A Deadly Silence

Incest is a taboo in our society. We don't talk about it and we certainly don't make movies about it, unless they're porn efforts. (You wouldn't believe the ghastly stuff that turns up when you do a search under "incest" which I had to do here because I had failed to get the title.) Yet incest also happens in our society, too often if this film's statistics are to be believed. This is a screen polemic obviously designed to focus on the problem and those afflicted by it. But it still is a gripping, well done drama with some excellent courtroom scenes and no pulled punches. Yet it is compassionate and realistic, stooping neither to sensation nor preaching. It makes its several points very effectively! The producers deserve tremendous credit for tackling this delicate topic, even as a promotional effort. I'm sure it prompted people to seek assistance when it first was done in '89 and, most recently, when it was shown on A&E.