Changeling

Year:

2008

Duration:

141 min

Genres:

Drama | History | Mystery | Thriller

IMDB rate:

7.8

Director:

Clint Eastwood

Awards:

Nominated for 3 Oscars. Another 11 wins & 44 nominations

Details

Country: USA

Release Date: 2008-10-31

Filming Locations: All Saint's Episcopal Church - 132 N. Euclid Avenue, Pasadena, California, USA

Earnings

Budget: $55,000,000

Opening Weekend: $9,351,560 (USA) (2 November 2008)

Gross: $35,707,327 (USA) (4 January 2009)

Cast

Actor

Character

Angelina Jolie

Changeling

Jeffrey Donovan

Changeling

Gattlin Griffith

Walter Collins

Michelle Gunn

Sandy

Michael Kelly

Detective Lester Ybarra

Jan Devereaux

Operator

Erica Grant

Operator

Antonia Bennett

Operator

Kerri Randles

Operator

Frank Wood

Ben Harris

Morgan Eastwood

Girl on Tricycle

Madison Hodges

Neighborhood Girl

John Malkovich

Rev. Gustav Briegleb

Colm Feore

Chief James E. Davis

Devon Conti

Arthur Hutchins

Ric Sarabia

Man at Diner

J.P. Bumstead

Cook

Debra Christofferson

Police Matron at Train

Russell Edge

Reporter at Train

Stephen W. Alvarez

Reporter at Train

Peter Gerety

Dr. Earl W. Tarr

Pete Rockwell

Reporter at Precinct

John Harrington Bland

Dr. John Montgomery

Pamela Dunlap

Mrs. Fox

Roger Hewlett

Officer Morelli

Jim Cantafio

Desk Sergeant

Maria J. Rockwell

Police Matron at Precinct (as Maria Rockwell)

Wendy Worthington

Reception Nurse

Riki Lindhome

Examination Nurse

Dawn Flood

Morning Nurse

Dale Dickey

Patient

Jason Butler Harner

Gordon Northcott

Eddie Alderson

Sanford Clark

Sterling Wolfe

Briegleb's Aide

Michael McCafferty

Ticket Vendor (as Mike McCafferty)

Amy Ryan

Carol Dexter

David Goldman

Administrator

Denis O'Hare

Dr. Jonathan Steele

Anthony De Marco

Abducted Kid

Joshua Logan Moore

Abducted Kid

Joe Kaprielian

Abducted Kid

Muriel Minot

Secretary

Kevin Glikmann

Male Orderly

Drew Richards

Holding Officer

Hope Shapiro

Medication Nurse

Caleb Campbell

Backup Detective

Jeff Cockey

Backup Detective

Zach Mills

News Vendor

Kelly Lynn Warren

Rachel Clark

Colby French

Bob Clark

Scott Leva

Mountie

Richard King

Mountie (as Rich King)

Clint Ward

Mountie

Geoff Pierson

S.S. Hahn

Reed Birney

Mayor Cryer

Michael Dempsey

Man on Street

Peter Breitmayer

Chairman Thorpe

Phil Van Tee

Councilman

Jim Nieb

Reporter at Hearing

Lily Knight

Mrs. Leanne Clay

Jeffrey Hutchinson

Mr. Clay

Brian Prescott

Courtroom Bailiff

Ryan Cutrona

Judge

Mary Stein

Janet Hutchins

Gregg Binkley

Jury Foreman

William Charlton

Prison Guard

Cooper Thornton

Prison Guard (as Cooper Thorton)

E.J. Callahan

Warden

Asher Axe

David Clay

Devon Gearhart

Winslow Boy

Dalton Stumbo

Winslow Boy

Austin Mensch

Boy in Coop

Andre Alexsen

La City Councilman

Denise Bradley

Church Member (uncredited)

Pete Brown

Walter's Train Escort (uncredited)

Gary Buckner

Prison Executioner (uncredited)

Jason Ciok

Interviewer (uncredited)

Danton Dabar

Prison Guard #3 (uncredited)

Doby Daenger

Councilman's Wife (uncredited)

Dominick Dunne

Man on Jury (uncredited)

Charley Feldman

Phone Operator (uncredited)

Leslie Gunning

Train Passenger (uncredited)

Richard Hansen

Reporter (uncredited)

Kerry Hennessy

Church Member / Protestor / Witness (uncredited)

Lauren Ingmire

Classroom Kid (uncredited)

Christopher Karl Johnson

Protester / Man on Corner with Newspaper Smoking (uncredited)

Kitty Kreidler

Women's Temperence Worker (uncredited)

Jonathan Lane

Hospital Visitor (uncredited)

Kimberly Langley

Protestor (uncredited)

Michela Lansing

Protester (uncredited)

Jen Lilley

Switchboard Operator

Michael Lovern

Train Passenger (uncredited)

Darin Mangan

Witness (uncredited)

Lauren Suzanne Martin

Protester (uncredited)

Patrizia Milano

Train Passenger (uncredited)

Michael Molthen

Man on Train (uncredited)

David Pearl

Policeman (uncredited)

Scott Pierce

Prison Doctor (uncredited)

Jon Eric Price

Reporter - Train / Hanging (uncredited)

Navah Raphael

Phone operator (uncredited)

Jarrod Robbins

Reporter (uncredited)

Michael Saglimbeni

Reporter (uncredited)

Zoe Sharpe

Nurse (uncredited)

Gregg Stotesbery

Rev. Gustav Briegleb Supporter (uncredited)

Michael Sutherland

Rev. Gustav Briegleb Supporter (uncredited)

Jennifer Swirtz

Protester (uncredited)

Callie Thompson

Farm Girl (uncredited)

John H. Tobin

Northcott Defense Counsel (uncredited)

Billy Unger

Screaming Boy (voice) (uncredited)

George F. Watson

Machine Gun Assassination Squad Leader (uncredited)

Rob Watt

Train Patron (uncredited)

January Welsh

Train Passenger (uncredited)

Marissa Welsh

Lady in White (uncredited)

Jacob White

Reporter (uncredited)

Araksi Willebrand

Switchboard Supervisor (uncredited)

Jw Wiseman

Orderly #2 (uncredited)

Did you know?

Trivia

The fate of Sanford Clark, the 13-year-old boy who was forced by his uncle, Gordon Northcutt, to participate in some of the Wineville Murders, is not mentioned in the film. After leading the police to the bodies at his uncle's farm, Clark was sentenced to five years at Whittier Boys School in California. A sympathetic L.A. District Attorney, Loyal Kelly, later had Clark's sentence reduced to 23 months after the school reported that Clark showed promising job skills and a genuine desire to reform. Clark returned to Canada, where he served in the Canadian military during World War II, and later worked as a mailman for 28 years. He married, adopted and raised two children, and served local community causes throughout his life. Sanford Clark died in 1991.

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Dominick Dunne: The true crime writer is seen briefly in a non-speaking part of a jurist in the trial scenes.

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The film omits several real life aspects of the Walter Collins case (probably for the sake of clarity and running time): The film omits Gordon Northcott's mother Sarah Louise, who was actually the only person convicted of murdering Walter Collins. She confessed, but later retracted her confession.Gordon Northcott was convicted (and hanged) for the murders of the Winslow brothers (10 and 12 years old), and the "headless Mexican" found on the side of the road near La Puente, California, but not the murder of Walter Collins. Christine Collins waited 4 days to call the police about Walter's disappearance - she initially thought his abduction was connected to her husband, who was serving a term for armed robbery in Folsom prison. When she was finally convinced that neither her husband nor any of his criminal associates had anything to do with Walter's disappearance, she notified the authorities.Walter did not disappear while Christine was working on a Saturday - in reality, she gave him a dime to go to the movies, and he never came home. Christine Collins did not witness Northcott's execution - she spent the morning in the home of San Quentin's warden with the mother of the Winslow brothers.

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Goofs

This movie set in 1928, the phrase "Excuse my French" as used by Carol Dexter wasn't in common use until 10 years later as explained here.

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Detective Ybarra uses the term "serial killer." The phrase was coined by FBI Special Agent Robert Ressler in the 1970s, and entered popular use a few years later.

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Reverend Gustav Briegleb pronounces "Los Angeles" with a soft "g". In the 1920s, Californians used a hard "g" (like in the word "angle"). It can be heard in movies as late as the 1950s. Non-natives often said "anjeleez." When Easterners started pouring into the city later, the compromise "anjeliss" came into being.

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Quotes

Christine Collins: Walter, honey. Time to wake up.

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Chief James E. Davis: Captain, your handling of the Christine Collins case has exposed this department to public ridicule. There is even the possibility of civil and criminal liability.

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Arthur Hutchins: Night, Mommy.

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Faq

Q

How does the movie end?

A

Christine learns that one of the captive boys has been found. He relates a story of how two other boys, including Walter, broke out of the chicken coop. Walter returned to help him escape, and the three of them ran for their freedom. Christine takes that as hope that her son is still alive somewhere.

Q

What is a "changeling"?

A

In European folklore and folk belief, a changeling is the offspring of a fairy, troll, elf or other legendary creature that has been secretly left in the place of a human child. See here for more information regarding the origin of the term changeling.

Q

What is the box that Christine Collins talks about in the film?

A

Christine was using a metaphor to explain to Walter that his father left because did not want to assume the responsibility of taking care of him after he was born.

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