The Performance series was beautifully done. It evolved into the For The Record series, which this belongs to. This particular film from 1977 stands out as the most intense of them all.
Peter (Endersby) and Donna Graham (Rinfret) meet at a dance. They immediately fall in love. Peter is not a good dancer but Donna promises to make him feel comfortable. For Donna this is the focal point of her entire life. She seems emotionally unstable.
Soon they are seen living in a trailer park with their newborn baby. Donna is very much out of control. Peter goes to work as a mechanic and keeps the house in order.
Donna does not seem free. She is caught between the responsibility of motherhood and wanting to leave town. Peter at first finds that she has left with the baby, Eve, and is walking naked down the road. He runs out and covers her and brings her home.
Her desire to leave happens again. This time she is hitchhiking and finally ends up in another town with the baby. It has become clear that she's not all there. Peter tries to track her down.
Donna is very much still in love with Peter though, and gets into another car while hitchhiking. She constantly relives the moment when the first met and danced at the bar.
Peter finally tracks her down at a ferry leaving across Lake Huron. He leaves his car and jumps onto the ship just in time. He finally finds her and the baby on board. Relieved he offers to go buy them food. Donna mentions that she is pregnant again. Peter goes to buy the food and returns. Again Donna has gone missing. Peter, in a panic, goes looking for her. He finally finds her on the lower deck. Donna is totally out of it and wants to dance. But Peter keeps asking where the baby is. Finally he puts two and two together. Donna has thrown the baby overboard into the cold waters. Peter, runs to the captain to have the boat stopped. But as he returns to Donna he knows it is too late. Donna grabs him and the two dance. Then a panicked look comes to her face as well. She seems to realize what she has done.
It is here that we learned that the story is based on actual facts. We learn from running text that in the future when she gives birth to their second child that he is given up for adoption and she is sent in to the Ontario psychiatric hospital. Peter, heartbroken, has left Canada for the United States.
Is this actually based on true events though ? A web search produces nothing.
Peter (Endersby) and Donna Graham (Rinfret) meet at a dance. They immediately fall in love. Peter is not a good dancer but Donna promises to make him feel comfortable. For Donna this is the focal point of her entire life. She seems emotionally unstable.
Soon they are seen living in a trailer park with their newborn baby. Donna is very much out of control. Peter goes to work as a mechanic and keeps the house in order.
Donna does not seem free. She is caught between the responsibility of motherhood and wanting to leave town. Peter at first finds that she has left with the baby, Eve, and is walking naked down the road. He runs out and covers her and brings her home.
Her desire to leave happens again. This time she is hitchhiking and finally ends up in another town with the baby. It has become clear that she's not all there. Peter tries to track her down.
Donna is very much still in love with Peter though, and gets into another car while hitchhiking. She constantly relives the moment when the first met and danced at the bar.
Peter finally tracks her down at a ferry leaving across Lake Huron. He leaves his car and jumps onto the ship just in time. He finally finds her and the baby on board. Relieved he offers to go buy them food. Donna mentions that she is pregnant again. Peter goes to buy the food and returns. Again Donna has gone missing. Peter, in a panic, goes looking for her. He finally finds her on the lower deck. Donna is totally out of it and wants to dance. But Peter keeps asking where the baby is. Finally he puts two and two together. Donna has thrown the baby overboard into the cold waters. Peter, runs to the captain to have the boat stopped. But as he returns to Donna he knows it is too late. Donna grabs him and the two dance. Then a panicked look comes to her face as well. She seems to realize what she has done.
It is here that we learned that the story is based on actual facts. We learn from running text that in the future when she gives birth to their second child that he is given up for adoption and she is sent in to the Ontario psychiatric hospital. Peter, heartbroken, has left Canada for the United States.
Is this actually based on true events though ? A web search produces nothing.