Women on Trial (film)
Women on Trial | |
---|---|
Directed by | Lee Grant |
Produced by | Joseph Feury Lee Grant Virginia Cotts Roberta Morris Purdee |
Narrated by | Lee Grant |
Cinematography | Hart Perry |
Edited by | Geof Bartz |
Music by | Tom Carpenter |
Distributed by | HBO Hope Runs High[1] |
Release date |
|
Running time | 57 minutes |
Country | United States |
Language | English |
Women on Trial is a 1992 documentary film directed by Academy Award winner Lee Grant. The film follows a group of women navigating the family court system in Texas. Originally scheduled to aired on HBO, the film played only a single night before being pulled from the public after inciting a million dollar lawsuit initiated Texas family court judge Charles Dean Huckabee. The story unfolds as woman after woman loses custody of her children to fathers who have either a documented history of abuse, or admittedly do not want custody of the children. [2] [3] [4] [5]
Development[]
Women on Trial was produced under Grant and husband/producer Joseph Feury's production deal with HBO. Grant became interest after seeing the number of women losing custody of their children to allegedly abusive fathers in Harris County, Texas.
Reception[]
The film received positive reviews. Before the film was pulled, disappearing for the next 27 years, Variety felt that it was "chilling...starkly moving."[6]
Legacy[]
The film is part of Grant's documentary collection and is expected to receive a digital and limited repertory cinema re-release in the Winter of 2019-2020 along with the majority of her non-fiction work. A screening at New York's Film Forum in December 2019 will mark the film's first public exhibition since its single night on HBO. [1]
References[]
- ^ a b https://filmforum.org/film/women-on-trial-lee-grant
- ^ "Libel suit against HBO dismissed over proof of actual malice". May 11, 2000.
- ^ "FindLaw's Court of Appeals of Texas case and opinions". Findlaw.
- ^ "FindLaw's Supreme Court of Texas case and opinions". Findlaw.
- ^ Ford, Carole Bell (January 1, 2010). The Women of CourtWatch: Reforming a Corrupt Family Court System. University of Texas Press. ISBN 9780292781948 – via Google Books.
- ^ Hilsman, Hoyt (October 27, 1992). "Women on Trial". Variety.
External link[]
- 1992 films
- English-language films
- 1992 documentary films
- American documentary films
- American films
- Films directed by Lee Grant
- History of women in Texas