History Film / BlessTheChild

A 2000 horror/thriller film [[TheFilmOfTheBook adapted from the novel]] by Cathy Cash Spellman, directed by Creator/ChuckRussell and starring Creator/KimBasinger, about a mother and her adopted child -- who just happens to be the messiah.

Maggie O'Connor (Basinger) is a nurse who one night gets a brief visit from her drug-addicted sister Jenna (Creator/AngelaBettis), who drops off her newborn daughter Cody. Fast forward a number of years, and Cody (Creator/HollistonColeman) is in a Catholic school for disabled children. She is believed to have a form of autism, but it is indicated that she has started to develop supernatural powers - making plates levitate, and more importantly resurrecting a dead bird. Things are going well.

* AffablyEvil: The bad guy is really nice and polite about his murderous plans - even when he has a gun against his head.

* DeathOfAChild: [[spoiler: The girl lives, but this does not apply to any of the other kids the cult targets.]]

* OffWithHerHead: Bye-bye, Christina Ricci.

* HospitalHottie: Maggie, who as previously mentioned, works as a nurse. She is played by Creator/KimBasigner after-all.

* DisappearedDad: Jenna freely admits she has no idea who Cody's father is, due to sleeping around while she was a drug addict.

* HorrorDoesntSettleForSimpleTuesday: Easter is prominent.
* InNameOnly: The original novel involves Egyptian mythology, Paganism, Kabalah, Christian mysticism, reincarnation
and government conspiracies. The movie barely resembles the book.

* ReligiousHorror

* VillainWithGoodPublicity: The bad guy keeps his devil-worshipping and destructive ways secret, successfully [[BadSamaritan pretending to be a great humanitarian]].

* WickedWitch: Ghania.

* OlderHerovs.YoungerVillain: Agent Travis and Maggie O' Connor pitted against Eric Stark.

* OlderHerovs.YoungerVillain: Agent Travis and Maggie O' Connor pitted against Eric Stark.

* OlderHero vs.YoungerVillain: Agent Travis and Maggie O' Connor pitted against Eric Stark.

* OlderHerovs.YoungerVillain: Agent Travis and Maggie O' Connor pitted against Eric Stark.

* Older Hero vs. Younger Villain: Agent Travis and Maggie O' Connor pitted against Eric Stark.

* OlderHerovs.YoungerVillain: Agent Travis and Maggie O' Connor pitted against Eric Stark.

* InNameOnly: The original novel involves Egyptian mythology, Paganism, Kabalah, Christian mysticism, reincarnation and government conspiracies. The movie barely resembles the book.

A 2000 horror/thriller film [[TheFilmOfTheBook adapted from the novel]] by Cathy Cash Spellman, directed by Chuck Russell and starring Creator/KimBasinger, about a mother and her adopted child -- who just happens to be the messiah.

Maggie O'Connor (Basinger) is a nurse who one night gets a brief visit from her drug-addicted sister Jenna (Creator/AngelaBettis), who drops off her newborn daughter Cody. Fast forward a number of years, and Cody (Holliston Coleman) is in a Catholic school for disabled children. She is believed to have a form of autism, but it is indicated that she has started to develop supernatural powers - making plates levitate, and more importantly resurrecting a dead bird. Things are going well.

Then, one day, Jenna comes back to claim her child. Or rather, Jenna's new husband Eric (Rufus Sewell) has come to claim his new wife's child...

* AdaptationNameChange: Downplayed example. Eric Vanner becomes Eric Stark in the movie.

* HijackedByJesus: The original book's universe is a intercultural, almost pagan one in terms of religion, but this film is strictly Christian and establishes Cody as literally the Second Coming of Christ.

* BarrierMaiden: Cody. [[spoiler:She's the only one who summon the Isis Amulet and the Sekhmet Stone.]]
* BettyandVeronica: Maggie’s torn between Father Peter and Detective Devin. [[spoiler:After the drama’s settled down, she chooses Devin.]]

* EvenEvilHasStandards: Even some cult members are afraid of Ghania. [[spoiler: Ghania herself tells Jenna she's terrible mother, just before she's sacrificed.]]
* GovernmentConspiracy: The cult has many high-ranking government members and the Prime Minister of Israel is interested in the Isis amulet as well.

* InfantImmortality: [[spoiler: {{Averted}}. The girl lives, but this does not apply to any of the other kids the cult targets.]]

* CaptainErsatz: The girl is not Jesus, but she is Christ.

* DisabilitySuperpower: Cody's telekinesis and [[spoiler:ability to resurrect the dead]] is tied directly to her autism.

* ChurchOfHappyology: The New Dawn. Pretends to be a self-help organization, but is really a religion? Check. At the same time, it pretends to be an honest religion but is really an evil scam? Check. Is led by a prominent celebrity? Check. Leader-worship? Check. The cult secretly hates Christianity? Check. The cult's propaganda and centers look exactly like Scientology's propaganda and centers? Check. Harasses defectors? Check. Has an army of lawyers? Check. People are actually possessed by countless thetans/demons? Check. The cult uses e-meters to count how many thetans are possessing your body? Actually not check, the line has to be drawn somewhere.

* ChurchOfHappyology: The New Dawn. Pretends to be a self-help organization, but is really a religion? Check. At the same time, it pretends to be an honest religion but is really an evil scam? Check. Leader-worship? Check. The cult secretly hates Christianity? Check. The cult's propaganda and centers look exactly like Scientology's propaganda and centers? Check. Harasses defectors? Check. Has an army of lawyers? Check. People are actually possessed by countless thetans/demons? Check. The cult uses e-meters to count how many thetans are possessing your body? Actually not check, the line has to be drawn somewhere.

* CompositeCharacter: John Travis is Dective Devin with Father Peter's backstory.