore and Suzanne Todd. The women's experiences in each vignette are designed to portray the popular views of society on abortion during each of the respective decades shown.
Debuting at the Toronto International Film Festival, If These Walls Could Talk became a surprise success, becoming the highest-rated movie in HBO history. It was nominated for four Primetime Emmy Awards, including Outstanding Television Movie, and three Golden Globe Awards, including Best Miniseries or Television Film.
The 1952 segment deals with Claire Donnelly (Demi Moore), a widowed nurse living in suburban Chicago, who becomes pregnant by Kevin (Jason London), her brother-in-law; she decides to undergo an abortion, in order not to hurt her late husband's family. However, at the time, the procedure is strictly illegal. She eventually finds another nurse, who provides Claire with the phone number of a woman who can locate "someone" to perform an abortion. The woman on the phone tells Claire that the only trustworthy care provider she knows is located in Puerto Rico, and Claire cannot afford the travel costs—with air fare and hotel costs, the total trip would have cost about $1,000 (about $11,844 in 2024). After a failed attempt to self-terminate the pregnancy with a knitting needle, Claire contacts a man who comes to her home and performs a clandestine, hasty procedure as she lies atop her kitchen table. Claire finally manages to abort the fetus, but dies shortly afterwards due to massive blood loss.
This segment deals with Barbara Barrows (Sissy Spacek), a struggling, aging mother-of-four, and her night-shift-working, policeman husband, who discovers she is pregnant, while having recently gone back to college. She considers abortion with the support of her teenage daughter, Linda (Hedy Burress), but ultimately chooses to keep the child. Barbara and her husband are frightened by their economic prospect and the future, but they promise each other to try their best so that their new son can have a normal life.
The 1996 segment deals with Christine Cullen (Anne Heche), a college student impregnated by a married professor, who decides on an abortion when he breaks up with her and only offers her money. After consulting with her roommate, Patti (Jada Pinkett), Christine schedules an appointment with Dr. Beth Thompson (Cher). However, on the day of the procedure, there is a violent anti-abortion protest outside the clinic; just after the actual abortion has been successfully completed, an enraged and unhinged protester (Matthew Lillard) abruptly storms in the building, shoots Dr. Thompson, and flees. Christine finds herself alone, and comforts the dying Dr. Thompson as she slowly bleeds to death.
1952 segment
1974 segment
1996 segment
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If These Walls Could Talk
If These Walls Could Talk is a 1996 American anthology television film, broadcast on HBO. It follows the plights of three women and their experiences with abortion. Starring Anne Heche, Cher, Demi Moore, and Sissy Spacek, each of the three stories takes place in the same house, albeit 22 years apart (in 1952, 1974, and 1996, respectively). All three segments were co-written by Nancy Savoca, who directed the first and second segments; Cher directed the third segment, and was an executive producer, along with Moore and Suzanne Todd. The women's experiences in each vignette are designed to portray the popular views of society on abortion during each of the respective decades shown.
Debuting at the Toronto International Film Festival, If These Walls Could Talk became a surprise success, becoming the highest-rated movie in HBO history. It was nominated for four Primetime Emmy Awards, including Outstanding Television Movie, and three Golden Globe Awards, including Best Miniseries or Television Film.
The 1952 segment deals with Claire Donnelly (Demi Moore), a widowed nurse living in suburban Chicago, who becomes pregnant by Kevin (Jason London), her brother-in-law; she decides to undergo an abortion, in order not to hurt her late husband's family. However, at the time, the procedure is strictly illegal. She eventually finds another nurse, who provides Claire with the phone number of a woman who can locate "someone" to perform an abortion. The woman on the phone tells Claire that the only trustworthy care provider she knows is located in Puerto Rico, and Claire cannot afford the travel costs—with air fare and hotel costs, the total trip would have cost about $1,000 (about $11,844 in 2024). After a failed attempt to self-terminate the pregnancy with a knitting needle, Claire contacts a man who comes to her home and performs a clandestine, hasty procedure as she lies atop her kitchen table. Claire finally manages to abort the fetus, but dies shortly afterwards due to massive blood loss.
This segment deals with Barbara Barrows (Sissy Spacek), a struggling, aging mother-of-four, and her night-shift-working, policeman husband, who discovers she is pregnant, while having recently gone back to college. She considers abortion with the support of her teenage daughter, Linda (Hedy Burress), but ultimately chooses to keep the child. Barbara and her husband are frightened by their economic prospect and the future, but they promise each other to try their best so that their new son can have a normal life.
The 1996 segment deals with Christine Cullen (Anne Heche), a college student impregnated by a married professor, who decides on an abortion when he breaks up with her and only offers her money. After consulting with her roommate, Patti (Jada Pinkett), Christine schedules an appointment with Dr. Beth Thompson (Cher). However, on the day of the procedure, there is a violent anti-abortion protest outside the clinic; just after the actual abortion has been successfully completed, an enraged and unhinged protester (Matthew Lillard) abruptly storms in the building, shoots Dr. Thompson, and flees. Christine finds herself alone, and comforts the dying Dr. Thompson as she slowly bleeds to death.
1952 segment
1974 segment
1996 segment