Fallen Angel (1981 film)
Encyclopedia
Fallen Angel is a 1981
made-for-TV film directed by Robert Michael Lewis and written by Lew Hunter
, exploring pedophilia
and starring Dana Hill
, Melinda Dillon
, Richard Masur
and Ronny Cox
. It is a Green/Epstein Production in association with Columbia Pictures Television
. The film received a Primetime Emmy Award
nomination for Outstanding Drama Special, and won a Young Artist Award
for star Hill in the category of Best Young Actress.
After its initial airing on CBS
, it was later released on VHS
via RCA/Columbia Pictures Home Video and turned up occasionally via syndication and cable television
into the mid-1990s.
shoot is disrupted when its young star Michelle refuses to perform, throwing a tantrum over a promised visit to the zoo. The man who recruited her, pedophile Howard "Howie" Nichols (Masur), attempts to reason with director
Dennis, claiming he "just needs a few days" (in order for Michelle to have an abortion
, since Howie had gotten her pregnant).
However, Dennis has already made up his mind to dump Michelle and gives Howie an ultimatum: find a more cooperative young "star", or he'll blow the whistle on the operation and disappear, leaving Howie to take the rap. Faced with this threat, Howie agrees to begin searching for a new girl to take Michelle's place.
Enter 12-year-old Jennifer Phillips (Hill), a recent elementary school graduate and aspiring gymnast who fits the mold perfectly: she was voted "Most Shy" in her class, her father was recently killed in a robbery of his catering truck, she feels unable to communicate with her mother Sherry (Dillon) and cannot accept her mother's new boyfriend (and her father's co-worker), Frank Dawson (Cox).
By chance, she shows up at the local video arcade while Howie is there posting an ad for the girls' softball team he coaches at the town rec center. He strikes up a brief conversation and gives her a quarter, then she runs into him again while leaving the arcade. After snapping a Polaroid
photo of Jennifer, Howie tells her she looks like Farrah Fawcett
and that she would be great in movies. Jennifer then mentions her late father appeared as an extra in a Burt Reynolds
film, then tells of his recent passing, to which Howie expresses sympathy. Before she departs, he takes another picture and asks Jennifer if she'd be interested in joining his softball team, to which she agrees.
The next day, an argument erupts between Jennifer and Sherry over unfinished housework, which culminates in Jennifer being struck. Angrily, she speeds away from the house on her bicycle and rides to the rec center, where Howie is just winding down a game. Getting her alone, he asks Jennifer if she has a nickname; when she tells him no, he dubs her "Angel" before taking yet another picture, this time comparing her to Raquel Welch
. Upon learning of her problems at home, he tells her to make things right, then come back tomorrow and he'll sign her up for his team. As she leaves, Howie rescinds his earlier comparison, telling her "you know why you don't look like Raquel? You're sexier."
After a game, Howie takes Jennifer to the local ice cream stand, and the two chat some more. Jennifer mentions her upcoming 13th birthday, and Howie asks whether or not she was a love child
, noting that "it doesn't make you any better or worse, just sort of says how your parents must have felt about you at the beginning". He then takes a picture of her licking her cone, calling it the "Before" shot, and promises to take one following her birthday, which will be the "After" shot. Looking at the picture, he again calls her "sexy," to which Jennifer laughingly states "I look like an anteater!", prompting Howie to reply "Never wanted to be an ant...till now."
Following a birthday celebration at the coffee shop
where Sherry works as a waitress, Jennifer again spends the day with Howie, who gives her a teddy bear (which she names Howard, after him) and sets up an impromptu "photo shoot" by the lake. Things start fairly innocent, but Howie soon asks her to lift her knee-length skirt and "show a little skin" while posing. When she proves reluctant to do so, Howie attempts to explain to her about "the beauty of the human body", even showing her some pornographic magazines, but then backs off. He does, however, make Jennifer promise to "keep our real friendship a secret."
The next day, Sherry announces to Jennifer that she and Frank are going to look at engagement rings, which sets off another argument; in a fit of rage, Jennifer punches the framed photo of her with her parents, causing her hand to bleed. While with Howie at the rec center later, he treats her injury and inquires about Jennifer's home situation, commenting "sometimes parents don't care whether you're alive or dead...you wonder why they had you in the first place" and mentioning his own abusive childhood.
Afterwards, he takes her to the local animal shelter to give her a puppy, whom she names Fred, but asks Jennifer to "just tell your mom you found him"; they then head back to the lake for another photo shoot, with Howie now suggesting Jennifer pose without her blouse and shorts, but telling her "you can keep your bra and panties on, they cover more than a bikini anyway." Assuring Jennifer he'd never hurt her, she finally agrees to pose, no doubt swayed by Howie's offer to give her a full set of prints, "like a real movie star".
Having decided she's ready to make her "debut", Howie arranges for Jennifer to come to the house where Dennis does his filming; after a brief meeting, Dennis realizes she's exactly what he's looking for, but Howie attempts to stop him, wanting Jennifer all to himself. However, Dennis once again reiterates his threat to tip off the authorities and make Howie the fall guy, and he backs off.
Jennifer is then teamed with a boy about her age named David, and the two start out posing for a variety of fairly innocent shots (mostly depicting the pair kissing in various outdoor locations), but during a shoot at the lake, Howie asks them to pose nude. A seasoned veteran, David cooperates, but Jennifer refuses. Using his manipulative tactics, Howie tells Jennifer, "I need you very much", then asks her, "Does anyone in the world need you? Your mother? Her boyfriend?" and reminds her "I'm all you have...if you don't, you'll lose me". Finally, after he threatens to "send Fred back", a tearful Jennifer reluctantly complies, with Howie reminding her to "deny everything" and "always say no" if caught.
As it turns out, Jennifer is caught when Frank spots her in a kiddie porn magazine ad that some "idiot sheet metal guys" had on one of his stops, which he informs Sherry of. Remembering what Howie told her, Jennifer denies everything when confronted, but convinced she can no longer stay at home, later runs away. She attempts to ask Howie for a place to stay (as he put his three young male stars up in a nearby apartment), but he initially refuses, only to change his mind when Jennifer gets flirtatious, assuring Howie "I'll make it up to you" and reminding him how she's "getting older and better".
Back at home, Sherry returns to find her daughter's goodbye letter and begins searching adult establishments and popular hangouts in the area. Later, she goes to the rec center, where Howie feigns surprise over Jennifer's disappearance and absence at that evening's ballgame, but promises to talk to her and send her home if he finds her. In reality, Jennifer is at the boys' apartment and avoided the game at Howie's suggestion ("it's almost the first place they'll look").
Before leaving the ball field, it suddenly occurs to Sherry to check the second number Howie had given her earlier as his "answering service", and she calls the police station to get the corresponding address. Meanwhile, Howie stops by the apartment before heading home, sends the boys into the other room and attempts to seduce Jennifer. However, only moments before he can go through with his devious plans, he's stopped in the nick of time by an angry Sherry, who now fully understands exactly what Howie was doing, and flies into a rage at him before leaving with her daughter and the boys.
Subsequently arrested for his illegal activities, Howie prepares for the impending trial with his attorney, reviewing his testimony and attempting to justify his perversions (during which time we learn that Howie's former "angel" Michelle has been institutionalized, making her the "Fallen Angel" of the title). Meanwhile, the prosecution wants Jennifer to testify against Howie, but Sherry refuses to allow it, feeling they need to move on.
However, Frank is more objective, admitting that while he's worried about what will happen to Jennifer if she testifies, he's also worried about what will happen to other kids if she doesn't, telling Sherry "this could be the most important decision she's ever made" and encouraging Jennifer to think about it. Gradually realizing she needs to do the right thing, Jennifer's decision is solidified by a subsequent chance encounter with Howie, who has been released on bail and attempts to talk her out of testifying. The film ends with Jennifer taking the witness stand during Howie's trial, ready to tell her story.
1981 in film
-Events:*January 19 - Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer acquires beleaguered concurrent United Artists. UA was humiliated by the astronomical losses on the $40,000,000 movie Heaven's Gate, a major factor in the decision of owner Transamerica to sell it....
made-for-TV film directed by Robert Michael Lewis and written by Lew Hunter
Lew Hunter
Lewis R. Hunter is an American screenwriter, author and educator and is chairman Emeritus and Professor of Screenwriting at the UCLA Department of Film and Television...
, exploring pedophilia
Pedophilia
As a medical diagnosis, pedophilia is defined as a psychiatric disorder in adults or late adolescents typically characterized by a primary or exclusive sexual interest in prepubescent children...
and starring Dana Hill
Dana Hill
Dana Hill was an American actress and voice actor with a raspy voice and childlike appearance, which allowed her to play adolescent roles into her 30s...
, Melinda Dillon
Melinda Dillon
Melinda Rose Dillon is an American actress, perhaps best known for her roles in Close Encounters of the Third Kind and the holiday classic A Christmas Story.-Early life and career:...
, Richard Masur
Richard Masur
Richard Masur is an American actor who has appeared in more than 80 movies during his career. From 1995-1999, he served two terms as president of the Screen Actors Guild . Masur sits on the Corporate Board of the Motion Picture & Television Fund.-Biography:Masur was born in New York City to a...
and Ronny Cox
Ronny Cox
Daniel Ronald "Ronny" Cox is an American character actor, singer-songwriter and guitarist.-Personal life:Cox, the third of five children, was born in Cloudcroft, New Mexico, the son of Lounette and Bob P. Cox, a carpenter who also worked at a dairy. He grew up in Portales, New Mexico...
. It is a Green/Epstein Production in association with Columbia Pictures Television
Columbia Pictures Television
Columbia Pictures Television was the second name of the Columbia Pictures television division Screen Gems . The studio changed its name on September 4, 1974.-1974-1982:...
. The film received a Primetime Emmy Award
Primetime Emmy Award
The Primetime Emmy Awards are awards presented by the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences in recognition of excellence in American primetime television programming...
nomination for Outstanding Drama Special, and won a Young Artist Award
Young Artist Award
The Young Artist Award is an accolade bestowed by the Young Artist Foundation, a non-profit organization founded in 1978 to recognize and award excellence of youth performers, and to provide scholarships for young artists who may be physically and/or financially challenged.The Young Artist...
for star Hill in the category of Best Young Actress.
After its initial airing on CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
, it was later released on VHS
VHS
The Video Home System is a consumer-level analog recording videocassette standard developed by Victor Company of Japan ....
via RCA/Columbia Pictures Home Video and turned up occasionally via syndication and cable television
Cable television
Cable television is a system of providing television programs to consumers via radio frequency signals transmitted to televisions through coaxial cables or digital light pulses through fixed optical fibers located on the subscriber's property, much like the over-the-air method used in traditional...
into the mid-1990s.
Plot
As the film opens, a child pornographyChild pornography
Child pornography refers to images or films and, in some cases, writings depicting sexually explicit activities involving a child...
shoot is disrupted when its young star Michelle refuses to perform, throwing a tantrum over a promised visit to the zoo. The man who recruited her, pedophile Howard "Howie" Nichols (Masur), attempts to reason with director
Film director
A film director is a person who directs the actors and film crew in filmmaking. They control a film's artistic and dramatic nathan roach, while guiding the technical crew and actors.-Responsibilities:...
Dennis, claiming he "just needs a few days" (in order for Michelle to have an abortion
Abortion
Abortion is defined as the termination of pregnancy by the removal or expulsion from the uterus of a fetus or embryo prior to viability. An abortion can occur spontaneously, in which case it is usually called a miscarriage, or it can be purposely induced...
, since Howie had gotten her pregnant).
However, Dennis has already made up his mind to dump Michelle and gives Howie an ultimatum: find a more cooperative young "star", or he'll blow the whistle on the operation and disappear, leaving Howie to take the rap. Faced with this threat, Howie agrees to begin searching for a new girl to take Michelle's place.
Enter 12-year-old Jennifer Phillips (Hill), a recent elementary school graduate and aspiring gymnast who fits the mold perfectly: she was voted "Most Shy" in her class, her father was recently killed in a robbery of his catering truck, she feels unable to communicate with her mother Sherry (Dillon) and cannot accept her mother's new boyfriend (and her father's co-worker), Frank Dawson (Cox).
By chance, she shows up at the local video arcade while Howie is there posting an ad for the girls' softball team he coaches at the town rec center. He strikes up a brief conversation and gives her a quarter, then she runs into him again while leaving the arcade. After snapping a Polaroid
Instant film
Instant film is a type of photographic film first introduced by Polaroid that is designed to be used in an instant camera...
photo of Jennifer, Howie tells her she looks like Farrah Fawcett
Farrah Fawcett
Farrah Fawcett was an American actress and artist. A multiple Golden Globe and Emmy Award nominee, Fawcett rose to international fame when she first appeared as private investigator Jill Munroe in the first season of the television series Charlie's Angels, in 1976...
and that she would be great in movies. Jennifer then mentions her late father appeared as an extra in a Burt Reynolds
Burt Reynolds
Burton Leon "Burt" Reynolds, Jr. is an American actor. Some of his memorable roles include Bo 'Bandit' Darville in Smokey and the Bandit, Lewis Medlock in Deliverance, Bobby "Gator" McCluskey in White Lightning and sequel Gator, Paul Crewe and Coach Nate Scarborough in The Longest Yard and its...
film, then tells of his recent passing, to which Howie expresses sympathy. Before she departs, he takes another picture and asks Jennifer if she'd be interested in joining his softball team, to which she agrees.
The next day, an argument erupts between Jennifer and Sherry over unfinished housework, which culminates in Jennifer being struck. Angrily, she speeds away from the house on her bicycle and rides to the rec center, where Howie is just winding down a game. Getting her alone, he asks Jennifer if she has a nickname; when she tells him no, he dubs her "Angel" before taking yet another picture, this time comparing her to Raquel Welch
Raquel Welch
Jo Raquel Tejada , better known as Raquel Welch, is an American actress, author and sex symbol. Welch came to attention as a "new-star" on the 20th Century-Fox lot in the mid-1960s. She posed iconically in a animal skin bikini for the British-release One Million Years B.C. , for which she may be...
. Upon learning of her problems at home, he tells her to make things right, then come back tomorrow and he'll sign her up for his team. As she leaves, Howie rescinds his earlier comparison, telling her "you know why you don't look like Raquel? You're sexier."
After a game, Howie takes Jennifer to the local ice cream stand, and the two chat some more. Jennifer mentions her upcoming 13th birthday, and Howie asks whether or not she was a love child
Love child
"Love child" is a euphemism for a child born out of wedlock. See Legitimacy .Love child may also refer to:In music:* Lovechild , an indie rock band from Belfast, Northern Ireland...
, noting that "it doesn't make you any better or worse, just sort of says how your parents must have felt about you at the beginning". He then takes a picture of her licking her cone, calling it the "Before" shot, and promises to take one following her birthday, which will be the "After" shot. Looking at the picture, he again calls her "sexy," to which Jennifer laughingly states "I look like an anteater!", prompting Howie to reply "Never wanted to be an ant...till now."
Following a birthday celebration at the coffee shop
Café
A café , also spelled cafe, in most countries refers to an establishment which focuses on serving coffee, like an American coffeehouse. In the United States, it may refer to an informal restaurant, offering a range of hot meals and made-to-order sandwiches...
where Sherry works as a waitress, Jennifer again spends the day with Howie, who gives her a teddy bear (which she names Howard, after him) and sets up an impromptu "photo shoot" by the lake. Things start fairly innocent, but Howie soon asks her to lift her knee-length skirt and "show a little skin" while posing. When she proves reluctant to do so, Howie attempts to explain to her about "the beauty of the human body", even showing her some pornographic magazines, but then backs off. He does, however, make Jennifer promise to "keep our real friendship a secret."
The next day, Sherry announces to Jennifer that she and Frank are going to look at engagement rings, which sets off another argument; in a fit of rage, Jennifer punches the framed photo of her with her parents, causing her hand to bleed. While with Howie at the rec center later, he treats her injury and inquires about Jennifer's home situation, commenting "sometimes parents don't care whether you're alive or dead...you wonder why they had you in the first place" and mentioning his own abusive childhood.
Afterwards, he takes her to the local animal shelter to give her a puppy, whom she names Fred, but asks Jennifer to "just tell your mom you found him"; they then head back to the lake for another photo shoot, with Howie now suggesting Jennifer pose without her blouse and shorts, but telling her "you can keep your bra and panties on, they cover more than a bikini anyway." Assuring Jennifer he'd never hurt her, she finally agrees to pose, no doubt swayed by Howie's offer to give her a full set of prints, "like a real movie star".
Having decided she's ready to make her "debut", Howie arranges for Jennifer to come to the house where Dennis does his filming; after a brief meeting, Dennis realizes she's exactly what he's looking for, but Howie attempts to stop him, wanting Jennifer all to himself. However, Dennis once again reiterates his threat to tip off the authorities and make Howie the fall guy, and he backs off.
Jennifer is then teamed with a boy about her age named David, and the two start out posing for a variety of fairly innocent shots (mostly depicting the pair kissing in various outdoor locations), but during a shoot at the lake, Howie asks them to pose nude. A seasoned veteran, David cooperates, but Jennifer refuses. Using his manipulative tactics, Howie tells Jennifer, "I need you very much", then asks her, "Does anyone in the world need you? Your mother? Her boyfriend?" and reminds her "I'm all you have...if you don't, you'll lose me". Finally, after he threatens to "send Fred back", a tearful Jennifer reluctantly complies, with Howie reminding her to "deny everything" and "always say no" if caught.
As it turns out, Jennifer is caught when Frank spots her in a kiddie porn magazine ad that some "idiot sheet metal guys" had on one of his stops, which he informs Sherry of. Remembering what Howie told her, Jennifer denies everything when confronted, but convinced she can no longer stay at home, later runs away. She attempts to ask Howie for a place to stay (as he put his three young male stars up in a nearby apartment), but he initially refuses, only to change his mind when Jennifer gets flirtatious, assuring Howie "I'll make it up to you" and reminding him how she's "getting older and better".
Back at home, Sherry returns to find her daughter's goodbye letter and begins searching adult establishments and popular hangouts in the area. Later, she goes to the rec center, where Howie feigns surprise over Jennifer's disappearance and absence at that evening's ballgame, but promises to talk to her and send her home if he finds her. In reality, Jennifer is at the boys' apartment and avoided the game at Howie's suggestion ("it's almost the first place they'll look").
Before leaving the ball field, it suddenly occurs to Sherry to check the second number Howie had given her earlier as his "answering service", and she calls the police station to get the corresponding address. Meanwhile, Howie stops by the apartment before heading home, sends the boys into the other room and attempts to seduce Jennifer. However, only moments before he can go through with his devious plans, he's stopped in the nick of time by an angry Sherry, who now fully understands exactly what Howie was doing, and flies into a rage at him before leaving with her daughter and the boys.
Subsequently arrested for his illegal activities, Howie prepares for the impending trial with his attorney, reviewing his testimony and attempting to justify his perversions (during which time we learn that Howie's former "angel" Michelle has been institutionalized, making her the "Fallen Angel" of the title). Meanwhile, the prosecution wants Jennifer to testify against Howie, but Sherry refuses to allow it, feeling they need to move on.
However, Frank is more objective, admitting that while he's worried about what will happen to Jennifer if she testifies, he's also worried about what will happen to other kids if she doesn't, telling Sherry "this could be the most important decision she's ever made" and encouraging Jennifer to think about it. Gradually realizing she needs to do the right thing, Jennifer's decision is solidified by a subsequent chance encounter with Howie, who has been released on bail and attempts to talk her out of testifying. The film ends with Jennifer taking the witness stand during Howie's trial, ready to tell her story.