A Death of Innocence

When Tisha Sterling gets arrested for first-degree murder, her devoted parents Shelley Winters and John Randolph drop everything in their small town and head for the big city. They're completely out of their element, and they entrust a successful, expensive attorney, Arthur Kennedy, with Tisha's fate. Arthur believes Tisha and her boyfriend (also charged with her) are guilty, but Shelley can't accept that. She thinks of her little girl as just that: a sweet, innocent little girl. It turns out, however, that Tisha's life in the city has drastically changed her. For example, when Tisha requests to speak to her mother after the first day of the trial, Shelley thinks she'll break down in tears, ask after her siblings, or admit something. Instead, Tisha asks for another outfit so she can look nice for her boyfriend.

The ending is a bit abrupt (no spoilers here), but the journey getting there is interesting. All the characters (even Arthur) could have been fleshed out more, but it's a brief television flick, so don't expect much substance. It has a point to get across, and it definitely does that.

DLM Warning: If you suffer from vertigo or dizzy spells, like my mom does, this movie might not be your friend. When Shelley goes through her publicity interviews, there are flashing lightbulbs and handheld camera angles, and during the first five minutes of the trial, the camera tilts back and forth. In other words, "Don't Look, Mom!"