The chilling events of Changeling
by Dilshan Boange
Changeling directed by Clint Eastwood which stars Angelina Jolie in
the lead role is based on the real life events "Wineville Chicken Coop"
kidnapping and murder case in Los Angeles, California, USA set in 1928.
The story starts in Los Angeles, in 1928. Angelina Jolie plays single
mother Christine Collins who comes home to discover her nine-year-old
son, Walter has gone missing. Several months after Walter's
disappearance, the police authorities tell Christine that her son Walter
has been found alive.
 But the shocking experience to Christine at the point of meeting her
son is that a boy who is not her son is brought to her. Although this
boy claims he is Christine's son, she says he is not.
The head of the Juvenile Division of the Police Department, insists
the boy is in fact her lost song and pressures Christine into taking him
home "on a trial basis".
Christine later confronts Cpt. Jones the head of the Juvenile
Division with differences in physical features between the boy brought
to her, and her actual son.
Cpt. Jones arranges for a medical doctor to visit her. Christine is
told that "Walter" is now three inches shorter than before his
disappearance because trauma has shrunk his spine, and that the man who
took Walter had him circumcised.
Impostor
Walter's teacher and dentist give Christine signed letters confirming
"Walter" is an impostor. Christine goes with her story to the press and
as a result, Cpt. Jones sends her to Los Angeles County Hospital's
"psychopathic ward".
There she meets Carol Dexter who tells Christine she is one of
several women who were sent there for challenging police authority.
The doctor in charge of Christine forces her to take mood-regulating
pills. She is told she will be released if she admits she was mistaken
about "Walter"; but Christine refuses.
Later police detective Ybarra travels to a ranch in Wineville,
Riverside County, to arrange the deportation of 15-year-old Sanford
Clark to Canada. The boy's uncle, Gordon Northcott, has fled after a
chance encounter with Ybarra, who mentions his business there being a
juvenile matter.
Critical
Clark tells Ybarra that Northcott forced him to help kidnap and
murder around 20 children, and identifies Walter as one of them. Cpt.
Jones tells the fiery Rev. Briegleb who has been very critical of the
police department and supportive of Christine's cause that Christine is
in protective custody following a mental breakdown. Jones orders Clark's
deportation, but Ybarra makes Clark reveal the murder site. Rev.
Briegleb secures Christine's release by showing the doctor a newspaper
story about the Wineville killings that names Walter as a possible
victim.
 Under interrogation by Ybarra, Walter's imposter reveals the police
told him to lie about being Christine's son. Following these
developments the police capture Northcott in Vancouver, Canada.
The shocking findings result in Cpt. Jones being removed from duty
and Northcott is sentenced to death by hanging. Christine, however, has
not given up her search for Walter and is contacted by Northcott saying
he is willing to admit to killing Walter on condition that Christine
meets him before his execution. Although she visits him he refuses to
tell her if he killed her son.
Later, in 1935, David Clay one of the boys assumed to have been a
victim of Northcott - David Clay is found alive. He reveals that Walter
was one of the boys he was held captive with. David, Walter and another
boy escaped, but were separated.
David does not know whether Walter was recaptured. This information
gives Christine hope he is alive. In the aftermath the film tells that
Christine Collins did never gave up her search for her son. |
