If These Walls Could Talk
{{for|the episode of The Outer Limits|If These Walls Could Talk (The Outer Limits)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=April 2025}}
{{Use American English|date=January 2025}}
{{Infobox television
| image = If-These-Walls-Could-Talk.jpg
| image_size =
| image_alt =
| caption = DVD cover
| writer = Susan Nanus
I. Marlene King
Nancy Savoca
Earl W. Wallace
Pamela Wallace
| director = Nancy Savoca
Cher
| starring = Demi Moore
Sissy Spacek
Cher
Xander Berkeley
Hedy Burress
Anne Heche
Jada Pinkett
Shirley Knight
| composer = Cliff Eidelman
| country = United States
| language = English
| executive_producer = Cher
Demi Moore
Suzanne Todd
| producer = Martin Ganz
Doris Kirch
Laura Greenlee
| editor = Peter Honess
Elena Maganini
| cinematography = Ellen Kuras
Bobby Bukowski
John Stanier
| runtime = 97 minutes
| company = HBO NYC Productions
Moving Pictures
| budget =
| network = HBO
| released = {{Start date|1996|10|13}}
| related = {{Plainlist|
}}
}}
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.{{cite news|title= HBO's 'Walls' Tell Eye-Opening Stories
| work= Santa Rosa Press Democrat | date=March 5, 2000|url= http://nl.newsbank.com/nl-search/we/Archives?p_product=SA&p_theme=sa&p_action=search&p_maxdocs=200&p_topdoc=1&p_text_direct-0=0EAFEBEAAA7AA203&p_field_direct-0=document_id&p_perpage=10&p_sort=YMD_date:D&s_trackval=GooglePM}} It was nominated for four Primetime Emmy Awards, including Outstanding Television Movie, and three Golden Globe Awards, including Best Miniseries or Television Film.
Plot
=1952=
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.
=1974=
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.
=1996=
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.
Cast
1952 segment
- Demi Moore as Claire Donnelly
- Shirley Knight as Mary Donnelly
- Catherine Keener as Becky Donnelly
- Jason London as Kevin Donnelly
- CCH Pounder as Jenny Ford
1974 segment
- Hedy Burress as Linda Barrows
- Sissy Spacek as Barbara Barrows
- Joanna Gleason as Julia
- Xander Berkeley as John Barrows
- Janna Michaels as Sally Barrows
- Ian Bohen as Scott Barrows
- Zack Eginton as Ryan Barrows
1996 segment
- Anne Heche as Christine Cullen
- Cher as Dr. Beth Thompson
- Jada Pinkett as Patti
- Eileen Brennan as Tessie
- Lindsay Crouse as Frances White
- Craig T. Nelson as Jim Harris
- Matthew Lillard as protester
- Rita Wilson as Leslie
- Diana Scarwid as Marcia Schulman
- Lorraine Toussaint as Shameeka Webb
Development
As executive producer, Moore spent seven years trying to get the film made,{{cite web|title= Demi Moore speaking to reporters at the 1997 Golden Globes|work=Getty Images|date=January 19, 1997|url=http://www.gettyimages.com/detail/video/demi-moore-at-the-1997-golden-globe-awards-at-the-beverly-news-footage/75700584}} until the project was eventually greenlit by HBO.{{cite news|title= Abortion film for Cher, Demi Moore|work=Manila Standard|date=September 18, 1996|url= https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=Z5QVAAAAIBAJ&pg=6577,2725417}} HBO vice president Colin Callender said: "I don't believe there's a studio in the world that would finance this picture", and praised Moore and Cher for having the courage to use their celebrity to address the issue of abortion.{{cite news|title= Cher, Moore tackle abortion with 'Walls' | work= Austin-American Statesman | date=September 16, 1996|url= https://www.newslibrary.com/newspapers/news/0EA25DC971195DC5|url-access=subscription|access-date=2012-10-14}} Cher commented that "It took someone with Demi's power and fortitude to have something like this made. Without that power, you couldn't do it. These topics are not on everybody's top 10 list of things to do."
Reception
The film received mostly positive reviews from critics. If These Walls Could Talk holds an 88% rating on Rotten Tomatoes based on eight reviews.{{cite web | url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/if_these_walls_could_talk | title=If These Walls Could Talk | website=Rotten Tomatoes }}
Among the positive reviews were Siskel & Ebert, who both gave the film "Two Thumbs Up."{{cite web | url=https://siskelebert.org/?p=3222 | title=That Thing You Do!, Bound, Michael Collins, Infinity, if These Walls Could Talk, 1996 – Siskel and Ebert Movie Reviews }}
Awards and nominations
Sequel
A sequel anthology, If These Walls Could Talk 2, aired in 2000. However, the subject addressed in this iteration was lesbianism.
Notes
{{Notelist}}
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- {{IMDb title|0116607}}
{{Nancy Savoca}}
{{Cher}}
Category:1996 television films
Category:American thriller films
Category:American drama television films
Category:Films about abortion in the United States
Category:Films directed by Cher
Category:Films directed by Nancy Savoca
Category:Films scored by Cliff Eidelman
Category:American thriller television films
Category:Films set in the 1950s
Category:Films set in the 1970s
Category:Films set in the 1990s