A Girl Like Her

Between 1945 and 1973, 1.5 million unmarried American girls gave up their children for adoption - because "nice girls" didn't get pregnant out of wedlock. Decades later, we discover just how traumatic an experience this was, and how big an impact it has had on the rest of their lives. Back then they had no voice, but now director Ann Fessler lets about a hundred women have their say. Their anonymous stories vary, but many ingredients are common to them: feelings of shame, ignorance, ruined family relationships, a wasted future, and sorrow about separation from their child. The stories are accompanied by archive footage from the 1950s and 1960s: from cheerful public service announcements to prim-and-proper movie excerpts and TV ads. They form a huge contrast with the poignant experiences being shared. Fessler has been focusing on women's issues and adoption since 1989, when she was approached by a woman who suspected that she was her lost daughter. Though she was indeed adopted, Fessler turned out not to be the woman's daughter but was touched by the story nonetheless. The film's combination of poignant interviews, clear construction, and contrasting imagery of the "American dream" provides insight into the women's traumas and makes them palpable. "What will the neighbors think?" is a recurring theme, and its pressure impacts heavily on each of the stories. It's no coincidence that many women say, "I never wanted to give up my baby; my baby was taken from me."