In 1938, a series of abductions followed by the killing of boys thundered at Riverside and Los Angeles. The public in the United States has devoted all its efforts to helping parents search for boys, which has led to the exposure of corruption by the Los Angeles Police Department. A terrible tragedy affected the simple Collins family. In memory of the terrible tragedy in 2008, the film "Substitution" was shot about the strong woman Kristin Ida Dann Collins.
Woman biography
Kristin Collins was born on December 14, 1888 and lived until December 8, 1964. Having married Walter James Collins Sr., the woman gave birth to a son, who was named after his father. Her husband turned out to be a malicious criminal, on his account the repeated armed robberies that led him to a California prison. A woman raised her son alone while her husband was behind bars. In order to feed the family, she worked as a telephone operator. The ordinary measured life of a woman changed on March 10, 1928. Her son Walter James Collins Jr. went to the theater that day and never returned home.
Maternal heart cannot be fooled
The long absence of her son at home was very worried about Christine Collins. Her biography forever left in the memory of a woman this ill-fated day. The mother turned to the police, suggesting that her husband’s enemies had abducted the child. After working out this version, the police rejected it. Hundreds of policemen participated in the investigation, but no one could get to the truth. The five-month investigation did not bear any fruit, which led to unrest in society. Then there was a rumor that the boy showed up in Illinois. Having paid seventy dollars, the mother, it would seem, regained her son. But when she saw him, the woman firmly declared that it was not Walter.
She was asked not to make hasty decisions and not to chop off in a rush. Kristin Ida Dunn Collins (photo below) took the child, but this could not convince her. Having the evidence in her hands in the form of a dentist’s testimony, the woman came to the police to return the strange child and continue her search. Police captain Jay Jones put the woman in a mental hospital for such a statement. Five days later, the boy nevertheless admits that he is Arthur Hutchins. Such a forgery was organized by the Los Angeles police in order to conceal the corruption fraud in the murder investigation department. As a result, Christine Collins was released from the asylum. The real story of the kidnapping of the boy turned out to be worse than anyone could have imagined.
Serial killer
The story that led to the abduction of Walter Collins began in 1926. Then Gordon Northcott took to his education the nephew of Sanford Clark. Parents approved the move of the boy from the Canadian provincial town of Saskatchewan to Vineville. Here Gordon mocked a thirteen-year-old child, carrying out beatings and sexual violence in his direction. The boy, at the behest of Northcott, wrote letters home that he was doing well.
The visit of Sanford's sister Jesse Clark saved the boy from the persecution of his uncle. Sanford managed to secretly inform his sister about what was happening, in response to which she passed all the information to the authorities. Soon the police visited the ranch, who arrested Sanford because the boy was illegally transported across the border with Canada. During interrogation, the boy said that Gordon Northcote stole and killed three guys. At the same time, Gordon was strongly assisted by his own mother. Sanford was also forced to participate in the process on pain of death. One of the three boys turned out to be Walter Collins.
The film "Substitution"
In 2008, the forces of Clint Eastwood appeared on the big screen the American thriller "Substitution". The film is based on a true story related to the investigation of the Vineville killings. For the first time, the picture was presented to the audience at the sixty-first Kansky film festival, which was held on May 8, 2008. Then the film was alternately watched in North America, the United Kingdom and Ireland and Russia. Fifty-five million dollars were spent on the film. Exhaust from film distribution amounted to more than one hundred million.
Starring actress
The main role in the film went to Angelina Jolie. Christine Collins actress played a masterpiece. In the company of Jolie, the film was attended by John Malkovich, Amy Ryan, Jeffrey Donovan and Jeff Pearson. In the film "Substitution," Christine Collins is faced with serious twists of fate. Angelina Jolie professionally conveyed the emotions and feelings that were experienced by the main character at the time of loss, disappointment and injustice. According to the actress, in the process, she was very deeply immersed in the problems of the main character. Inside Jolie, something trembled while filming. And if in the film "Substitution" Christine Collins loses a child, then Angelina during the filming of the film found out that she was pregnant.
Interesting facts about filming a movie
- In the movie "Substitution," Christine Collins could play another actress. The director considered the candidatures of Reese Witherspoon and Hilary Suank.
- The film is based on real events that are known to the world as “Vinville Coop Murders”.
- After the filming was completed, Clint Eastwood, along with the entire crew, visited the eighteenth room in a psychiatric hospital, in which patients were reassured by electric shock.
- The architecture of Los Angeles in the twenties was created using computer graphics.
- The decision to become a director of the project was made by Clint Eastwood immediately after reading the script.
- Some cinemas showed the film, changing the name to “Wanderer”.
Movie Reviews
Spectators boldly give the picture ten points out of ten. In their opinion, this is one of the most powerful films of our time. In the film "Substitution," Christine Collins performed by Angelina Jolie looks like a befitting mother who is heartbroken. The actress did an excellent job, some even say that this is her best role.
The viewer has no complaints about the plot, nor the idea, nor the scenery. In the very first minute of watching the film is intriguing, it becomes impossible to break away from the picture. The viewer saw in the film not only the tragic story of his mother, but also examined the fight against irresponsibility and nightmarish elements in human form. The film evokes such a vivid emotion as empathy. It is impossible to remain indifferent, seeing a woman on the verge of madness and uncontrollable bitterness. The picture is interesting to view, but in most cases scary. And it scares not with the impressive tragedy of the plot, but with its truthfulness. Understanding that all this actually happened, shock the viewer.
Criticism
International and Russian critics reacted favorably to the film. “Nezavisimaya Gazeta” in its review notes the predisposition of the picture to the status of a masterpiece. Everyone is admired here, except Eastwood's choice of the main character. According to Catherine Barabash, Angelina is not such a great actress to play a tragic role. Jolie is a glamorous Hollywood diva, and it was thanks to her that the film became just solid, but not a masterpiece.
For Anton Dolina from Vedomosti, the film was an example of directorial honesty and uncompromisingness. The dignity of the picture, in his opinion, is the charm of the era, musical accompaniment and serious themes based on facts. But the main character of the film "Substitution" performed by Angelina Jolie was a problem for the journalist. In his opinion, the sex symbol of Hollywood could not believably play a heartbroken mother.