History Main / Changeling

* ParanoiaFuel: The police can replace your missing child with a random runaway, convince everybody in your neighborhood that your protests as to his real identity are not just wrong, but signs of abuse from you, and eventually throw you into a mental institution without a warrant just to shut you up. And it's [[FridgeHorror all based on]] [[NotMakingThisUpDiscalimer a true story]].

* CompleteMonster: Northcott is a stick-on case. Jones is a definite JerkAss who arguably crosses the MoralEventHorizon into monster territory after having Christine committed to get her out of his way.
** Dr Steele, the corrupt head physchiatrist. At best, he doesn't give a crap about treating his patients... at worst, he verbally and physically abuses them. Any retaliation leads to them being sent for a torturous electro-therapy treatment. The fact his treatment of Christine is almost perpetually accompanied by a [[SmugSnake nonchalent smirk]] (replaced by visible bitterness when he is forced to release her) suggests [[MorallyAmbiguousDoctorate he's a man who enjoys his job]]. Northcott was [[AxCrazy mentally insane]], Jones thought [[KnightTemplar he was working for a greater good]] while Arthur was [[KidsAreCruel a kid]]. Steele on the other hand is a [[ItAmusedMe sane and ambitionless sadist]].

* [[HeReallyCanAct She Really Can Act:]] [[YourMileageMayVary YMMV]], but this, along with A Mighty Heart was a bit of a reminder to those who think AngelinaJolie's fame is an addition to some incredible acting talent, as some of her less successful films can make people think. The [[YourMileageMayVary variable mileage]] of course referring to people's perception of Jolie's abilities in general, not specifically her acting in this film.

For ''the trope'', see ChangelingTale. For the ''happy version'', see ChangelingFantasy.

Not to be confused with the 80s film, ''TheChangeling''. Or the RPG ''[[ChangelingTheLost Changeling: The Lost]]''.

* KidsAreCruel: The fake Walter, Arthur Hutchens, agreed to go along with deceiving a grieving mother by posing as her son in return for seeing his favorite actor Tom Nix. He knows full well what he's doing and [[SmugSnake smugly]] tells officers upon interogation he's off the hook since he's 'just a kid' ([[CrowningMomentOfAwesome though Detective Ybarra is perfectly willing to call a bluff on that]]).

* KidsAreCruel: Walter's stand in, Arthur Hutchens, agreed to go along with decieving a grieving mother by posing as her son in return for seeing his favorite actor Tom Nix. He knows full well what he's doing and [[SmugSnake smugly]] tells officers upon interogation he's off the hook since he's 'just a kid' ([[CrowningMomentOfAwesome though Detective Ybarra is perfectly willing to call a bluff on that]]).

** Dr Steele, the corrupt head physchiatrist, at best he doesn't give a crap about treating his patients, at worst he verbally and physically abuses them. Any retaliation leads to them being sent for a torturous electro-therapy treatment. The fact his treatment of Christine is almost perpetually accompanied by a [[SmugSnake nonchalent smirk]] (replaced by visible bitterness when he is forced to release her) suggests [[MorallyAmbiguousDoctorate he's a man who enjoys his job]]. Northcott was [[AxCrazy mentally insane]], Jones thought [[KnightTemplar he was working for a greater good]] while Arthur was [[KidsAreCruel a kid]]. Steele on the other hand is a [[ItAmusedMe sane and ambitionless sadist]].

** Dr Steele, the corrupt head physchiatrist, at best he doesn't give a crap about treating his patients, at worst he verbally and physically abuses them. Any retaliation leads to them being sent for a torturous electro-therapy treatment. The fact his treatment of Christine is almost perpetually accompanied by a [[SmugSnake nonchalent smirk]] (replaced by visible bitterness when he is forced to release her) suggests [[MorallyAmbiguousDoctorate
he's a man who enjoys his job]]. Northcott was [[AxCrazy mentally insane]], Jones thought [[KnightTemplar he was working for a greater good]] while Arthur was [[KidsAreCruel a kid]]. Steele on the other hand is a [[ItAmusedMe sane and ambitionless sadist]].

** Dr Steele, the corrupt head physchiatrist, at best he doesn't give a crap about treating his patients, at worst he verbally and physically abuses them. Any retaliation leads to them being sent for a torturous electro-therapy treatment. The fact his treatment of Christine is almost perpetually accompanied by a [[SmugSnake nonchalent smirk]] (replaced by visible bitterness when he is forced to release her) suggests he's a man who [[ItAmusedMe enjoys his job]]. Northcott was [[AxCrazy mentally insane]], Jones thought [[KnightTemplar he was working for a greater good]] while Arthur was [[KidsAreCruel a kid]]. Steele on the other hand is a [[ForTheEvulz sane and ambitionless sadist]].

** Dr Steele, the corrupt head physchiatrist that is shown verbally and physically abusing his patients. Any retaliation leads to them being sent for a torturous electro-therapy treatment. The fact his treatment of Christine is almost perpetually accompanied by a [[SmugSnake nonchalent smirk]] (replaced by visible bitterness when he is forced to release her) suggests the sadistic bastard [[ItAmusedMe enjoys his job]].

For ''the trope'', see ChangelingTale. For the ''happy version'', see ChangelingFantasy. For the 80s film, see ''TheChangeling''.

For ''the trope'', see ChangelingTale. For the ''happy version'', see ChangelingFantasy. For the ''80s film'' see ''TheChangeling''.

For ''the trope'', see ChangelingTale. For the ''happy version'', see ChangelingFantasy.

* ChangelingTale

For ''the trope'', see ChangelingTale.

* [[HeReallyCanAct: She Really Can Act:]] [[YourMileageMayVary: YMMV]], but this, along with A Mighty Heart was a bit of a reminder to those who think AngelinaJolie's fame is an addition to some incredible acting talent, as some of her less successful films can make people think. The [[YourMileageMayVary: variable mileage]] of course referring to people's perception of Jolie's abilities in general, not specifically her acting in this film.

* [HeReallyCanAct: She Really Can Act:] YMMV, but this, along with AMightyHeart was a bit of a reminder to those who think AngelinaJolie's fame is an addition to some incredible acting talent, as some of her less successful films can make people think. The [YMMV: variable mileage] of course referring to people's perception of Jolie's abilities in general, not specifically to this film.

* CompleteMonster: Northcott is a stick-on case. Jones a definite JerkAss who arguably crosses the MoralEventHorizon into monster territory after having Christine committed to get her out of his way.

After five months of searching the police report that they have found Walter alive in the company of a drifter. Christine is taken to meet the boy at a train station, where she realizes that the child before her is not her son. When she attempts to make police Captain J.J. Jones (Donovan) aware of this, he insists that ''she'' is the one who is mistaken, and simply doesn't recognize her own son after the ordeal he's endured. With even the boy claiming that he is Walter Collins and that Christine is his mother, the confused woman succumbs to Captain Donovan's pressure and takes the child home with her in the hopes that she will begin to recognize him.

When she cleans the boy up after arriving home that evening, Christine's suspicions are confirmed: Not only is this boy circumcised when her son was not, but he is also ''3 inches shorter'' than Walter. When she reports this information to Donovan, however, he refuses to listen. Unwilling to accept that they have made a politically embarrassing mistake after the Rev. Gustav Briegleb (Malkovich) has released a series of scathing radio broadcasts bringing the LAPD's criminal activities to light, the police inform her in no uncertain terms that the strange boy is Christine's son, and that the case is now closed. As Christine grows increasingly more desperate in her attempts to find someone, ''anyone'', who will help her find her real child, she quickly learns that Donovan and the LAPD will do absolutely anything to keep her from telling her side of the story.

''Changeling'' is a film written by J. Michael Straczynski (''{{Babylon 5}}'') and directed by ClintEastwood (''MillionDollarBaby''). It was distributed in 2008 by Universal Pictures, and stars AngelinaJolie (''{{Salt}}''), John Malkovich (''BurnAfterReading''), and Jeffrey Donovan (''BurnNotice'').

In the late 1920s the bustling city of Los Angeles is being run by a police force notorious for violence and corruption. It is here that Christine Collins (Jolie) lives with her young son, Walter. When she returns from work one afternoon to find that her son is missing, the distraught single mother begs the LAPD to help her find him.

After five months of searching the police report that they have found Walter alive in the company of a drifter. Christine is taken to meet the boy at a train station, where she realizes that the child before her is not her son. When she attempts to make police captain J. J. Jones (Donovan) aware of this, he insists that ''she'' is the one who is mistaken, and simply doesn't recognize her own son after the ordeal he's been through. With even the boy claiming that he is Walter Collins and that Christine is his mother, the confused woman succumbs to Captain Donovan's pressure and takes the child home with her in the hopes that she will begin to recognize him.

When she cleans the boy up after arriving home that evening, Christine's suspicions are confirmed: not only is this boy circumcized when her son was not, but he is also ''three inches shorter'' than Walter. When she reports this information to Donovan, however, he refuses to listen. Unwilling to accept that they have made a politically embarrasing mistake after Reverend Gustav Briegleb (Malkovich) has released a series of scathing radio broadcasts bringing the LAPD's criminal activities to light, the police inform her in no uncertain terms that the strange boy is her son, and that the case is now closed. As Christine grows increasingly more desperate in her attempts to find someone, ''anyone'', who will help her find her real child, she quickly learns that Donovan and the LAPD will do absolutely anything to keep her from telling her side of the story.

''Changeling'' is a hard hitting drama that explores themes of police corruption and the plight of women in the era of TheGreatDepression. The events depicted in the film are based on the true story of Christine Collins and the search for her missing child. While the film received mixed reviews from critics, it was nominated for numerous awards, including several for Best Cinematography and Best Actress for Angelina Jolie's performance.

* ForceFeeding: When Christine is [[spoiler: committed to a psychiatric facility in order to keep her quiet, nurses and orderlies force her to take pills to keep her sedated.]]
* [[{{ptitleyj6phryk}} Ooh Me Accent's Slipping]]: At times Jeffrey Donovan sounds less 1920's Irish-American and more 2000's [[BurnNotice Miami]].

* PrecisionFStrike: Quite powerfully used by [[spoiler: Christine when she is asked by the psychiatrist at the mental institution to sign an affidavit stating that the police were correct all along.]]

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