Deep in my Heart is a drama which premiered on US television (CBS) in 1999.
It is a true story about adoption.
Here is some basic information about this drama:
*** Directed by Anita W. Addison (1952-2004)
*** Written by Ronni Kern
*** Released on DVD in 2007
*** Run time: 90 minutes
The cast includes the following:
The first group
** Anne Bancroft (1931-2005) as Geraldine “Gerry” Cummins
** Cara Buono as young Geraldine
** Kevin O’Rourke as Robert “Bob” Cummins – Geraldine’s husband
** Lynn Whitfield as Corinne Burrell
** Alice Krige as Annalise Jurgenson
** Albert Schulte as Paul Jurgenson – Annalise’s husband
The second group
** Gloria Reuben as Barbara Ann Williams
** Keenan MacWilliam as young Barbara Ann
** Jesse L. Martin as Don Williams – Barbara Ann’s husband
** Peter MacNeill as Gerald Nephew – Geraldine’s twin brother
** Jayne Eastwood as Mrs. Marsden – a social worker
This is the story of Barbara Ann, a black woman, who has three mothers. How can this happen? How can a child have three mothers?
** Geraldine was her birth-mother
** Corinne was her foster-mother
** Annalise was her adoptive mother
Since this drama is based on a true story, the basic facts are part of the public record. They are not a secret. This is why I feel free to mention some of them here.
While this drama is based on a true story, it is not a documentary film. It is a dramatized version of events. Not everything happened exactly as shown here. But the basic story is true.
In this drama, the story of Barbara Ann is told four times: by Geraldine, by Corinne, by Annalise, and by Barbara Ann herself.
The statements of these four women are followed by a series of flashbacks during which we learn about key moments in Barbara Ann’s life.
** Geraldine, a white woman, explains how she was raped by a black man one night in 1961. At the time, she was married and had two children. When she came home, she told her husband Bob what had happened.
One month later she realises that she is pregnant. But who is the father? Eight months later (in 1962) she gives birth to a black baby girl. The rapist is the father!
Geraldine and her husband name the baby girl Barbara Ann. They want to keep her, but this is the US in the 1960s. They worry about raising a black child in a white neighbourhood in Boston. This is why they decide to give her up for adoption. At first, however, Barbara is not adopted by anyone. She is placed in a foster-home.
** Corinne, a black woman, explains how she became Barbara Ann’s foster-mother. At the time, nobody wanted to adopt a black girl whose mother was white. This is why the child was placed in a foster-home. Corinne was a single mother, who did not have much money, but she created a loving home for her foster child.
Seven years later, a social worker suddenly shows up and tells Corinne that Barbara Ann is going to be adopted by a white couple in another state. Corinne does not want to let her go. Barbara Ann does not want to go, either, but there is no way to avoid it. The adoption has been decided.
** Annalise, a white woman, explains how she and her husband Paul adopted Barbara Ann. They had not asked for a black child, but now they got one. They try their best, but it is not easy. Barbara Ann is not happy with her new life. After a while, the adoptive parents split up. Now Annalise is a single mother trying to raise a black child who is not happy in her new surroundings.
** Barbara Ann talks about her life. When she was a teenager, she had a boyfriend Don who accepted her as she was. When she got pregnant, she moved out of Annalise’s house. Later she married Don and they had more children.
When they are talking about family history, Barbara realises that she only knows the family on Don’s side. She does not know anything about her own side of the family. As an adult woman, she contacts her foster-mother Corinne and locates her birth-mother. Finally, after more than thirty years, Geraldine and Barbara are re-united!
Barbara’s father, who raped Geraldine in 1961, has never been identified.
What do reviewers say about this drama?
Here are some results:
66 percent = IMDb
77 percent = Rotten Tomatoes (the audience)
On Amazon there are at the moment 48 ratings of this product, 27 with reviews.
The average rating is 4.3 stars which corresponds to a rating of 86 percent.
If you ask me, the first two ratings are too low, while the third rating is more appropriate.
Why do I say this?
I have four reasons:
# 1. The script is well-written
# 2. The actors play their roles well
# 3. The story is captivating, dramatic, and emotional
# 4. The drama is based on a true story
Some scenes are hard to watch, because they are so sad, because what happens is so unfair. But other scenes are uplifting and life-confirming.
I think this is the key to understanding the title of the movie. The title Deep in my Heart is borrowed from the famous song We shall overcome.
Barbara Ann did not have an easy life, but she survived. She managed to overcome the difficulties she faced. And in the end, she was able to make a good life for herself and the people around her.
If you have a heart, I am sure this movie will make a big impression on you. It will give you something to think about, whether you are adopted or not.
I want to go all the way to the top with this product. I think it deserves a rating of five stars (100 percent).
PS # 1. The following item is available online:
Anne-Marie O’Neill,
“The Bond Unbroken,”
People, 2 September 1996
PS # 2. As far as I know, most names used in the drama are true, but there is at least one exception: in the drama, the foster-mother is called Corinne Burrell. Her real name is Corinne White.
PS # 3. Anne Bancroft (1931-2005) is perhaps best known for her role as Mrs. Robinson in the 1967 movie The Graduate.
She won a Primetime Emmy Award for her role in this drama Deep in my Heart in the category Outstanding Supporting Actress in a mini-series or a movie.
PS # 4. Ronni Kern has written the screenplay for several television movies, including Homeless to Harvard: The Liz Murray Story which premiered in 2003.
PS # 5. Closure is a documentary film about adoption which premiered in 2013.
This film received many good reviews:
On IMDb it has a rating of 80 percent.
On Amazon it has a rating of 4.6 stars which correspond to a rating of 92 percent.
In my opinion, the numerous positive reviews are fully justified.
*****
Deep in My Heart
A drama which premiered on
US television (CBS)
in 1999
*****
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