An interesting based-on-true-events story, engagingly rendered. Although my first reaction to the film was quite positive, after my brain had the time to thoroughly ponder all the aspects of it and I had the time to read about the real case here, I was quite more critical. The changes made, while apparently small, were disturbing to me, since they make some events in the movie quite unreal. What the hell, you don't have to go to the above link, I will quote it in extenso:
| Poetic license. .(spoilers) |  |
 by ColinInLa (Mon Nov 10 2008 09:39:12) |
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It's not uncommon for Hollywood to play a bit loose with facts when adapting a story for the screen. It certainly seems true in the case of "The Changeling." Changes were made to aid the flow of the narrative, but "Based on a true story" would have been much more accurate than calling it "a true story." Here are some of the details surrounding the actual incident.
Gordon Northcott claimed that his father sodomized him at age ten. His father died in an insane asylum. His paternal uncle went to San Quentin while serving life on a murder charge. It wasn't just Gordon who fled for Canada, his sister and mother fled too. His dad later admitted that Gordon had told him about the murders. Gordon had complained about a neighbor to the local district attorney's office, saying the neighbor was violent and profane. The neighbor said that he'd seen Gordon beating his nephew. There had also been a complaint lodged by the young boy's mother, who said that Gordon had kidnapped her son. They questioned the nephew and found out about the killings. Among other things Gordon claimed that he'd rented the kids out to California pedophiles.
When questioned, Gordon's grandmother couldn't remember how many husbands she'd had or the names of her children. Gordon 's father testified he knew about the murders and bought the lye the bodies were placed in.
Walter Collins was not kidnapped from his home while his mother went to work. His mom gave him a dime to go to the local movie theater and he never returned. Her husband has not abandoned them, he was in prison for either running a speakeasy or robbery(?) at the time of Walter's disappearance.
The boy who was the impostor was not abandoned by a strange drifter. He'd run away from home and was working odd jobs. A patron in a restaurant told him he resembled the picture of the missing Walter Collins. He called the police and claimed to be him.
Captain Jones was reinstated in the police force and Ms. Collins sued him every few years but he always claimed poverty. He and the chief of police were both reinstated in the force a few years later.
Mrs. Collins had the false kid at her house for weeks.
It was not Detective Ybarra who questioned the kid and found out he was an impostor, it was actually Captain Jones.
(end of quote)
Rating: 60
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