Rain Without Thunder
Rain Without Thunder | |
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Directed by | Gary O. Bennett |
Written by | Gary O. Bennett |
Produced by |
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Starring | |
Cinematography | Karl Kases |
Edited by |
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Music by |
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Distributed by | Orion Classics |
Release date |
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Running time | 85 minutes |
Country | United States |
Language | English |
Box office | $5000 (US)[1] |
Rain Without Thunder is a 1993 American
Plot
Allison Goldring, an upper-class, white college student, becomes pregnant from her boyfriend Jeremy Tanner. After discussing her options with both Tanner and her family, she makes the decision to travel abroad to terminate the pregnancy, as abortion is prosecuted as "fetal murder" in the United States. According to Allison and her mother Beverley, everyone – including Tanner – supported her decision. Tanner later denies this, though the film makes his denial seem improbable. Allison's father and grandmother are interviewed and openly support both Allison and Beverly. Allison's father says that he originally intended to go along with them and that the choice to prosecute Beverly is arbitrary; ultimately, Beverly is perceived to have a greater influence on Allison.
Later interviews give further background on the society: civil liberties are slowly and methodically curtailed over time in order fight "hypercrime". In the early twenty-first century, restrictions on warrants are loosened, and several states pass laws criminalizing abortion. At first, only abortionists are targeted by the laws, and complacent feminists dismiss the idea that the situation will get worse. When the Roman Catholic Church accepts barrier contraception, feminism becomes further weakened, and a wave of
The state of New York has recently passed a law that classifies going abroad to seek a termination as "fetal kidnapping". Beverly admits to being aware of the change but assumed it would be some time before it would be enforced. It is not clear how aware Allison and Jeremy were of the legal change. The law is a reaction to a lawsuit aimed at overturning fetal murder statutes because they are enforced almost exclusively against poor minority women. Examples of such women are interviewed at Walker Point. One had used some abortifacient called a "baby bomb". She was arrested as she bled out after improperly administering the drug. The other was initially arrested on suspicion of having a termination, but is convicted of using an IUD, which is also illegal. Her descriptions of how she obtained the "uudee" suggest that she was also in a potentially dangerous medical situation.
African American district attorney Andrea Murdoch discovers what the Goldrings have done and prosecutes them under the new law, in large part because they are exactly the type of women targeted by the law. The criminal procedures show that doctor-patient confidentiality is no longer guaranteed. Murdoch's motivations are questioned by Jonathan Garson, the Goldrings' attorney, who suggests she is seeking higher office, although he doesn't question her ethics. Murdoch's own statements suggest that she is angered by the racial and class disparities in enforcement, but she does not question the propriety of fetal murder law.
During the trial, Allison decides to take the stand and confesses to what she did. She does not express remorse at the time nor does she express any regret later. She says that she felt relieved to get everything out. Beverly and Garson are frustrated by her decision, since it condemns both Allison and Beverly to prison. At the end of the film, the Swedish clinic checks their pathology reports on Allison and determines that the fetus had been dead for almost three weeks prior to the procedure. The Goldrings are released, but Murdoch declares her intention to prosecute them on attempted fetal kidnapping, on the grounds that they had intended to commit the crime even if they had not been able to commit it.
Cast
Actor | Role |
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Betty Buckley | Beverly Goldring |
Katharine Crost | Walker Point Guard #1 |
Jeff Daniels | Jonathan Garson |
Frederic Forrest | Warden |
Graham Greene | Author on History |
Linda Hunt | Atwood Society Director |
Robert Earl Jones | Old Lawyer |
Carolyn McCormick | Reporter |
Ming-Na Wen | 'Uudie' Prisoner (as Ming-Na Wen) |
Iona Morris | Andrea Murdoch |
Austin Pendleton | Catholic Priest |
Ethan Phillips | Gynecologist |
Ali Thomas | Allison Goldring |
Steve Zahn | Jeremy Tanner |
Alyssa Rallo Bennett | Max Sinclair |
Heather Lilly | Micka Goldring |
Production
Writer and director Gary Bennett began writing Rain Without Thunder in 1988 after he became frustrated with pro-choice acquaintances who voted for conservative Republicans due to their economic policies. He wanted to avoid overt science fiction themes to keep the film relevant, and he included arguments for the opposing side to avoid creating a one-sided message.[2]
Rain Without Thunder was budgeted at under two million dollars.[3]
Release
Orion Classics released Rain Without Thunder on February 5, 1993, in Los Angeles.[4] It was released on video in 1995.[5]
Reception
References
- ^ "Rain Without Thunder". The Numbers. Retrieved 2014-02-10.
- ^ Terry, Clifford (1993-02-14). "Getting The Message". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved 2014-02-10.
- ^ Ayscough, Susan (1992-12-07). "Orion Classics picks up first release, 'Thunder'". Variety. Retrieved 2014-02-10.
- ^ "Short Takes". Variety. 1993-01-27. Retrieved 2014-02-10.
- ^ a b Pierson, Melissa (1995-10-27). "Rain Without Thunder (1995)". Entertainment Weekly. No. 298. Retrieved 2014-02-10.
- ^ "Rain Without Thunder (1993)". Rotten Tomatoes. Flixster. Retrieved 2014-02-10.
- ^ Ebert, Roger (1993-02-15). "Rain Without Thunder". Chicago Sun-Times. Retrieved 2014-02-10.
- ^ Maslin, Janet (1993-02-05). "Rain Without Thunder (1993)". The New York Times. Retrieved 2014-02-10.
- ^ Hinson, Hal (1993-02-09). "'Rain Without Thunder' (PG-13)". The Washington Post. Retrieved 2014-02-10.
- Philadelphia Inquirer. Retrieved 2014-02-10.
- ^ Steinmetz, Johanna (1993-02-12). "'Rain Without Thunder' Also Without Drama". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved 2014-02-10.
- ^ Wilmington, Michael (1993-02-05). "MOVIE REVIEWS: 'Rain' Has Seen Future and It Doesn't Work". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2014-02-05.
- ^ Steritt, David (1993-02-12). "Drama on Abortion Deftly Balances Debate". The Christian Science Monitor. Retrieved 2014-02-10.
- ^ Boyar, Jay (1993-05-31). "'Rain Without Thunder' Raises Questions About Abortion's Future". Orlando Sentinel. Retrieved 2014-02-10.