God Bless the Child is a 1988 drama film directed by Lary Elikann. It tells the story of a single mother named Theresa Johnson and her daughter, Hillary, as they face the struggles of being homeless and forcing to jump between shelters.
The film contains examples of:
- Anger Born of Worry: Theresa has this reaction towards Hillary after she walks off to watch TV in a homeless shelter, prompting a man to start stroking her hair.
- Ambiguous Ending: Hillary is dragged off by social workers in the end so she can have a better life, although what will become of her in the future is left up to interpretation.
- Bittersweet Ending: At the end of the film, Hillary is given a chance to have a better life, but Theresa must abandon her. The film ends with Hillary being dragged off by social workers as she cries for her mother. Could be possibly seen as a Downer Ending, since we don't know exactly how Hillary's life will turn out due to the ambiguity of the ending, and because of the possibility of her facing trauma from being separated from her mother. There's also the fact that Theresa is still left homeless, only now without her daughter.
- Cranky Landlord: The landlord doesn’t seem to care that his housing poses a health risk, and even evicts Theresa when she complains to the health department over the rat infestation.
- Disappeared Dad: We don't see Hillary's father at all. It is established in the movie that he left the family shortly after Hillary was born.
- Horrible Housing: Played for Drama; every shelter that Theresa finds is very dirty and in poor condition. One in particular is infested with rats, which Theresa ends up getting evicted from after complaining to the health department. Eventually deconstructed when Hillary contracts lead poisoning from one of the shelters.
- It's Always Mardi Gras in New Orleans: Hillary meets a friendly outreach worker who got back from watching a Mardi Gras parade in New Orleans, even giving Hillary one of his Mardi Gras beads.
- No Ending: The film unfortunately does not have a resolution, simply ending with Hillary being dragged away by social workers, leaving her future ambiguous, and Theresa still being left homeless.
- Parental Abandonment:
- Hillary's father abandoned her when she was a baby.
- Theresa is forced to abandon Hillary so the latter can have a chance of a better life.
- Sadistic Choice: Towards the end of the film, Theresa has the choice to either give up Hillary or continue to let her live in poverty and risk her contracting a serious illness again. She ends up choosing the former.
