(I know that there are MANY people not easily swayed by movies.
But, for me, it is not for the adults that I am posting this for; it's for the children who ARE adopted. They look for themselves everywhere. To see themselves portrayed as this movie does, well, it's just one more thing to add to the "differences" that so many of them feel.)
July 8, 2009
Dear Friends,
Perhaps, you've seen the movie trailer in your neighborhood theaters or the comfort of your home. Maybe you've seen the large-sized posters of a young girl with long braids and demonic eyes plastered on city buses and billboards in your city or town. Yes, "Orphan," the summer slasher film about Esther, an older adopted child who turns out to be evil and wreaks havoc on her new family, is coming to a theater near you on July 24.
The horror film, distributed by Warner Bros., has already created a maelstrom. Untold pain has been inflicted on adopted children just by viewing the movie trailer. The original trailer featured an offensive tagline: "It must be hard to love an adopted child like your own." While the studio changed it after a massive outcry, it's replacement is not much better: "There's something not right with Esther." This line continues to perpetuate negative stereotypes that there is something dysfunctional or inherently wrong with children who need families, and may even discourage people from adopting older children. The fact remains that millions of children around the globe are parentless due to circumstances beyond their control. Why create a film about a heartless, evil orphan?
As yet, I've only seen the trailer - not the film - but it's not from a lack of trying. I was confirmed to attend a special movie screening on two occasions at the Warner Bros. screening room in New York City. In an unprecedented move for a major film studio, Warner Bros. cancelled both screenings - first on June 25 and then June 30. The next screening is set for July 15. Is this a futile attempt by the studio to stave off negative publicity too far in advance of the film release?
Film studios have an obligation to act responsibly, especially when dealing with sensitive issues such as orphans and other vulnerable children. We are not advocating censorship or any other curbs on free speech. Child experts and the groups most affected need to be at the table in the early development of these films. If more studio executives knew about the plight of orphans, and of how much even a trailer can hurt adopted children, maybe they would think twice before producing a major film that is so damaging to so many children.
Sincerely,
Dr. Jane Aronson
Founder and CEO
WWO Worldwide Orphans Foundation
511 Valley Street, Suite 200 Maplewood, NJ 07040
Tel: (973) 763.9961
Fax: (973) 763.8640
www.wwo.org
What You Can Do:
* Vote with your Pocketbook. Encourage your friends and family not to see the "Orphan" movie. Send studio executives a strong message that they cannot make money off of orphans and vulnerable children.
* Spread the Word. Forward this email to your favorite bloggers, inviting them to write about the boycott and the film's negative implications on adopted children and adoption, in general. Write about it on your personal blog. Inform your friends working in the media.
* Sign a Petition. Various members of the adoption community have organized an online petition against the film. Here's a link to a Facebook boycott, organized by a group of concerned adoptive parents, on the "Orphan" movie - http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=89245522820
* Raise Awareness. Organize a house party or BBQ this summer to raise awareness about the world's orphaned children. Show the WWO-produced short film, "What Every Child Ought to Know," narrated by actor Liev Schreiber, on WWO's innovative approaches to early childhood development and programming that serve the needs of orphaned children worldwide (to order a free copy of the short film please contact please email Roz McAndrews at roz@wwo.org
For more information on Worldwide Orphans Foundation and Dr. Jane Aronson, visit www.wwo.org
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