Tree of Hands

1989 British film
  • 7 March 1989 (1989-03-07)
Running time
89 minutesCountryUnited KingdomLanguageEnglishBudget£2 million[1]Box office£2,458 (UK)

Tree of Hands (released in the US as Innocent Victim) is a 1989 British psychological drama film directed by Giles Foster and starring Helen Shaver, Lauren Bacall, Malcolm Stoddard and Peter Firth. It is based on the 1984 novel The Tree of Hands by Ruth Rendell.

Plot

Benet Archdale (Helen Shaver), a London-based best-selling author who has just written a controversial novel, lives alone with her young son. Benet's mother, Marsha (Lauren Bacall), visiting from the United States, is a manic-depressive who has psychotic episodes. When Benet's young son dies, Marsha kidnaps a local child to serve as a substitute. Benet believes she should return the child but upon investigation she finds out that the child has been severely abused by his parents. After the child's disappearance, the parents are charged with the murder.[2]

Cast

  • Helen Shaver ... Benet Archdale
  • Lauren Bacall ... Marsha Archdale
  • Malcolm Stoddard ... Ian Raeburn
  • Peter Firth ... Terence
  • Paul McGann ... Barry
  • Kate Hardie ... Carol
  • Tony Haygarth ... Kostas
  • Phyllida Law ... Julia
  • David Schofield ... Detective Inspector
  • Amanda Dickinson ... Molly
  • Fiona McAlpine ... Neighbour
  • Julie Jupp ... Neighbour's Daughter
  • Sean Blowers ... Detective
  • Allan Mitchell ... Consultant
  • Simon Prebble ... Newscaster
  • Barnaby Brown ... Jason
  • Charles Pountney ... James

References

  1. ^ "Back to the Future: The Fall and Rise of the British Film Industry in the 1980s - An Information Briefing" (PDF). British Film Institute. 2005. p. 30.
  2. ^ BFI.org

External links

  • Tree of Hands at IMDb Edit this at Wikidata


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