watching this movie is traumatizing - If These Walls Could Talk (1996) Discussion

[–] KoreHall 18 years ago

I watched this movie when it first came out and was so shocked, saddened and angry that it made it one of the best movies I've seen in years. A movie that can cause so many emotions.

When I watched this movie, I was without a doubt Pro-Life. But after watching it, I tried to be more respectful of Pro-Choicers. I thought that Demi Moore's character's death in the first had the most impact on my decision.

My opinion now has gone back to Pro-Life mainly for religious beliefs, but that's my decision. Everyone has their own opinion and reasons. I'd hate to be the hypocrite who finds herself in a clinic pondering what to do.

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[–] 18 years ago

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[–] artemisia_danst 18 years ago

what i actually like best about this movie is that is shows you that "pro choice" doesnt mean one thinks abortion is compulsory. that it's about CHOICE, and how abortion should be available legally, and why. (considering the alternatives...)

you sound pro-choice to me Korehall. But with the decision that you are against abortion personnaly. that's fine of course. i'm not sure what i'd do in the situation myself. but you dont think it should be illegal, right?

Artemisia

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[–] 18 years ago

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[–] Clara19987 17 years ago

That is because abortion is heartwrenching and traumatizing. Whether women admit it or not, they know that they are taking away the life of a child, hence why it is such a difficult choice to make. If the unborn inside you were not in fact a life at all but just a lump of tissue, the decision to abort would be no more difficult than having your appendix removed.

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[–] furious_angel1981 17 years ago

When I first watched If these walls could talk it left me speeechless until about 5 minutes after the credits had rolled one of the best movies I have ever seen

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[–] thestickwoman 17 years ago

I am pro-choice but I rolled my eyes at Demi Moore's death scene. She's a nurse, a trained medical professional and that's the best she can do? It didn't seem plausible to me.

It would have been a better movie if it didn't rely on shock value to push its agenda.

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[–] Sparkygirl123 17 years ago

My friend fainted when we saw this in class the teacher told us that there was a scene that was disturbing but we still watched she had to leave because she was going to be sick! when she got outside she fainted

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[–] standbyme555 17 years ago

I did! I wanted to puke when it shows Demi, it was a good movie I had so many emotions watching it. It was a bit disturbing, yet teaches you.

"Oh Billy, I think just turned my Fruits of the Loom into a fudge factory" - Stand by me

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[–] erin375 16 years ago

I don't think abortion should be illegal, I think, but one thing that concerns me is the casual views that its accessibility can produce. It's not quite such a big deal if you accidentally get pregnant because you can always just 'erase' your mistake. But its not as morally simple as that. Perhaps there should be a few more restrictions on abortion so that there would be a bit more weight in the consequences of bad decisions. Dying from a knitting needle is one thing, but how many women out there would get that desperate if abortion wasn't such an easy choice?

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[–] happy_hick 17 years ago

What class did you watch this for!
I am just terrified that it was like 7-grade health class.

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[–] ivy1991 15 years ago

OMG same here. We watched this in my high school Bioethics class and we all heard about how traumatizing this movie was going to be. And especially during the knitting needle scene this one girl fainted and then another girl had to leave the room, and then I fainted. First time I ever passed out. It was not a good day.

And my friend was in the class last semester and she had to leave and go to the office because she was very freaked out.

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[–] KrystelClaire 14 years ago

I agree with you. The three situations are too dramtic for my taste. Many women have had abbotions without so much emotional turmoil performed in hospitals by caring staff. They just leave the clinic and get on with their lives, maybe even having some desired pregnancies in the future.

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[–] darcyknox2 14 years ago

"I agree with you. The three situations are too dramtic for my taste. Many women have had abbotions without so much emotional turmoil performed in hospitals by caring staff. They just leave the clinic and get on with their lives, maybe even having some desired pregnancies in the future. "

How do you know this?
May I ask how many times you wen't in to the clinic for a quick abortion and just wen't on with your life.

"oh sorry I'm bussy at 10am, I'm having an abortion, I'll have to squeez you in at 10:30"

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[–] thedeb50592000 8 years ago

Darcy - you should really learn how to spell and find out the difference between went and wen't (wen't isn't even a word) before you start questioning what someone else knows....

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[–] cathy-creswell 8 years ago

Seriously? Listen here, young lady. It was more than plausible, it was a REALITY. Women dod exactly what she did and died for it, eitjer from bleeding out, internal bleeding or a massive infection. You want the story to go another way to make it seem more real to YOU. But for thousands of women they couldn't rewrite their story and they suffered consequences.

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[–] nimbleweevil 16 years ago

On the contrary, abortion is NOT always heartwrenching and traumatizing. For many women, yes, I'm sure it is, particularly those who were confused about their own beliefs or who had to terminate a wanted pregnancy for medical reasons, but you can't make generalizations. It's like Julia says, everybody's different. Someone close to me had an abortion several years ago; she feels nothing but relief over her decision and has no regrets about it.

THE MARQUIS: HES IN UR PRISONS, RITIN TEH SMUTFIC

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[–] darcyknox2 14 years ago

So by that logic I'm a murderer for pulling out or using a condom...

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[–] small-potatoes 14 years ago

It's heart-wrenching and traumatizing because of the stigma that surrounds abortion - which is why this movie was made. To attempt to take away the stigma by talking about it. There are many women who have abortions that don't go through a painful experience... and this is because of the measures that have been taken to make abortions legal and safe today. And just because some choices are difficult doesn't mean that either choice is wrong. The point is that it's a choice. It's not a child when it's that early in development, it's a fetus (and an embryo before that, etc.). There's a reason there are separate words for each. And please do not presume to know why any choice regarding abortion would be difficult or not. You haven't lived through each of those experiences and you have no idea what each woman's reason is.

Regardless, it is a powerful film. I think that was the point.

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[–] emilyjackson27903 16 years ago

I think that every woman should watch this film.

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[–] chrissylwk1969 12 years ago

I sooo agree with you. When I was in my early 20's, I found myself pregnant (by accident) and didn't tell the guy. My Mom took me. I was kind of OK with that (if you can be OK). I was traumatized but knew it was a accident. Then about 5 months later, the guy said he was really serious and proposed and said "Let's get pregnant". I did and about 2 months later he said he didn't want the kid and I could tell he was about to dump me. I was distraught. I didn't know what to do. I was so in love with him that I would have done anything to keep him (and I did). I had a 2nd abortion. That one messed me up beyond belief as it was a planned pregnancy. I'm so ashamed to even say that out loud. How evil are you to get pregnant on purpose then abort? I've had therapy many years over that and I chose to punish myself by never having children. I always just felt like I had my chance and I blew it. They don't tell you anything about how this may affect you. Yet I had a friend that had 4 or 5 and didn't think a thing about it. Then ended up having a child when she got married. I don't know how she did it. I figured that I would be punished and my child might have serious problems. I just never risked it again. I began to try to get my tubes tied at 24 but no doctor would do it. I finally convinced one when I was 35. Sorry to get off subject but I agree with you 100%. Women should know this may (or may not) affect them greatly. Not some pro-life lecture but a real education about the mental aspect and the GUILT. OMG the guilt is the worst. I have always been radically pro-choice but I recently read a book called "Heaven is for Real". It was a very young child's (about 3 or 4 I think) account of going to heaven during a surgery. He told his Mother that he met his sister. The Mother had had a micarriage pretty early in her pregnancy but the little boy claimed he met her in heaven. That really changed my mind. I don't think it should be illegal but I know I would again chose it for myself.

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[–] Deannie308-2 16 years ago

Good thing I'm a deep sleeper.

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[–] sweetpea18209 16 years ago

I thought the abortion scene from the 1996 segment was pretty light. But the abortion scene from the 1952 segment was harrowing. Even worse though, I thought, was the scene from the 1952 segment where Demi Moore's character tried to abort the baby herself with a coat hanger and a needle. Ugh. I can't even watch that scene at all, and I have seen this movie several times. That just goes to show how desperate some women were at that time when the option was not available to them. I am pro life but I can understand the desperation that so many women had so long ago. This movie was very moving and it made me more accepting of other people's opinions and beliefs.

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[–] red_rackham_77 16 years ago

When I first saw the film, I admit I was overwhelmed because that was the film that taught me about abortion then I started taking my sex education seriously. I ask a lot of questions about birth control and prevention of pregnacy AND if I am with a guy, he better damn well have a condom incase I don't have it or if not stop at the stores to get it otherwise he won't get lucky.

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[–] BluAngel76 14 years ago

you know whats really traumatizing? dying from a back alley abortion!! being forced to have a child you dont want!!

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[–] Deannie308-2 14 years ago

I think the third one would be the very worst of them all!

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[–] bbclark3 8 years ago

You could have the child, then put it up for adoption, instead of killing him or her.

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[–] pioneergrrrl 8 years ago

Back in the 1950's this meant 'going away' Claire--as a singe woman---realistically cannot just give up her career, her house....etc and move away from her live for several months.

Why should she be the one to do this, when Kevin was the one who got her pregnant?? It took two to get pregnant.

There was no maternity leave/maternity rights in that era. She would have lost her job if it were discovered that she were pregnant. It was why she was trying to conceal her pregnancy bulge for as long as possible.

Welcome to the real world.

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[–] 14 years ago

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