HOLLOW REED

HOLLOW REED is a complex, often bitter drama about the custody battle for an abused child in modern England. Martin Donovan, who was wonderful in PORTRAIT OF A LADY, stars as a homosexual man, named Martyn, who wants to be the main caretaker of his son, Oliver, when he finds out that Oliver is being physically beaten by Frank (Jason Flemyng) the lover of his wife Hannah (Joely Richardson).

The movie starts with Martyn taking Oliver to the hospital for bruises. Oliver tells his father that he was beat up by some school boys, but the matter is dropped when the boys can’t be found. Very quickly, we learn that Hannah’s live-in lover Frank is beating and striking Oliver when Hannah is at work. Frank justifies his behavior by stating that his father was also firm.

One day, Oliver goes to the hospital with a crushed hand. Oliver tells Martyn that the hand was crushed in a car door, but the skin isn’t broken. Other signs point to an adult deliberately crushing the boy’s hand. Martyn tries to reason with Hannah to get custody for the boy, but Hannah thinks that Martyn is merely jealous of Frank. Frank eventually goes to court and demands custody for Oliver. The court doesn’t want to give Oliver over to Martyn because he lives with his male lover. When Frank beats up Oliver and Martyn in a final confrontation, Hannah agrees to not only get rid of Frank but lets Oliver stay with Martyn.

Thought-provoking and intense, this movie wrestles with various serious issues involving parental care and the need for relationships. Martyn is homosexual, but he is caring and financially secure. Frank is abusive and manipulating. Hannah is in need of a secure relationship. Having failed with Martyn, she holds onto Frank despite his abuse. Oliver, too, isn’t honest with his abuse because he favors his mother’s perceived happiness with Frank over his own welfare. Ultimately, Martyn wins custody of Frank, and thus, scores a propaganda point for homosexuals taking care of young children. Of course, all the research by the leading criminologists, such as Dr. Victor Cline, shows that homosexuals are much more likely to be abusive and pedophilic, but truth takes a back seat when liberals and leftists in the entertainment community wants to score points for their perverted perspective.

This point, along with implied and briefly depicted homosexual sex, make HOLLOW REED a morally difficult movie to digest. All performances are solid, as well as the writing, adding up to a sober examination of the themes discussed. Yet, this movie’s highbrow treatment with an all-British cast will not be widely watched or appreciated by American audiences. Finally, there is no clear explanation of the meaning behind the title, HOLLOW REED. Perhaps, it’s a statement of the fragility of man. Certainly, Oliver deserves a safe home environment to grow up in, but is he strong enough to handle the things he will learn growing up with a homosexual couple? The answer to this question ultimately makes this drama a tragedy.