A Cry in the Dark

PG-13

Released Nov 11, 1988

2 hr. 1 min.

Biography

Drama

List

94%

33 Reviews

Tomatometer

73%

5,000+ Ratings

Audience Score

While on vacation in the Australian outback, Seventh Day Adventist priest Michael Chamberlain (Sam Neill) and his wife, Lindy (Meryl Streep), discover that their baby, Azaria, is missing from the tent where she was sleeping. Lindy claims she saw a dingo leave the tent with something in its mouth. Initial evidence supports the Chamberlains, but negative media coverage and unfounded rumors create a shift in public opinion as people begin to suspect the couple of murdering their baby.

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Joel H

I used to think "maybe the dingo ate your baby" was a funny joke, but after watching A Cry in the Dark, I'm not so sure anymore. As a parent, I was horrified by the events that unfolded on the screen, and realizing that they actually happened made it even more impactful. This is a tragic story portrayed on screen by talented actors who give it a sense of realism. I was also infuriated by how the public and the media twisted the story around and made the Chamberlains out to be the bad guys. That being said, the film is a little slow and repetitive, but this story will haunt my mind for a long time.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

03/27/24

Full Review

Audience Member

A cry in the dark; is it a cry for help or crying wolf? Set in Australia this stars Sam Neil and Merlyl Streep directed by Fred Schepisi This is based on the true story of Michael and Lindy Chamberlain Their story shook the world; they had a baby girl but one night Lindy claims she was abducted while vacationing in the outback According to her a kangaroo took the infant but the authorities have no definitive proof so now rumors are circulating that Linda orchestrated the whole thing and murdered the child in cold blood She's then taken to trial with the media eating up every ounce of the scandal Way too long of a movie being more of a courtroom drama Yet Streep and Neil are committed in selling the drama

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

11/12/23

Full Review

sean G

Great movie, very touching, nice to see some famous faces too.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

09/26/23

Full Review

Leaburn O

A solid enough thriller where Streep is excellent. Based on the famous Aussie dingo case it is well brought to life. Just a little uninteresting in places. Part of the AFI top ten thrillers which is pretty generous. Bought in DVD.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

08/31/23

Full Review

isla s

This film features a solid performance by Meryl Streep as the mother of the child. Its good at highlighting the media circus that surrounded (if not all but suffocated) the parents lives, after news of the childs disappearance/death got out. One quote I remembered from it goes as follows:- "'a lie goes around the world while the truth is still putting its boots on'" It is undoubtedly an emotive and thought provoking watch - its also quite engrossing and so I would recommend it.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

03/31/23

Full Review

Audience Member

The movie about an infant who disappeared while camping with her family, and per parents she was taken by a dingo. A true story. It's interesting but it's not a documentary; so many parts are left out and changed. Looking at old videos - real interviews- we can see differences. In the actual interview right after the death, the mother cries; whereas in the movie, she keeps a poker face. It gets a bit tedious but overall a nice representation of what happened.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

02/03/23

Full Review

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Fred Schepisi

Director

Meryl Streep

Lindy Chamberlain

Sam Neill

Michael Chamberlain

Bruce Myles

Barker

Dale Reeves

Aidan, 6 years

David Hoflin

Aidan, 8 years

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Peter Rainer

Los Angeles Herald Examiner

Fred Schepisi’s A Cry in the Dark is an unremitting, almost magisterial vision of a horrific, true-to-life incident.

Aug 9, 2022

Full Review

Jonathan Rosenbaum

Chicago Reader

Streep's beauty and talent and director Fred Schepisi's intelligence are both shown to best advantage, without easy points or grandstanding.

Dec 19, 2011

Full Review

Nigel Floyd

Empire Magazine

The powerful performances and sharp script augment this revealing human drama.

Rated: 3/5

Dec 19, 2011

Full Review

Dave Giannini

InSession Film

Once the viewers get past their memories of mockery via television, there is a lot to engage with in A Cry in the Dark. As a relationship drama, the film truly flies.

Feb 28, 2024

Full Review

Terry Francis

Southern Voice (Atlanta)

This daring film reveals the underside to a nation's character, and explores how different elements of a society can feed on each other for their own self-serving purposes.

May 8, 2023

Full Review

Mike Massie

Gone With The Twins

Streep and Neill superbly sell this premise – one in which the true basis appears stranger and crazier than fiction.

Rated: 7/10

Sep 22, 2022

Full Review

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Synopsis

While on vacation in the Australian outback, Seventh Day Adventist priest Michael Chamberlain (Sam Neill) and his wife, Lindy (Meryl Streep), discover that their baby, Azaria, is missing from the tent where she was sleeping. Lindy claims she saw a dingo leave the tent with something in its mouth. Initial evidence supports the Chamberlains, but negative media coverage and unfounded rumors create a shift in public opinion as people begin to suspect the couple of murdering their baby.

Director: Fred Schepisi
Executive Producer: Yoram Globus, Menahem Golan
Distributor: Warner Bros. Pictures
Production Co: Warner Brothers/Seven Arts
Rating: PG-13
Genre: Biography, Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Nov 11, 1988, Original
Release Date (Streaming): Nov 21, 2016
Box Office (Gross USA): $5.7M
Sound Mix: Surround

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