百年50部英文燒腦電影賞析：[4]Changeling 換子疑云

In 1920s Los Angeles, single mother Christine Collins(Angelina Jolie)returns home late from work to discover her nine-year-old son, Walter Collins(Gattlin Griffith), is missing. The Reverend Gustav Briegleb(John Malkovich)publicizes Christine's plight and rails against the Los Angeles Police Department(LAPD)for its incompetence, corruption, and the extrajudicial punishment meted out by its “Gun Squad”，led by Chief James E. Davis(Colm Feore), Several months after Walter's disappearance, the LAPD tells Christine that he has been found alive. Believing the positive publicity will negate recent criticism of the department, the LAPD organizes a public reunion. Although “Walter”(Devon Gonti)claims he is Ghristine's son, she says he is not. Captain J. J. Jones(Jeffrey Donovan), the head of the LAPD's Juvenile Division, insists the boy is Walter and pressures Christine into taking him home “on a trial basis”.

After Christine confronts Jones with physical discrepancies between “Walter” and her son, Jones arranges for a medical doctor to visit her. He tells Christine that “Walter” is shorter than before his disappearance because trauma has shrunk his spine, and that the person who took Walter had him circumcised. Briegleb tells Christine it was planted by police to discredit her. Walter's teacher and dentist give Christine signed letters confirming “Walter” is an impostor. Christine tells her story to the press; as a result, Jones sends her to Los Angeles County Hospital's “psychopathic ward” She befriends inmate Carol Dexter(Amy Ryan), who tells Christine she is one of several women who were sent there for challenging police authority. Dr. Jonathan Steele(Denis O'Hare)deems Christine delusional and forces her to take mood-regulating pills. Steele says he will release Christine if she admits she was mistaken about “Walter”; she refuses.

Detective Lester Ybarra(Michael Kelly)travels to a ranch in Wineville, Riverside County, to arrange the deportation of 15-year-old Sanford Clark(Eddie Alderson)to Canada. The boy's uncle, Gordon Northcott(Jason Butler Harner), has fled after Ybarra unwittingly alerted him to his visit. Clark tells Ybarra that Northcott forced him to help kidnap and murder around 20 boys and identifies Walter as one of them. Jones tells Briegleb that Christine is in protective custody following a mental breakdown. Jones orders Clark's deportation, but Ybarra makes Clark reveal the murder site. Briegleb secures Christine's release by showing Steele a newspaper story about the Wineville killings that names Walter as a possible victim. “Walter” reveals his motive was to secure transport to Los Angeles to see his favorite actor, Tom Mix, and says the police told him to lie about being Christine's son. The RCMP capture Northcott in Vancouver, Canada. Christine's attorney(Geoff Pierson)secures a court order for the release of the other unfairly imprisoned women.

On the day of the city council's hearing into the case, Christine and Briegleb arrive at Los Angeles City Hall, where they encounter thousands of protesters demanding answers from the city. The hearing is intercut with scenes from Northcott's trial. The council concludes that Jones and Davis should be removed from duty, and that extrajudicial internments by police must be reviewed. Northcott's jury finds him guilty of murder and the judge sentences him death by hanging. Two years later，Christine has not given up her search for Walter. Northcott sends her a message saying he is willing to tell her what happened to Walter on condition that Christine meet him before his execution. She visits Northcott, but he refuses to tell her if he killed her son. Northcott is executed the next day.

In 1935, David Clay——one of the boys assumed to have been killed——is found alive. He reveals that one of the boys with whom he was imprisoned was Walter, who courageously came back to help David get through the barbed wires. David, Walter and two other boys escaped, but were separated. David does not know whether Walter was recaptured, giving Christine hope he is still alive.

在20世紀20年代的洛杉磯，單身母親克莉絲汀·科林斯(安吉麗娜·朱莉飾)工作到很晚才回家，發(fā)現(xiàn)她9歲的兒子沃爾特·科林斯(加特林·格里菲斯飾)不見了。牧師古斯塔夫·比爾格勒(約翰·馬爾科維奇飾)公開宣揚了克莉絲汀的遭遇，并痛斥洛杉磯警察局(LAPD)和以主管詹姆斯· E ·戴維斯(科魯姆·費奧瑞飾)為首的進行法外執(zhí)法的“槍隊”的無能與腐敗。幾個月后，LAPD告訴克莉絲汀，他們發(fā)現(xiàn)了沃爾特，他還活著。LAPD相信一次正面的公關活動可以消除最近公眾對LAPD的批評，于是組織了一個公開見面會。雖然這個男孩(戴文·孔蒂飾)聲稱自己就是克莉絲汀的兒子沃爾特，克莉絲汀則說他不是。LAPD的少年部負責人，隊長J · J ·瓊斯(杰弗里·多諾萬飾)，堅持認為這個男孩就是沃爾特，并強迫克莉絲汀把他帶回家“試一試”。

克莉絲汀發(fā)現(xiàn)了這個所謂的“沃爾特”與他兒子之間存在一些生理上的區(qū)別之后，就去質問瓊斯。瓊斯給她安排了一個體檢醫(yī)生。醫(yī)生告訴克莉絲汀，所謂的“沃爾特”比他丟失前矮，是因為他的脊柱受損，而且那個綁架他的男人對他實施了割禮。比爾格勒告訴克莉絲汀，警方設計了這一切來使得她讓人不可信。沃爾特的老師與牙醫(yī)給克莉絲汀提供了簽名信，用于證明所謂的“沃爾特”是冒名頂替的?？死蚪z汀把這些都告訴了記者;結果，瓊斯把她送人了洛杉磯的精神病室。她要好的一個室友卡羅爾·德克斯特(艾米·萊安飾)告訴克莉絲汀，她是因為挑戰(zhàn)警方權威而被送進來的幾名婦女中的一個。喬納森·斯蒂爾醫(yī)生(丹尼斯·歐哈拉飾)確認克莉絲汀有妄想癥，并強迫她服用控制情緒的藥片。斯蒂爾說，如果克莉絲汀承認在“沃爾特”的問題上是她錯了，就釋放她，但她拒絕了。

偵探萊斯特·亞巴拉(邁克爾·凱利飾)去河邊縣的懷恩威爾牧場，準備把15歲的桑福德·克拉克(艾迪·阿爾德森飾)驅逐到加拿大。男孩的叔叔戈登·諾斯科特(杰森·巴特勒·哈納飾)知道后就逃跑了?？死烁嬖V亞巴拉，諾斯科特強迫他綁架并殺害了20名男孩，沃爾特則是其中的一個。瓊斯告訴比爾格勒，克莉絲汀因為精神崩潰而被保護性拘留。瓊斯決定驅逐克拉克出境，而亞巴拉則披露了謀殺地點。比爾格勒向斯蒂爾出示了一份關于懷恩威爾謀殺案的報紙，上面把沃爾特列為一個可能的受害者，并以此要求釋放克莉絲汀。“沃爾特”承認他的動機是為了能夠安全到達洛杉磯看他最喜歡的演員湯姆·麥克斯，并說警方讓他謊稱是克莉絲汀的兒子。RCMP在加拿大的溫哥華逮捕了諾斯科特。克莉絲汀的代理律師杰夫·皮爾森向法庭要求釋放其他受到不公平待遇的被囚禁婦女。

在市議會舉行關于這個案件的聽證會這天，克莉絲汀和比爾格勒到達洛杉磯市政廳后，這里已經(jīng)聚集了數(shù)以千計的要求真相的示威者。諾斯科特的審訊鏡頭與聽證會的鏡頭交切進行。市議會認定瓊斯與戴維斯應該被革職，警方的非法拘禁行為必須進行審查。諾斯科特的陪審團認定他犯有謀殺罪，法官判決他絞刑。兩年后，克莉絲汀并沒有放棄尋找沃爾特。諾斯科特送來一個消息，說如果克莉絲汀在他的死刑執(zhí)行前來見他，他愿意告訴她沃爾特到底怎么樣了?？死蚪z汀去見了諾斯科特，但他拒絕告訴克莉絲汀是否殺害了她的兒子。克莉絲汀在第二天被執(zhí)行了死刑。

1935年，認為已經(jīng)被殺害的男孩之一，戴維·克雷，被發(fā)現(xiàn)還活著。他透露，沃爾特是與他一起被囚禁的男孩之一。沃爾特勇敢地回去幫助戴維穿過鐵絲網(wǎng)。戴維，沃爾特和另外兩個男孩逃了出來，但分開了。戴維不知道沃爾特是否被抓回去了，而這讓克莉絲汀有了沃爾特還活著的希望。