Masked by
innocuous language like “pro-choice” and “reproductive care,” and protected by
a media conspiracy of silence, the grim reality of abortion rarely surfaces in
our cultural awareness. But a new movie, drawn from a real-life courtroom drama
that exposed what is arguably the deepest, darkest episode in American abortion
history, is poised to have a dramatic impact.
Directed by openly
conservative Justified star Nick Searcy, who does double-duty playing
the role of the defense attorney, and written by novelist and political pundit
Andrew Klavan, Gosnell: The Trial of America’s Biggest Serial Killer is
based on the riveting book Gosnell:
The Untold
Story of America’s Most Prolific Serial Killer, written by investigative journalists and filmmakers Ann McElhinney and
Phelim McAleer. The husband-and-wife team are well-known for their
controversial documentaries FrackNation and Not Evil Just Wrong,
as well as for a play called Ferguson about the shooting of Michael
Brown by a white police officer. To produce this controversial film that
pro-abortion Hollywood studios wouldn’t touch, McAleer and McElhinney miraculously
crowdfunded over $2 million from over 30,000 investors composed of “average”
citizens – more money than any film project in the history of the Indiegogo crowdfunding
site.
Former TV Superman
Dean Cain stars in the film as the Philadelphia narcotics investigator without
whose dedication Dr. Kermit Gosnell, played with chilling normality by character actor
Earl Billings, might still be butchering babies today. Cain’s real life alter
ego exposed not only the shockingly filthy state of the abortion doctor’s
clinic, but also the grotesque evil being undertaken there. In addition to
manipulating ultrasound readings to falsify fetal ages in order to perform late-term
abortions well beyond the state’s legal limit, Gosnell’s practices included
killing babies that were born alive by plunging scissors into the backs of
their necks and snipping the spinal cords. In one powerful scene in the movie,
the camera lingers on each face of the jury as the members peruse photographs
of such examples of Gosnell’s victims. That scene alone is enough to drive home
the undeniably evil nature of abortion.
Gosnell ultimately
faced 258 charges including seven counts of first-degree murder for babies
whose spines he snipped; third-degree murder in the death of a patient who died
post-abortion; conspiracy to commit murder in hundreds of instances of killing
babies born alive; two counts of infanticide for failure to resuscitate
born-alive infants that could have survived, and much more. But for the statute
of limitations on infanticide, and Gosnell’s thorough destruction of evidence,
he could have been charged with hundreds or perhaps even thousands of murder
charges. Even so, as he was arrested and handcuffed, the smirking, confident
Gosnell merely said, “So this is what happens when you try to help people.”
Despite all the
disturbing evidence mustered against him, Gosnell’s trial was no slam dunk.
First of all, the jury was very pro-abortion. Second, Gosnell’s masterful
defense attorney ingeniously exploited the hazy line between what Gosnell did
and what constitutes normal abortion procedure, which is barbaric enough even
when legal. That moment is expertly recreated in the movie by Searcy and openly
conservative actress Janine Turner, who plays a professional, law-abiding
abortion provider.
Michelle Malkin
rightfully calls
this the most important movie in America right now. Why? The abortion-loving
left does not want anyone to see this film, partly because it is not simply a pro-life
screed that is easy for their side to dismiss. It is a true-life drama with an
inescapable emotional impact, and it may change minds and hearts. The left has
a death grip on pop culture and is deeply hostile to successful conservative
incursions into that territory.
Just as the major
news media sought to ignore the actual Gosnell trial (also depicted in the
film) so as not to bring attention to the dark side of the abortion industry,
the media now are trying to ignore the movie itself – and for the same reason. Although
Gosnell was made available for review, only two major publications, the Los
Angeles Times and Forbes, chose to review it. Despite this, word of mouth
and ramped-up expectations among conservative audiences enabled the film to
come in as the top independent film this weekend (twelfth overall), and eighth
in per-screen average (on nearly 700 screens across the country) for all new
films.
You not only
should see Gosnell – you must. It’s the kind of movie conservatives
always c0mplain Hollywood never offers us. Amid the usual sound and fury of the
superhero sequels, frenetic animated flicks for kids, and horror gorefests – almost
all of which are either tinged or saturated with social justice messages – that
usually dominate cineplexes, Gosnell is serious entertainment for
grownups. (And for those conservatives concerned that it might be
stomach-churningly graphic due to the subject, rest assured that it is rated
PG-13 and devoid of gore.) Unlike many low-budget independent films aimed squarely
at conservative audiences, it’s high-quality storytelling and filmmaking.
Significantly, it doesn’t mock us or our values.
It isn’t enough to
turn our backs on pop culture and give the middle finger to Hollywood; if we
want more producers and filmmakers out there to sit up and take notice of us as
an underserved audience, we must reward those producers and filmmakers who buck
the odds and create art worthy of our attention. Your support of this film at
the box office, and later on DVD, will encourage more such quality films. Go
see Gosnell: The Trial of America’s Biggest Serial Killer – it was made
for you.
From FrontPage Mag, 10/14/18
