By Chlotrudis Independent Film Society
Rating: 5 cats
Starring: Jessica Earnshaw
Year: 2025
Running time: 100
IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt34923417/reference/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_0_tt_7_nm_1_in_0_q_baby%2520doe
Diane says: “I am so glad I saw this movie. BABY DOE is a doc by Jessica Earnshaw about a grandmother who is on trial for leaving a newborn to die at the side of the road 25 years before. (Another reason not to send your DNA anywhere.)
“Absolutely gripping for all of its 100 minutes. Earnshaw helps us to connect with the accused, understand “pregnancy denial” as a psychological problem, and follow the legal angles. Well-edited to accommodate all these perspectives. Now, what do I do with all my anger about cultures that proscribe premarital sex but hold only females accountable?
“Def on my docs to be nom’ed list, but the film does not yet have a distributor. 5 cats.
“Seen at IFFBoston.”
Peter says: “My best of fest (so far), this shocking true crime documentary follows the criminal case of Gail Ritchey, who faced life imprisonment for discarding her newborn baby and leaving it in the woods.
“What makes this doc so haunting and left me thinking is that for as horrendous as this woman sounds, it makes an honest effort to understand her underlying issues, explaining (though not excusing) her decisions in a deliberate, sensitive way that our ‘just’ justice system could not.
“Powerful, upsetting, and thought-provoking about how we perceive and take charge against the “monsters” in our society – especially when they’re women. Riveting beginning to end! 5 cats“