Bless the Child (2000)

User Rating:

4.8/10   

Director:

Chuck Russell

Writers (WGA):

Cathy Cash Spellman (novel)
Thomas Rickman (screenplay) ...

Release Date:

11 August 2000 (USA)

Genre:

Thriller | Horror

Tagline:

Fear the Darkness. Fight the Evil. Bless the Child.

Plot:

Omens and concepts of good vs. evil have no place in Maggie O'Connor's well-ordered, practical universe...

Plot Keywords:

Girl | Omen | FBI | New York | Child

Awards:

1 win & 4 nominations

US TV Schedule:

Fri. July 17

11:55 AM

SHOW

Cast

Kim Basinger	...	Maggie O'Connor
Jimmy Smits	...	Agent John Travis
Holliston Coleman	...	Cody O'Connor
Rufus Sewell	...	Eric Stark
Angela Bettis	...	Jenna O'Connor
Christina Ricci	...	Cheri Post
Michael Gaston	...	Det. Frank Bugatti
Lumi Cavazos	...	Sister Rosa
Dimitra Arliss	...	Dahnya (as Dimitra Arlys)
Eugene Lipinski	...	Stuart
Anne Betancourt	...	Maria
Ian Holm	...	Reverend Grissom
Helen Stenborg	...	Sister Joseph
Matthew Lemche	...	New Dawn Kid at Van
Dan Warry-Smith	...	New Dawn Kid

Also Known As:

Die Prophezeiung (Germany)

MPAA:

Rated R for violence, drug content and brief language.

Runtime:

107 min

Country:

USA | Germany

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | Dolby Digital

Certification:

Portugal:M/16 | Finland:K-15 | South Korea:15 | Philippines:PG-13 | Argentina:13 | Australia:MA | Canada:14A | Chile:14 | France:-12 | Germany:16 | Hong Kong:IIB | Ireland:18 | Mexico:C | Netherlands:16 | New Zealand:R16 | Peru:14 | Singapore:PG | Spain:13 | UK:15 | USA:R (certificate #37491) | Iceland:16

Filming Locations:

Burlington, Ontario, Canada

Company:

BTC Productions KG

Trivia:

The line "the devils greatest trick was convincing man that he didn't exist" is a reference to a similar line in another movie of the same Genre, End of Days (1999). In which Father Kovak (Rod Steiger) says: "Satan's greatest trick was convincing man that he didn't exist". It is also a reference to The Usual Suspects (1994) where the line is "The greatest trick the devil ever pulled was convincing man that he didn't exist" shows up. In fact, that sentence goes back to Charles Baudelaire (1821-1867): "La plus belle des ruses du Diable est de vous persuader qu'il n'existe pas!" (English: "The finest trick of the devil is to persuade you that he does not exist."

Goofs:

Continuity: When Maggie O'Connor returns to Cody's room after the rat dream, she has no scratches until after she puts Cody down.

Quotes:

Woman on Bus: [Haitian accent] Did ya see it yet, darlin'?
Maggie O'Connor: Excuse me?
Woman on Bus: Star of Yakov. What they be callin' the Christmas star. Ain't been seen since Bethlehem. And now it's here.
Maggie O'Connor: That's nice.
Woman on Bus: Oh, yes. It's very nice. It's a good sign for all good people. Means someone special come from God. What do ya think 'bout that?
Maggie O'Connor: I don't know, I - I'm not sure I believe in that king of thing.
Woman on Bus: Oh, that don't matter. It's there if you believe or not believe. It don't care.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Be Kind Rewind (2008)

A most underrated movie, unfairly condemned by others

I have been going to the movies for 55 years now. And I have been writing novels for nearly 30 years, with 38 published thus far. One of my favorite genres as a moviegoer is the horror thriller, which is one in which I have written also, usually within a Christian context.

BLESS THE CHILD is unquestionably one of the finest genre movies I have ever seen, the kind that combine Christian themes and thriller techniques. I like it because it is relatively subdued, with sincere underplayed acting, and a minimum of Hollywood hocus-pocus.

The themes are:

1) The triumph of God over the devil, instead of the reverse. 2) The power of prayer. 3) The depiction of angels of light. 4) Brief but effective moments when demonic creatures, normally in an unseen supernatural existence, are revealed starkly. 5) No attempt to make evil seem other than loathsome, destructive. 6) Child-like faith enables us to resist Satan.

The direction by Chuck Russell was excellent, involving; no wonder he came close to directing the screen version of THIS PRESENT DARKNESS. There was almost no foul language, and the brutal episodes were less in number than usual.

I notice the Christian moments were referred to as "propaganda". Why is it propaganda when biblical references are used but not propaganda when humanism, nihilism, abortion, homosexuality, adultery and such are similarly promoted?

I showed BLESS THE CHILD to a neighbor couple, folks who are not especially religious. They were enthralled by it, reacting nervously when the suspense is intensified, rejoicing at the more inspiring moments.

BLESS THE CHILD is not a toweringly great movie but, rather, an intensely reverent one, directed with intelligence, acted with conviction, without nude scenes, and thankfully lacking a tidal wave of vulgarity,

Roger Elwood