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Child in the Night

{{Short description|1990 television film}}

{{Use American English|date=January 2025}}

{{Infobox television

| image = ChildintheNightTVGuideposter.jpg

| image_size =

| image_alt =

| caption =

| genre = {{Plain list|

}}

| creator =

| based_on =

| writer = Michael Petryni

| screenplay =

| story =

| director = Mike Robe{{cite book|page=481|title=Encyclopedia of Television Film Directors|author=Jerry Roberts|year=2009|publisher=Scarecrow Press}}

| starring = {{Plain list|

}}

| narrated =

| theme_music_composer = Mark Snow

| country = United States

| language = English

| executive_producer = Mike Robe

| producer = Ian Martin

| editor = Benjamin A. Weissman

| cinematography = Gerald Hirschfeld

| runtime = 98 minutes

| company = {{Plain list|

  • Allied Communications
  • Jayhawk Productions
  • Mike Robe Productions

}}

| network = CBS

| released = {{start date|1990|5|1}}

}}

Child in the Night is a 1990 American television film broadcast during the 1990 May sweeps. It aired on the CBS Network before a subsequent release to home video and syndication. The psychological thriller stars JoBeth Williams as a child psychologist, Tom Skerritt as a local police chief and introduced Elijah Wood as a troubled witness to a brutal slaying. Darren McGavin co-starred.

It was the final film on-screen role appearance of Rick May, who died 30 years later on April 8, 2020.

Plot

In Seattle, nine-year-old Luke Winfield (Elijah Wood) is the only witness to his father's murder at the hands of a rain-slicker-wearing killer with a cargo hook. However, the boy fantasizes the murderer as Captain Hook, in an escape from the traumatic reality. Detective T. Bass (Tom Skerritt), who is in charge of the investigation enlists child psychologist, Dr. Hollis (JoBeth Williams) whose failed marriage was caused by her inability to have children. While getting closer to Luke she has an affair with Bass. She also discovers some troubling family secrets ensuring she is next to be slain.

Cast

{{cast listing|

}}

Production

JoBeth Williams chose to perform in the film due to the romance subplot between her character and Tom Kerritt's, as she found filming it fun.{{Cite news|date=May 1, 1990|title=JoBeth Williams picked film for lover angle|work=Press and Sun Bulletin|url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/258332285/?terms=%22Child%20in%20the%20Night%22%20%20JoBeth%20Williams&match=1|access-date=February 8, 2022}} Child in the Night also marks Elijah Wood's first role.{{Cite book|last=|first=|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=qOH7eCG59M4C&q=%22Child+in+the+Night%22+elijah+wood+first|title=VideoHound's Golden Movie Retriever 1996|date=1995|publisher=Visible Ink Press|isbn=978-0-7876-0626-8|pages=271|language=en}}

Release

Child in the Night aired on CBS on May 1, 1990.{{Cite news|date=May 1, 1990|title=Best Bets|work=Lexington Herald Leader (Newspapers.com)|url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/689483068/?terms=%22Child%20in%20the%20Night%22%20%20JoBeth%20Williams&match=1|access-date=February 8, 2022}} The film received a VHS release in the 1990s through Triboro and in 2021 was released as part of a box set of made-for-TV movies entitled Televised Terror: Volume One, through Vinegar Syndrome.{{Cite web|title=Televised Terror Vol. 1|url=https://www.mondo-digital.com/tvterror.html|access-date=2022-02-08|website=Mondo Digital|archive-date=2021-10-18|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211018193301/http://www.mondo-digital.com/tvterror.html|url-status=live}}

Reception

Critical reception was negative and the Honolulu Advertiser wrote "A condemnation of 1980s greed or an overblown two-hour sitcom without the laugh track? You decide."{{Cite news|title=Child in the Night (review)|work=New York Magazine|date=7 May 1990|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=4CHEEJx67akC&dq=%22Child+in+the+Night%22+elijah+wood&pg=PA78}}{{Cite news|date=April 21, 1991|title=Internal reflection dominates week's movie themes|work=Honolulu Advertiser (Newspapers.com)|url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/264194135/?terms=%22Child%20in%20the%20Night%22%20%20JoBeth%20Williams&match=1|access-date=February 8, 2022}} Kay Gardella of the Daily News panned Child in the Night, as she felt that it lacked credibility.{{cite news |last1=Gardella |first1=Kay |title=No Mystery: 'Child' lacks credibility |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/94859740 |access-date=8 February 2022 |publisher=Daily News (Newspapers.com) |date=May 1, 1990}} A syndicated reviewer for the United Feature Syndicate was similarly dismissive, stating that partway through it "becomes just another whodunit with the standard woman-in-jeopardy climax."{{Cite news|last=Burlingame|first=Jon|date=May 1, 1990|title='Child' just another whodunit|work=Hartford Courant |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/94859703}}

Horror Society reviewed the film as part of the Televised Terror: Volume One box set, stating that it was the weakest of the set but that it was also "a well put together murder mystery."{{Cite web|date=2021-07-21|title=Blu Review – Televised Terror Volume One (Vinegar Syndrome)|url=https://www.horrorsociety.com/2021/07/21/blu-review-televised-terror-volume-one-vinegar-syndrome/|access-date=2022-02-08|website=Horror Society|language=en-US|archive-date=2022-02-08|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220208174237/https://www.horrorsociety.com/2021/07/21/blu-review-televised-terror-volume-one-vinegar-syndrome/|url-status=live}}

References

{{reflist}}

External links

  • {{IMDb title|0099252}}
  • {{Rotten Tomatoes |m/child-in-the-night}}

Category:1990 films

Category:1990 television films

Category:1990s American films

Category:1990s English-language films

Category:1990s mystery films

Category:1990 psychological thriller films

Category:American thriller television films

Category:CBS films

Category:Films about dysfunctional families

Category:Films directed by Mike Robe

Category:Films scored by Mark Snow

Category:Films shot in Washington (state)

Category:English-language mystery films

Category:English-language thriller films