Before Women Had Wings
| Before Women Had Wings | |
|---|---|
DVD Cover
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| Directed by | Lloyd Kramer |
| Produced by | Jay Benson Oprah Winfrey |
| Written by | Connie May Fowler |
| Starring |
Ellen Barkin Oprah Winfrey Tina Majorino Julia Stiles John Savage Burt Young William Lee Scott Louis Crugnali David Hart |
| Music by | Anton Sanko |
| Edited by | Stephen Semel |
| Distributed by | ABC |
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Release date
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2 November, 1997 (USA) 26th October, 1997 (Canada) |
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Running time
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96 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
Before Women Had Wings is a 1997 television film, based on the story by Connie May Fowler about a mother whose abusive husband commits suicide. She then starts to violently abuse her two daughters. It is only then that a kindly black woman becomes good friends with her youngest daughter and helps the daughter escape her tortured life. The film stars Ellen Barkin, Oprah Winfrey, Tina Majorino, and Julia Stiles. Barkin won an Emmy for her role.
Life is hard for Avocet Abigale 'Bird' Jackson (Tina Majorino) and her sister Phoebe (Julia Stiles), constantly putting up with their parents' arguments. Their father, Billy (John Savage) is always beating their mother Glory Marie (Ellen Barkin) and every time things seem to go right between Glory Marie and Billy, yet another argument begins. Unable to put up with it any longer Glory Marie tells Billy she's taking the girls and leaving him. He punches her and knocks her teeth out, then drives off in the car. Later that evening a policeman (David Hart) shows up at the door to tell them that Billy has killed himself.
Set on starting a new life, Glory Marie takes her daughters and moves to a motel in Florida, where she gets a job as a bookkeeper in the motel office run by Louis Ippolito (Burt Young). They move into an old trailer because there are no rooms. Bird becomes friends with a kind black woman named Zora Williams (Oprah Winfrey) whom Glory Marie warns her to stay away from. Glory Marie begins to drink heavily, and beats Phoebe with a brush for staying out late with Louis' son L.J (Louis Crugnali). She later hits Bird on the head with a mug for asking for a bike for Christmas. Glory Marie's estranged son Hank (William Lee Scott) comes to visit for Christmas, as he left home because of his parents and there is still some friction between them. Bird spends more and more time with Zora, behind Glory Marie's back, and realizes there can be a better life for her. Phoebe finally stands up to Glory Marie when she calls Phoebe a tramp for the way she's dressed and slaps her, Phoebe slaps her back.
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