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In the Custody of Strangers (1982)
Rate:
5
Viewed:
3/15, 4/22
3/15:
In the Custody of Strangers, although a telefilm, is among a handful of the most realistic pictures I've seen.
A lot of the situations as shown are a constant dilemma in the criminal justice system that deals with juvenile delinquents.
It's obvious Danny Caldwell should've been integrated with his peers at some juvenile detention center for social
purpose because forcing him to be alone in a cell without human interaction will make matters worse.
In fact, no one, I don't care how tough he is, can handle solitary confinement for a while. The longer he's confined,
the greater the drain is on the mind. Once his mentality goes, there goes himself.
Great performances are rendered by Martin Sheen, Jane Alexander, and Emilio Estevez, and they're all outstanding.
How each of them handles his or her situation psychologically is the reason why. The casting of the true father-and-son actors
is a rarity. Echoing what's wrong with the whole picture is perfectly summarized in the speech at the end.
However, it won't make much of a difference because the system can chew up a lot of people without regard for
their well-being due to chronic understaffing, limited resources, and a deluge of court cases (hence the need to plea bargain).
So, I don't sympathize with Danny because he's the one who put himself in the situation by driving drunk. He could've
killed somebody but was lucky that it didn't happen. Interestingly enough, this was never covered once during the entire ordeal.
It may be unfair to place the blame on the father for his son's downfall because he, who's although indirectly responsible
for Danny's temper, did not cause it to happen. My prognosis for Danny's future is he'll have a lifelong
psychological problem unless he seeks treatment because if he doesn't, he'll go back to the slammer.
All in all, it doesn't matter if In the Custody of Strangers is a made-for-TV picture because it's an excellent
piece of work showcasing how punishment is handled for juvenile delinquents.
4/22:
In the Custody of Strangers was clearly made by liberals.
It presents an extreme example of criminal justice system gone wrong. Here's my problem with the premise: why aren't
there juvenile detention centers? Everybody keeps saying they've never had a kid in jail, yet the probation officer
mentions, "We're understaffed. And there's always more kids coming." Exactly...so why isn't Danny Caldwell with them? Studies
after studies have shown solitary confinement with nothing to do makes people crazy.
I have to side with the judge on this issue because Danny belongs in jail. He drove drunk and has a bad temper. In
fact, I blame the father; it's an underlying issue that must have been there for so long. Consequently, Danny is a whiny brat
who can't seem to understand he's the one who put himself in the situation. Ultimately, he served only forty days...big deal.
My prediction is: Danny will be back again not because of his temper problem but because he isn't too bright.
The acting is fine for the most part, and it's interesting to see how much Emilio Estevez takes after his father. But he's
annoying all the time. Hence, the movie is unlikeable this way, and I don't have any sympathy for his character.
The following axiom is true: "If you can't do the time, don't do the crime." Hence, Danny Caldwell is weak. As for the
speech at the end, I didn't want to hear it.
All in all, if you hate Emilio Estevez, you'll love In the Custody of Strangers.