A Cry in the Dark (1988)
“The dingo ate my baby!” is the (misquoted) catchphrase to come out of the Meryl Streep vehicle A Cry in the Dark, but as much as that’s become the go-to sentence to mimic, it’s not a great representation to quote something that inspires a laugh at the quoter’s attempted accent. It’s a very heavy drama, and since it was based off a true story, that makes it even heavier.
Sam Neill and Meryl Streep are out camping with their children, and in a freak accident, Meryl witnesses a dingo running away from their tent with something in its mouth. They run after it and try to find their missing baby, but they never do. There’s an inquest, and while Sam and Meryl are acquitted of any wrongdoing, public opinion quickly turns against them. If you don’t know the power of public opinion, you’ll be pretty shocked by the twists and turns of this movie.
I’m sure there are quite a few Australian actresses who weren’t happy that an American woman was cast, but no one can get mad at Sam Neill. He doesn’t take center stage in this one, but fans of his will see him in a layered, excellent performance. Meryl’s character is the focal point, and all her fans can watch her perfect yet another accent, and one that’s notoriously difficult for Americans to master.
More Meryl Streep movies here!
Sam Neill and Meryl Streep are out camping with their children, and in a freak accident, Meryl witnesses a dingo running away from their tent with something in its mouth. They run after it and try to find their missing baby, but they never do. There’s an inquest, and while Sam and Meryl are acquitted of any wrongdoing, public opinion quickly turns against them. If you don’t know the power of public opinion, you’ll be pretty shocked by the twists and turns of this movie.
I’m sure there are quite a few Australian actresses who weren’t happy that an American woman was cast, but no one can get mad at Sam Neill. He doesn’t take center stage in this one, but fans of his will see him in a layered, excellent performance. Meryl’s character is the focal point, and all her fans can watch her perfect yet another accent, and one that’s notoriously difficult for Americans to master.
More Meryl Streep movies here!