Bless the Child backdrop
Bless the Child poster

BLESS THE CHILD

2000 • US HMDB
August 11, 2000

When Maggie's sister Jenna saddles her with an autistic newborn named Cody she touches Maggie's heart and becomes the daughter she has always longed for. But six years later Jenna suddenly re-enters her life and, with her mysterious new husband, Eric Stark, abducts Cody. Despite the fact that Maggie has no legal rights to Cody, FBI agent John Travis takes up her cause when he realizes that Cody shares the same birth date as several other recently murdered children.

Directors

Chuck Russell Chuck Russell

Cast

Kim Basinger as Maggie O'Connor

Kim Basinger

Maggie O'Connor

 Jimmy Smits as Agent John Travis

Jimmy Smits

Agent John Travis

 Rufus Sewell as Eric Stark

Rufus Sewell

Eric Stark

 Ian Holm as Reverend Grissom

Ian Holm

Reverend Grissom

 Angela Bettis as Jenna

Angela Bettis

Jenna

 Holliston Coleman as Cody

Holliston Coleman

Cody

 Christina Ricci as Cheri Post

Christina Ricci

Cheri Post

 Lumi Cavazos as Sister Rosa

Lumi Cavazos

Sister Rosa

 Michael Gaston as Det. Frank Bugatti

Michael Gaston

Det. Frank Bugatti

 Eugene Lipinski as Stuart

Eugene Lipinski

Stuart

 Dimitra Arliss as Dahnya

Dimitra Arliss

Dahnya

 Anne Betancourt as Maria

Anne Betancourt

Maria

 Helen Stenborg as Sister Joseph

Helen Stenborg

Sister Joseph

 Matthew Lemche as New Dawn Kid at Van

Matthew Lemche

New Dawn Kid at Van

Dan Warry-Smith

New Dawn Kid

 Elisabeth Rosen as New Dawn Kid

Elisabeth Rosen

New Dawn Kid

Tony del Rio

New Dawn Kid

 Nicole Lyn as New Dawn Kid

Nicole Lyn

New Dawn Kid

 Michael McLachlan as New Dawn Kid

Michael McLachlan

New Dawn Kid

 Vince Corazza as Reverend's Assistant

Vince Corazza

Reverend's Assistant
Dramma Horror Thriller Crime
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Crew
Production: Mace Neufeld (Producer) — Lis Kern (Executive Producer) — Bruce Davey (Executive Producer) — Robert Rehme (Executive Producer)
Screenplay: Clifford Green (Screenplay) — Ellen Green (Screenplay) — Thomas Rickman (Screenplay)
Music: Christopher Young (Original Music Composer)
Cinematography: Peter Menzies Jr. (Director of Photography)

REVIEWS (1)

Marco Castellini •
Maggie O'Connor is a nurse who lives alone in New York. Her ordinary and solitary life is disrupted by the arrival of her sister, who leaves her with her newborn daughter because she, a drug addict with no money, is unable to take care of her. Six years later, Jenna reappears with her husband Eric Stark, a shady individual leading a sect devoted to the worship of Evil; the two kidnap little Cody because they are interested in the paranormal powers the child has demonstrated she possesses. A battle between Good and Evil for the child's fate will thus ensue, which is, in some way, linked to the fate of all humanity. The film's producer is Mace Neufeld, famous for the success he achieved with "Il presagio", the director is Chuck Russell, known for "Nightmare 3" and the remake of "The blob", and the screenwriter is Tom Rickman, who has an Oscar nomination to his credit; not to mention the famous protagonist Kim Basinger, and other notable actors appearing in the film such as Cristina Ricci (already seen in Burton's splendid "Sleepy Hollow"). One would therefore expect at least a good film, but it is not the case: the screenplay is poor (some dialogues, like the one between Stern and the child on a building's terrace, seem implausible and unintentionally ridiculous), the plot is thin and predictable, the direction is dull and "scholastic", and even the digital effects leave one somewhat perplexed. In short, a real misstep that does not even reach the passing grade.
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COMMUNITY REVIEWS (1)

Wuchak

Wuchak

7 /10

Inversion of "The Omen"

A little girl with awe-inspiring abilities is raised by her aunt, Maggie O'Connor (Kim Basinger), because her mother is a drug addict (Angela Bettis). The latter hooks up with a weird cult, led by the arrogant Eric Stark (Rufus Sewell), who wants the child for dubious purposes.

Released in 2000, "Bless the Child" is a thriller/horror that comes across as an inverted "The Omen" with elements of "End of Days." It has the same plot as the contemporaneous "The Calling," but is more sensical.

It's no low-budget production as it cost $40 million to make and was directed by Chuck Russell, who's known for a few fairly significant movies, like "Nightmare on Elm Street 3: The Dream Warriors," the remake of "The Blob" and 1994's highly successful "The Mask." Despite this, "Bless the Child" comes across as a Lifetime movie with a higher budget, which explains the film's mediocre ratings.

While I understand this criticism I was able to enter into the world of the characters and enjoy the movie. It's not technically as good as "The Omen" (and some would say that it's sacrilege to even compare them), but I personally prefer "Bless the Child" simply because I like the story, characters and themes better, despite the film's limitations.

Concerning the cast, Kim Basinger was past her physical prime, but she still looks good and she's a likable and compassionate protagonist. Jimmy Smits co-stars as the detective on the case and he's effective, as always. Petite Christina Ricci shines in a small role as a runaway who tries to help Maggie. They're all good, but it's Rufus Sewell who's most memorable as the leader of a cult that mixes elements of LaVeyian Satanism with Sciencefictionology.

The CGI is a mixed bag, some of the effects are pretty good while some are just serviceable, but you have to consider the age of the movie. Regardless, special effects are just icing on the cake; it's the story and characters that count and this is where "Bless the Child" is solid—nothing great or exceptionally good, but solid.

The film runs 1 hour, 47 minutes, and was shot in Toronto, Burlington and Sarnia, Ontario with 2nd unit shots of the Big Apple.

GRADE: B/B-

Reviews provided by TMDB