A Cry in the Dark

A film review by Christopher Null - Copyright © 2000 Filmcritic.com

The true story of Lindy Chamberlain, a severe and embittered woman who was found innocent, then guilty, then innocent of murdering her child in the Australian outback in 1980. Her excuse: "The dingo took my baby." The case divided the nation of Australia for a decade, putting people in camps that believed the impossible -- that a wild dog ate a child -- or the unthinkable -- that her mother murdered her daughter. A Cry in the Dark is a tragic story that Meryl Streep (as Lindy) completely owns. But while it's very much a cautionary tale to keep your tent zipped up, the real moral of the story involves the crucial importance of being a sympathetic witness on the stand. Based on the book Evil Angels.

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Rating

4.0 out of 5 Stars

Cast and Crew

  • Director: Fred Schepisi
  • Producer: Verity Lambert
  • Screenwriter: Robert Caswell, Fred Schepisi
  • Stars: Meryl Streep, Sam Neill
  • MPAA Rating: PG-13