I Still Cannot Shake This, Darlings!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                            The other day, darlings, I watched the first "If These Walls Could Talk" in all three installments.  The fist story, Demi's is, as one critic described it, "a gynecological horror show."  What interested me, cumulatively, is that two of the stories ended in death--Demi in the first, Cher in the third.  She is shot by a pro-lifer who, with a girl, pose as a couple, and infiltrate the clinic, under the pretext she is going to have an abortion.  What is interesting, and I had forgotten, is that only Cher is shot and killed.  Diana Scarwid and Anne Heche are left alive.  He only kills the one who performs the abortions, not the assistant, or the patient having it.  Interesting logic.  I mean, if the perp is playing the blame game, why not shoot them all?  The protesters try to stop Anne from going in,  so they see her as culpable.  Why not the perp?

                              I am not advocating murder here, by any means; I mean, I am pro-choice, darlings!!!!!!!!!   The dramatic impact is stronger, with Cher being killed, but, when such things happen in real life--as they have, and will continue to; indeed increase if Trump is elected--it seems more than one person is taken out.

                               But let's get back to "1952."   I just cannot let go of the horror of it.  That was the year my maternal grandfather died; I never  knew him.  One of my cousins was born that year.  I came along, two years later.  There was just my sister and I, with a 14 year age difference, so I grew up, as an only child.  Friends of mine up the street turned out to be a family which grew larger over the years.  What is funny is while I should have picked up on things, I did not.  Many times I must have seen their mother pregnant.  But I never noticed anything different.  Wonder what that says about me?

                             I keep coming back to the first segment.  What's overwhelming about the tragedy is Claire, being a nurse, goes into her horror full well knowing what she is in for.  Had Claire been a secretary, or school teacher, she would have had that biological awareness of her body that all women have, but Claire, because of her profession, is more aware of the risk.  And yet she takes it.

                             I read an article online, written by a woman of that generation, who was in Claire's situation, did pretty much what she did--and survived.  When she went for an exam, the doctor told her she was one of "the lucky ones."  Indeed, she was. More were unlucky, like Claire.

                             The sad thing about Claire is she blames herself, when who she should be blaming is that beast of a family she married into.  What a time and a way to find out you married into the wrong family.  Baby Machine Becky (Catherine Keener, who, thanks to this performance, I will always think of as a Fifties bitch), is toting two babies, while a maternity dress reveals she is expecting another.  And she smokes, too.  Watch out, Becky, you might be in for birth defects, or cancer, down the road.  While her children are innocent of Becky's shortcomings, Becky is not; where is her compassion, and sense of charity and kindness toward Claire?  Out the window; because, when it comes down to it, Claire is still an outsider; it is all about Becky and the Donnellys.

                            Then, there is Kevin, the brother-in-law, and the one responsible for Claire's situation.  How easily this so-called "good Catholic boy" forgets the Ninth Commandment, "Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's wife."  He did more than covet; he took advantage. And not just his neighbor's wife; his brother's.  Granted, the brother is deceased, but I still see his deed as moral wrongdoing.  No, it was not rape, but Kevin was sober, Claire wasn't.  He should have been the one to back off and stop.  But he did not.  Hypocrite.

                          As for the parents, well, you can tell by the cowed way in which Shirley Knight plays her role, that she is an abused wife, and her husband beats her.  And daughter Becky is every inch her father.  I pity the husband and children.  Just like some relations I know.  Now, I keep saying how Claire should have just said "Fuck you!" to them all!  I would have!  But the reality is, they would toss her into the street, faster than Fantine!!!!!!!!  The father would be furious with Kevin, might knock him around, but would never renounce his progeny; he would just go on hating hin to his face, while the two pretend to have a relationship.  I have seen this behavior myself, darlings!!!!!!!!!!!

                         Maybe that is why this tale keeps haunting me.  Claire is a modern day Fantine.   For having a child out of wedlock, she faces being tossed out by society.  I don't know if abortion was available in Fantine's time, but she did have Cosette, and did the right thing, by leaving her care to someone else.  She just did not know  she left Cosettte with two top flight grifters.  And by having this child, look where and how Fantine ended!!!!!!!!!!!   Not much different from Claire, though over a slower period of time.

                        Yes, Claire was in the wrong time, which is the story's point.  I would still like a follow-up, on what happens when Claire's body is found, as it eventually will be.  How will Becky and Kevin react, then????????  They are the real ones to blame!!!!!!! Jenny Ford (C.C.H. Pounder) will know for sure what happened, if the story leaks out. As will the abortionist Tom, who will be relieved that her death saves him from being caught. At least this time.  And how about Audrey Hill, who set Claire up. with Tom?  I think she and Jenny will be the only ones to mourn Claire.

                         It is suggested in this story that Jenny is sort of a Vera Drake, if you recall the Imelda Staunton film.  There must have been others; why couldn't Claire have found one of those?

                                 Take a good look, darlings!!!!!  This is Claire, in her dying throes.  She was one of many.  And with Trump elected, they may return!  No more Claires, please!  Those days must NEVER return!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!   It's families like the Donnellys who should stop breeding!

                                  I just might write a story, where I give it to the Donnellys.  If so, I will post it on here.

                                  Don't turn the clock backward, dolls!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!