In the Custody of Strangers

In the Custody of Strangers is a 1982 American made-for-television drama film. It was directed by Robert Greenwald and written by Jennifer Miller. The film stars Martin Sheen, Jane Alexander and Emilio Estevez, the latter in his feature film debut. The film was nominated for the Golden Globe Award for Best Mini-Series Or Motion Picture Made for Television but lost to Brideshead Revisited.

In the Custody of Strangers
GenreDrama
Written byJennifer Miller
Directed byRobert Greenwald
StarringEmilio Estevez
Martin Sheen
Jane Alexander
Music byMatthew McCauley
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
Production
ProducerFarnk Vor Zerneck
CinematographyIsidore Mankofsky
EditorRobert Florio
Running time120 minutes
Production companiesMoonlight Productions
Filmways Television
DistributorMGM Television
Sony Pictures Television
Release
Original networkABC
Original release
  • May 26, 1982 (1982-05-26)

Plot

Based on a true story. Danny Caldwell is an angry small-town teen whose father, Frank, has been laid off and can't find a decent job. His mother, Sandy, works in order to provide for the family of five. Danny, frustrated with the town, tries to get work or leave the town to find a decent job, but often butts heads with Frank, whose staunch perception is that allowing his son to go to work is a threat to his masculinity. In other words, a father should provide for the family, not his wife, and certainly not the boy.

So, Danny and Frank are frequently at odds and, as a result, the teen indulges in a lot of trouble. One night, while Danny is out joyriding while drunk, he hits a police car, and it lands him in jail. Frank supposes that maybe a night in jail is just what Danny needs to straighten up. However, due to events that happen while Danny is incarcerated, he ends up spending six weeks in jail on assault charges.

Meanwhile, Frank gets a job in Ohio and the family has to move. At his trial, the assault charges are dropped and he is charged only with drunk driving and operating without a license. He is sentenced as time served and released. His parents realize the mistake of leaving their son in jail and tell the people in the courtroom that they really need to change how they treat children that come to them. Danny returns home to his family and their home but is forever changed by his time in jail.

Cast


This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.