Sweet young lass Patty Smith (a strong and sympathetic performance by the fetching Dani Lynn) moves from her native Kansas to Los Angeles, California, Everything is going smoothly for Patty until one fateful night in which she gets raped on the beach by a trio of thugs. After her doctor informs her that she's pregnant, Patty decides to get an abortion. But since abortions are illegal, Patty must resort to drastic illicit measures in order to obtain one.
Writer/director Leo A. Handel relates the engrossing story at a steady pace, maintains a grim'n'gritty tone throughout (the sequence at the low-rent back alley abortion clinic run by a shady husband and wife is genuinely harrowing), makes good use of some sordid urban locations, handles the potentially lurid and exploitative premise with laudable taste and sensitivity, and offers a fascinating depiction at the limited options available to women in the early 1960's. The sound acting from the capable cast helps a whole lot, with especially stand-out work from Merry Anders as loyal gal pal Mary, J. Edward McKinley as the kindly Dr. Miller, Joe Conley as scuzzy pick-up guy Johnny, David McMahon as the strict, but compassionate Father O'Brien, and Bruno Ve Sota as seedy bar owner Colbert. Kudos are also in order for Howard Schwartz's sharp black and white cinematography and the dramatic jazzy score by Ingram P. Walters. The downbeat ending packs a devastating punch. Well worth a watch.
Writer/director Leo A. Handel relates the engrossing story at a steady pace, maintains a grim'n'gritty tone throughout (the sequence at the low-rent back alley abortion clinic run by a shady husband and wife is genuinely harrowing), makes good use of some sordid urban locations, handles the potentially lurid and exploitative premise with laudable taste and sensitivity, and offers a fascinating depiction at the limited options available to women in the early 1960's. The sound acting from the capable cast helps a whole lot, with especially stand-out work from Merry Anders as loyal gal pal Mary, J. Edward McKinley as the kindly Dr. Miller, Joe Conley as scuzzy pick-up guy Johnny, David McMahon as the strict, but compassionate Father O'Brien, and Bruno Ve Sota as seedy bar owner Colbert. Kudos are also in order for Howard Schwartz's sharp black and white cinematography and the dramatic jazzy score by Ingram P. Walters. The downbeat ending packs a devastating punch. Well worth a watch.