Gosnell: The Trial of America's Biggest Serial Killer

Gosnell: The Trial of America's Biggest Serial Killer is a 2018 American drama film based on real life events about Kermit Gosnell, a physician and abortion provider who was convicted of first degree murder in the deaths of three infants born alive, involuntary manslaughter in the death of a patient undergoing an abortion procedure, 21 felony counts of illegal late-term abortion, and 211 counts of violating a 24-hour informed consent law.[3][4] He was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.[5][6]

Gosnell: The Trial of America's Biggest Serial Killer
Theatrical release poster
Directed byNick Searcy
Produced by
Screenplay byAndrew Klavan
Story by
Starring
Music byBoris Zelkin
CinematographyMark Petersen
Edited byJohn Quinn
Production
companies
Hat Tip Films
Distributed byGVN Releasing
Release date
October 12, 2018
Running time
93 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$4 million[1]
Box office$3.7 million[2]

The film was announced in 2014. Funds for its production were raised via crowdfunding, in which $2.4 million was raised for the creation of the film.[7][8][9] The film was directed by Nick Searcy, from a screenplay by Andrew Klavan[10] which was in turn based on the book of the same name written by Irish filmmakers Ann McElhinney and Phelim McAleer. It stars Earl Billings and Dean Cain. After difficulties finding a distributor willing to carry the film and a lawsuit by a judge who objected to his portrayal in the film,[11] the producers signed a distribution deal with GVN Releasing.[12] It was released in approximately 650 theaters across the United States on October 12, 2018.[13]

Plot

The film focuses on the police investigation and trial of Kermit Gosnell. The film draws from the book Gosnell: The Untold Story of America's Most Prolific Serial Killer.[14][15]

During an investigation into a prescription pill mill run by Dr. Kermit Gosnell, Detective James "Woody" Wood learns that a woman had died at the clinic after being administered narcotics without a doctor on the premises. Woody believes that the woman, Karnamaya Mongar, is a homicide victim who deserves justice. He and his partner, Detective Stark, accompany the Drug Enforcement Agency and Federal Bureau of Investigation on a raid of Gosnell's clinic.

The officers are shocked by conditions inside the clinic, where cats roam and defecate freely and Gosnell is nowhere to be seen although the patients are drugged up for their abortions. As Woody and Stark search the clinic for evidence regarding Karnamaya Mongar, they discover the frozen remains of what look to them like babies, not fetuses.

Woody engages the support of Assistant District Attorney Lexy McGuire. They uncover a disturbing truth: Gosnell had been performing illegal late-term abortions by having his untrained staff drug patients into a stupor then administer drugs to induce labor. The patients would deliver live babies that Gosnell and his staff would then kill by "snipping" their spines with surgical scissors. Most shocking of all, Lexy learns that health officials deliberately turned a blind eye to the goings-on in Gosnell's clinic.

The trial hinges on the difference between late abortions performed legally and the abortions Gosnell performed. The prosecution focuses on the fact that the babies that Gosnell killed were not legally aborted while in the womb; they were delivered alive and then killed. Lexy enters a photo of "Baby Boy A," the largest of those babies, into evidence. Gosnell's defense attorney focuses on the gruesome and shocking nature of legally performed late abortions and asserts that Gosnell is a victim of a racist Catholic crusade against a Black man performing legal services to minority women.

In the end, the jury finds Gosnell guilty of most of the charges against him, including the murder of Baby Boy A.

Cast

Production

Development and crowdfunding

The film was announced in 2014, less than a year after Gosnell was tried and sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. The filmmakers sought to raise funds for the production of the film through crowdfunding, but encountered resistance from Kickstarter, which the filmmakers said censored the project from their website.[16][17] According to email exchanges released by McAleer, Kickstarter requested that the phrases "'1000s of babies stabbed to death" and '1000s of babies murdered'...be removed or modified to comply with the spirit of our Community Guidelines."[18][19] Kickstarter's CEO denied that they censored the project and said the filmmakers blew an editorial exchange out of proportion.[20]

The filmmakers switched to Indiegogo and launched their crowdfunding effort on March 28, 2014, with a goal of $2.1 million, which was reached less than two weeks later on April 9, 2014.[21] It quickly became the highest-funded film on Indiegogo, and is currently one of the highest-funded crowdfunding projects of all time.[22]

Casting

The film was originally intended to be a made for TV movie, but the filmmakers later decided to make it into a feature film.[23] John Sullivan was announced as the executive producer of the film in December 2014.[23] Nick Searcy was announced as the director of the film in March 2015.[24] Searcy said in a statement, "I am both excited and humbled by the opportunity to have a part in bringing this important American story to the screen. It is a story that many in Hollywood were unwilling to tell, and I am grateful to Ann, Phelim and Magdalena for having the courage to tell it."[24] He also said, "There are three aspects to this story that are fascinating. What happened; why it was allowed to happen; and why no one wanted to talk about it after it happened."[24] Searcy later wrote in a September 2018 op-ed in National Review that he knew taking on a controversial project would cause him to be shunned by some in Hollywood but agreed to direct after reading the script.[25] Searcy says he sought to make a film that "would inform and benefit people on both sides of this issue, no matter how passionate" and that would treat the politics of the case "objectively in an honest and compelling film."[25]

Earl Billings was cast to play Kermit Gosnell, and Dean Cain was cast as Detective James Wood, one of the detectives who investigated Gosnell.

Musician John Ondrasik, also known by his stage name Five for Fighting, recorded a song entitled "The Song of Innocents" for the end credits of the film.[26] The film was shot in Oklahoma rather than the Pennsylvania locations of the crimes.[27]

Distribution difficulties

Filming was completed in October 2015,[28] and release was expected in 2016,[29][30] but a distribution deal was not secured until June 2018.[12]

The film faced additional delays when, days before a distribution was set to be announced in June 2017, the Philadelphia judge who presided over Gosnell's trial, Jeffrey Minehart, filed a defamation lawsuit against the filmmakers for $50,000, stating the book and film portrayed Minehart "'as a villain in their story of the righteous versus the wicked' when in fact he's a "former prosecutor with an impeccable reputation for honesty, integrity and fairness.'"[31] The lawsuit was settled out of court and the filmmakers were allowed to resume negotiations with distributors.[32]

Release

The film premiered in Hollywood on October 9, 2018 at the Saban Theatre.[33] It was released in approximately 650 theaters across the United States on October 12, 2018.[13]

Marketing

A Washington Times article reported that the filmmakers were anticipating a lack of interest from the "left-leaning media" and that they would instead utilize social media, word-of-mouth, and reaching out to non-media influencers to garner support for the film.[34] Executive producer John Sullivan said their marketing budget would focus on women 35 and older living within 15 miles of a theater showing the film.[34] Sullivan said they were "not naïve" about the increased public conversation about Roe v. Wade sparked by the nomination of Brett Kavanaugh to the United States Supreme Court and that they would "embrace it in a way and have a discussion about it."[34]

The producers attempted to purchase airtime on National Public Radio (NPR) to promote the film, but NPR responded that the announcements could not use the terms "abortionist" or "abortion doctor." The producers declined to agree to NPR's stipulations and thus did not go through with the purchase.[13]

Reception

Upon its release, the film received only three reviews from large media sources: the Los Angeles Times, Forbes and NBC News.[35][36][13] Michael Rechtshaffen, writing for the LA Times, called the film sensationalistic and sanctimonious; he also criticized McElhinney's involvement and the general tone of conservative bias, writing that "the film never loses sight of the choir to which it is plainly preaching."[36] Robin Marty, writing for NBC News, questioned the claim raised by the film's title, as Gosnell was only convicted on three murder charges. She also criticized the film for comparing Gosnell to George Tiller, writing that comparing "an experienced doctor who legally performed third trimester abortions, usually for women victimized by sexual assault or who learned that their child had fatal fetal anomalies, to a man who stabbed live babies in the neck to sever their spinal chords isn't just disingenuous, it's disrespectful (and potentially slanderous). There is no defense of what Gosnell did... there is also no comparison between what he did and what a legitimate, trained abortion provider does — and that is where the film becomes purposefully misleading."[35] The Seattle Times noted in its October 12 new-release coverage that no advance press screening was held for the film, which might explain why there were so few reviews from mainstream media outlets.[37] Other media such as the Washington Times[38] reported without a review, focusing instead on the production's relation to the real-life story on which it is based. On Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds a score of 60%, based on 15 reviews, with an average rating of 6.43/10.[39]

The film's producers alleged that most of the media was refusing to publish reviews to avoid giving it publicity because "it shines a negative light on abortion,"[40] and columnist George Will said "The critics’ boycott of the film continued the journalists’ indifference toward Gosnell’s trial."[41]

In first weekend of release, Gosnell earned $1,162,988 on 673 screens, making it the 12th highest earner by total revenue.[42] The film’s average performance of $1,728 per screen was only the 27th highest that weekend.[43] In its second weekend, the film dropped to 511 screens and earned $640,283, averaging $1,253 per screen.[44]

The filmmakers asserted that some movie theaters, including 15 multiplexes, dropped the film after its first weekend for political reasons.[45]

Due to the presence of a large conservative audience, the DVD release of Gosnell was an instant top seller for Amazon, beating out award-winning films like A Star is Born and Bohemian Rhapsody and Wal-Mart.com sold out its entire stock within a matter of days. Amazon preorder sales for Gosnell reached the number one spot in the best-selling Drama DVDs category and later number one in best-selling DVDs.[46][47]

References
  1. "Thorner: Sneak Preview of Gosnell Film Stirs Anticipation of Nationwide October 2018 Release". Illinois Review. Retrieved October 12, 2018.
  2. "Gosnell: The Trial of America's Biggest Serial Killer (2018)". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved November 22, 2018.
  3. Dennis, Brady (May 13, 2013). "Abortion doctor Kermit Gosnell convicted of murder in deaths of three infants". The Washington Post. Retrieved May 12, 2014.
  4. "Doctor Kermit Gosnell found guilty of murdering infants in late-term abortions". Fox News. May 13, 2013. Retrieved May 12, 2014.
  5. Hoye, Sarah (May 15, 2013). "Abortion doctor convicted of murder waives appeal, avoids death sentence". CNN. Retrieved May 16, 2013.
  6. Hurdle, Jon; Gabriel, Trip (May 13, 2013). "Philadelphia Abortion Doctor Guilty of Murder in Late-Term Procedures". The New York Times. Retrieved May 13, 2014.
  7. Gosnell Movie, Indiegogo, April 4, 2014.
  8. O'Brien, Cortney. Gosnell Movie Campaign Earns $300,000 in Just Five Days, Townhall.com, April 3, 2014.
  9. Eichel, Molly. Filmmakers crowd-fund a TV movie about Kermit Gosnell, Philadelphia Inquirer, April 3, 2014.
  10. Bond, Paul (September 2, 2014). "Writer Hired for Project About Convicted Abortion Doctor Kermit Gosnell". The Hollywood Reporter. Los Angeles, California. Retrieved September 30, 2014.
  11. 'Gosnell' Abortion Doctor Movie Releases Trailer The Hollywood Reporter, Paul Bond, August 15, 2018
  12. 'Gosnell' Abortion Doctor Movie Gets Distribution Deal, Hollywood Reporter, June 26, 2018, Paul Bond.
  13. Riley, Jason L., "‘Gosnell,’ Like Its Namesake, Faces a Media Blackout", Wall Street Journal, October 16, 2018; Heldt, Brianna, "Media Ignores Big Opening and Critical Acclaim for 'Gosnell' Movie", Townhall, October 16, 2018
  14. Scanlon, Kate (14 June 2015). "'Gosnell' Producers to Write Book for Release With Movie". Dailysignal.com.
  15. McElhinney, Ann; McAleer, Phelim (24 January 2017). Gosnell. Regnery Publishing, Incorporated, An Eagle Publishing Company. ISBN 9781621574552 – via Google Books.
  16. Bond, Paul (May 1, 2014). "Filmmaker Accuses Kickstarter of Censoring 'Gosnell' Abortion Movie". Hollywoodreporter.com. The Hollywood reporter.
  17. McAleer, Phelim (7 April 2014). "Gosnell abortion film too much for Kickstarter's 'diverse' censors". Nypost.com. New York Post.
  18. Weigel, David (3 April 2014). "Anti-Abortion Filmmakers Say They Were Censored by Kickstarter" – via Slate.
  19. Glover, Sarah. "Gosnell Movie Snubbed by Kickstarter".
  20. Encinias, Josh (11 April 2014). "Kickstarter CEO Responds to Gosnell Filmmakers - National Review". Nationalreview.com.
  21. Bond, Paul (May 9, 2014). "Abortion Doctor Kermit Gosnell TV Movie Hits $2.1 Million Crowdfunding Goal".
  22. Busch, Anita (17 April 2014). "'Gosnell' Becomes Most-Funded Film To Date On Indiegogo; Crosses $1M".
  23. Bond, Paul (December 15, 2014). "'Gosnell' Movie Adds '2016' Co-Director John Sullivan as Executive Producer (Exclusive)".
  24. Baxter, Joseph (18 March 2015). "Anti-Abortion Movie Gosnell Will Be Directed By Justified Actor".
  25. Why I Directed Gosnell National Review, September 5, 2018, Nick Searcy
  26. Papadatos, Markos (19 September 2018). "Five for Fighting talks live album, tour, 'Song of the Innocents' (Includes interview)".
  27. Silver, Stephen. "There's a movie out on notorious abortion doctor Kermit Gosnell. But you wouldn't know if you live in Philly". PhiladelphiaWeekly.com.
  28. Hurst, Samantha (October 22, 2015). "Brief: Indiegogo Alum "Gosnell Movie" Finishes Filming (Video) - Crowdfund Insider". crowdfundinsider.com.
  29. O'Brien, Cortney (November 30, 2016). "Hollywood Not Interested in the 'Controversial' Gosnell Movie".
  30. Wright, Mark (20 January 2016). "Kathie Lee Gifford Calls Kermit Gosnell's Abortion Mill a 'War on Women' - National Review".
  31. Bond, Paul (June 23, 2017). "Judge in Murder Case Sues 'Gosnell' Filmmakers Over Depiction".
  32. "Pa. Judge Settles Defamation Suit Over Abortion Doc Book - Law360". law360.com.
  33. Bedard, Paul (4 October 2018). "Snap: Anti-abortion movie premieres at Hollywood theater of Clinton donor".
  34. Toto, Christian (July 26, 2018). "Kermit Gosnell 'serial killer' film tackles abortion mindset". The Washington Times.
  35. Marty, Robin (October 12, 2018). "Opinion - New pro-life movie vilifies abortion, but shows what a post-Roe world looks like".
  36. "Review: 'Gosnell: The Trial of America's Biggest Serial Killer,' a none-too-subtle take on real-life courtroom drama". latimes.com. 2018-10-11. Retrieved 2018-10-22.
  37. "'First Man' and 8 other movies open Oct. 12; our reviewers weigh in". The Seattle Times. October 12, 2018. Retrieved October 20, 2018.
  38. Harper, Jennifer (October 15, 2018). "Pro-life film on the trial of Kermit Gosnell defies the odds with ratings triumph". washingtontimes.com. The Washington Times.
  39. "Gosnell: The Trial of America's Biggest Serial Killer". Rotten Tomatoes.
  40. Richard Johnson, October 18, 2018 Producer claims ‘Gosnell’ movie ignored over anti-abortion message (PageSix)
  41. George F. Will, December 7, 2018 The ignored story of ‘America’s biggest serial killer’ (Washington Post)
  42. "Weekend Box Office Results for Oct. 12-14". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved October 25, 2018.
  43. "Weekend Box Office Results for Oct. 12-14 (Average)". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved October 25, 2018.
  44. "Weekend Box Office Results for Oct. 19-21". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved October 25, 2018.
  45. Bois, Paul (2018-10-19). "Exclusive: 'Gosnell' Being Dropped From Movie Theaters Despite Solid Performance". Daily Wire. Retrieved 2018-10-22.
  46. Harper, Jennifer (22 January 2019). "Inside the Beltway: Bestseller: 'Gosnell' pro-life movie defeats Hollywood". The Washington Times. Retrieved 5 February 2019.
  47. Flanders, Nancy (16 January 2019). "'Gosnell' hits #1 on Amazon's list of best-selling DVDs". Live Action News. Retrieved 19 October 2020.
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