DIVINE SCHOOL OF NURSING
Cor. Rizal & Bates Sts., Old Albay, Legazpi City
Tel Numbers: (052) 480-1239/820-4128
Title:
Name: WORD
Rebanal, Ericka Mae R.
“A Private Matter”
Level: 2 Date: September 16, 2020
There are two secrets to success in life: 1. Don’t tell them everything you know.
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If only she knew. If only she followed. If only she had kept it “A Private Matter”.
This film is the third movie we were assigned to watch as part of our Bioethics
class. After having watched this, it came as no surprise that again, like all the previous
films, it has left me, without a doubt, more questions than it did answers. “A Private
Matter” is a fact-based film released by HBO on the 20th of June, 1992, during a time
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where U.S. network television had shied away from stories that dealt with abortion, the
topic being considered as taboo and scandalous.
The year was 1962 in Phoenix, Arizona. A woman named Sherri Finkbine, a well-
liked host for the children’s television show: Romper Room, causes a public scandal
when she decides to get an abortion. She and her husband, Bob, who’s a high school
teacher, were happily married with four beautiful children. As they were expecting their
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5th child, in some unexpected twist of fate, due to Sherri’s medication, thalidomide, they
were told by their doctor that the child has most likely been deformed. As husband and
wife tries to get an abortion, they face not only the public’s scrutiny, but also, of the legal
justice system.
Sissy Spacek who played the character of Sherri, perfectly depicted how it was to
be a woman. How fickle-minded they can be, and how their judgement is mostly driven
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by their emotions. Aidan Quinn who plays as Sherri’s husband, Bob, perfectly played his
part by showing how masculine a guy is, how they never let their emotions float to the
surface, and how strong they have to be to fulfill the stereotypical paternal role of being
the rock that the family relies on. Also, Estelle Parson’s portrayal of Mary, Sherri’s mom
was wonderful. She showed how most people act towards the people they love, especially
how some parents treat their child: overlooking a child’s fault and chooses only to see the
good, which in turn would make them expect to see the good, as it would reflect how
others would see themselves in the long-run.
I liked the conflict presented by the film. As a soon-to-be medical practitioner, the
thought of taking away the chance of the child to survive is against my discipline’s
principle. If I had to put my feet in the shoes of Sherri and Bob, it really would be a battle
between practicality, thinking for the child’s future, and my moral and ethical standards. I
believe that their circumstance is something not a single parent would like to experience.
The confrontational scenes in this movie is so intense that I shed a tear (or two) along the
way. I had two favorite scenes but I will only discuss the one I found best. The one near
towards the end of the movie, where Bob, after finally succumbing to the pressure, breaks
down in the middle of an argument with Sherri, in their garden, before the break of dawn.
It was such a gratifying scene to see Bob show a humane side to himself, that’s what I
call a character development.
If there is any lesson to be learned, first and foremost, it would be that we should
never, in the off chance, self-medicate. Seek a professional’s help before any intake of
medicine. Also, we must keep in mind that with each of our actions and decisions, there
is an equivalent reaction, like a single drop of water in the river can cause multiple
ripples, your single decision will cause multitudes of reactions, reactions that not only
may affect one own’s life but also of others.
I’d highly recommend this film to those who are in search of movies that will
question their stand on life, and also to those who love the drama genre. It has a PG-13
rating due to the intricacy of the topic, but I think it’s a good film to watch on a family
weekend. If I am to rate this movie, I would gladly give it a 4.5 out of 5. It’s a good film,
it tickles your brain and gives a lot of food for thought.
Ericka Mae Rebanal is a college sophomore whose major is Nursing. Her favorite
sport is badminton. She mostly spends her time reading and drawing random sketches. She
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DIVINE SCHOOL OF NURSING
Cor. Rizal & Bates Sts., Old Albay, Legazpi City
Tel Numbers: (052) 480-1239/820-4128
WORD
is currently a slave to four dogs: Demi (11mos old Belgian Malinois), Minnie (10mos old
dachshund), Red (4mos old rottweiler), and Grey (2mos old Siberian Husky).
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GE of
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