EVERY SECRET THING

US, 2014, 93 minutes, Colour.
Diane Lane, Elizabeth Banks, Dakota Fanning, Danielle Macdonald, Nate Parker, Common.
Directed by Amy Berg.

Every Secret Thing is quite an effective crime drama, different from the usual. The focus of attention is on two young girls who are accused of abducting a mixed race baby, and of murdering it, charged and experiencing seven years in prison and then getting out to start their lives again.

The cast is strong with Diane Lane as one of the girl’s mother, a hard woman, especially with her daughter, not really loving her, and having to cope with her being fat. On the other hand, she’s devoted to her daughter’s friend, liking her much more than her daughter. Elizabeth Banks is the detective who found the original baby and is handling this case, interrogating the two young women. Nate Parker is her assistant.

The adult girls are very well played especially by Australian Danielle Macdonald as the fat girl whose secrets are gradually revealed. The other girl as an adult is played by Dakota Fanning.

The screenplay gradually reveals a number of secrets but it also has the device of flashbacks showing each of the girl’s version of what happened, contradictory versions, leaving it to the audience and the police to work out what was the truth.

The film has strong credentials, especially with the contribution of women, Frances Mc Dormand as producer, Nicole Holofcener (Friends with Money, Please Give, Enough Said) as writer and documentary director, Amy Berg (Deliver Us from Evil) as director.

1. A crime story? Detection? Human interest with the abduction of babies? The needs of the girls in abducting?

2. The American town, families, children, swimming pools, babies in prams on verandas? Prison sequences? Shops and stores, the streets, suburbia, the police precincts? Ordinary situations and environment? Differences? The musical score?

3. The title, Ronnie and her secrets, Alice and her secrets, her mother’s secrets?

4. The prologue, Alice and her mother, not wanting to go to the party, the party at the pool, Ronnie and the gift, slapping the mother, the mood of the event? The two girls going home, the baby on the veranda? The device of having the news headlines, the abduction, the death, the arrest of the girls, charges, imprisonment?

5. The flashbacks to the scene of the crime, the abduction of the child, hiding it, feeding it? The different points of view of each of the children? The ambiguity of the truth? The motivations, fears about the child, no fears, the child dying? Nancy Porter and the flashbacks to her finding the hidden child?

6. The picture of Alice, a self-centred girl? As a little girl, in the flashbacks of the party, the abduction, her interactions with Ronnie, her control over Ronnie, blaming her? Her being fat and her referring to this? Not being liked or loved? Her relationship with her mother? In prison, not contacting Ronnie? Getting out, at home, her mother urging her to get the job? Her walking the streets seemingly aimlessly? The disappearance of the child, the police interrogations, her mother’s questions? Her reaction? Her version of the story? The gradual revelation of the sexual encounter in prison, her fostering and enjoying the seduction, her pregnancy, the baby taken, adopted, and not getting any information? The father arrested? The effect on her, wanting her child, walking the streets searching for her? The importance of her mother’s story to the police, encouraging her at the time of the pregnancy, the birth, the adoption, the little design of a heart on the back? Alice and her blaming Ronnie, audiences judging the truth? Her confession to the police, getting the father to give it to his mother to hide, the finding of the baby, Nancy and the offer to help her? Going on television, the prison worker and her accusations, putting herself as a victim, wanting to live her life, his being behind bars? Her future?

7. The contrast with Ronnie, disturbed as a child, her parents? The flashbacks, her version of what had happened, blaming Alice? Getting out of jail, hard, the job and her work, the customers and the cash and cheque? Her lenient boss? No contact with Alice? The police coming, her running away, hiding where the initial baby had died? Nancy finding her? The going to visit Alice’s mother, the mother and her fondness for Ronnie? In the bath, her blood, her death?

8. Nancy, as a detective, finding the baby? The new case? Her commitment? The coldness with her husband at home? Going out, with each of the girls, trying to persuade them to talk? In the night, finding Ronnie where she had found the baby? The further discussions, the discussions with Alice’s mother, listening to Alice’s mother tell the story – confronting Alice, going to the house and restoring the baby to the couple?

9. The assistant, working with Nancy, hard? Phone calls, getting documents, Alice’s file and the discovery of her pregnancy?

10. Mrs Manning, in herself, early pregnancy, despising the father, the effect on Alice as a child, fat, her mother loving her or not? The prison experience? Urging her to get a job, questioning her about working? Her hard attitude towards the police? The contrast with her kindness and fondness for Ronnie? Telling the truth about the baby, telling Nancy the details of Alice’s behaviour and attitude? Standing behind Alice’s final interview but walking away anonymously?

11. The concerned local woman, her baby, memories of the past, going to the police, the bad reception from the partner of the woman whose baby was abducted?

12. The couple, in the store, the baby gone, reaction to the police, the partner and his hostility, the mother and her concern? The joy of getting the baby back at the end?

13. The title – and everybody’s secret?