Why ‘Gosnell’ Movie Could Rock Hollywood Abortion Debate

The film tackles one of the most emotional subjects in our culture – abortion – with grace and care.

By Christian Toto
Newsbusters

Gosnell works on so many levels it’s hard to count them all.

The film tackles one of the most emotional subjects in our culture – abortion – with grace and care. The screenplay packs a specific point of view but leaves the soapbox storytelling off the frame. We’re gripped by a narrative that could chase away those with weak stomachs.

Even the film’s PG:13 rating is a victory of sorts given the horrors committed by the titular villain.

Dr. Kermit Gosnell ran a filthy abortion clinic where cats roamed the halls and babies’ feet floated in hidden jars. The specifics are straight out of a torture porn film, but the government agencies designed to oversee the clinic failed time and time again.

Detective James Wood (Dean Cain) wasn’t looking to uncover Dr. Gosnell’s atrocities. A routine drug investigation led him to his Philadelphia clinic.

The film moves quickly from there, offering clues that the clinic may be harboring something sinister. Detective Wood, along with the assistant DA (Sarah Jane Morris), start digging deeper into Dr. Gosnell’s practice.

They’re shocked at what they discover, but it’s far from an open and shut case. They’re cautioned against pushing their suspicions too far, too fast. Abortion remains a third rail issue, and throwing the book at a black abortionist could capsize their efforts.

Director Nick Searcy does double duty as Dr. Gosnell’s attorney, a brawler willing to use every advantage on his client’s behalf. Earl Billings delivers an Oscar-worthy performance as the embattled doctor. He’s coy and charismatic, an affable gent just trying to help his patients. It’s the story he’s told himself so often he believes it with all his heart.

His indifference is chilling. Billings’ portrait of evil is wildly original and understated.

Gosnell strains to be impartial, and by most accounts it succeeds. The main players even recite the mantra, “this is not about abortion” for pragmatic purposes. The prize is ending Dr. Gosnell’s house of horrors, not striking a blow for the pro-life movement.

Lead screenwriter Andrew Klavan has seen enough propaganda disguised as entertainment to steer clear of overt sloganeering.

Adding to the apolitical spirit of a film? One sequence name checks former Penn. Gov. Tom Ridge, a Republican, and not in a flattering way.
A few moments flicker with partisan angst. The filmmakers tweak the media’s disgraceful absence from the story by showcasing the empty rows in the court house reserved for reporters. It’s a darkly comic moment, one given the appropriate close up.

Why?

Media malpractice is very much at the heart of the Dr. Gosnell scandal. Conservatives also will cheer a blogger who holds the truth higher than her preferred narratives.

Another scene unabashedly plugs into the pro-life cause. Janine Turner plays a veteran doctor describing what a “good” abortion looks like. She’s calm and dispassionate, offering details of a process many haven’t given much thought about before.

Gosnell may forever change that.

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