On B List of Movie Reviews
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Bless the Child (2000)
Rate:
5
Viewed:
5/20
5/20:
Quick!
Think of the movies that are most closely associated with Satan and children. If you came up with
The Omen and Rosemary's Baby,
then you'll find absolutely nothing new in Bless the Child.
Of course, the plot is interesting as it subtly makes a mockery of Scientology, but I've seen this before many
times in inferior motion pictures. Nothing ever happens at the end; the bad guy just wimps out and dies. The
overused CGI looks cheap. There's a scene that feels like Child Abduction 101. I wouldn't be surprised if a
real-life kidnapper confessed that his modus operandi was patterned after it.
Kim Basinger is okay but is often monotonous. At this point, her days of a bankable leading actress are over.
Using his extensive experience from NYPD Blue, Jimmy Smits comes to Kim Basinger's rescue by giving a
strong performance to keep the film afloat.
You may see Christina Ricci's and Ian Holm's names on the DVD cover, but they're in the movie for five
minutes max. At least, Wednesday Addams has her head lopped off. It would be nice if they stayed on for a
longer period of time. Playing the nun, Lumi Cavazos is well known for
Como agua para chocolate, and I didn't know she could
speak English.
Dark City's Rufus Sewell gives an adequate performance, but his character
is worthless because what exactly does he want to do after coming into supreme power? Holliston Coleman is
too normal for an autistic kid. The protagonist's heroin junkie sister, who's played by Angela Bettis, is
annoying and should've been immediately disowned. Notice the huge age difference between her and Kim Basinger:
twenty years.
As for Cody's abandonment, the law is on Maggie's side. New York says, in order for the involuntary termination of
parental rights to occur, "the parent has intentionally abandoned the child for six months or more" and calls it
a class E felony which includes a prison term of up to four years, a probation term of five years, and a fine.
Therefore, Maggie should've filed for legal custody at the beginning and was within her rights to call the cops
to get Cody back after she was kidnapped. It shouldn't be a problem afterwards because she can furnish the proof
in terms of child care, something that her sister will never be able to produce.
All in all, because the plot is too similar to The Omen, there's no
reason to see Bless the Child.