Hidden in America
Encyclopedia
Hidden in America is a 1996
American
television film about poverty in the United States
. The film is directed by Martin Bell and stars Beau Bridges
, Bruce Davison
, and Alice Krige
. Bridges plays Bill Januson, a father struggling to support his family and whose pride and optimism prevent him from seeking help until it is too late. He was nominated for many awards including a Screen Actors Guild Award and an Emmy Award
. The film aired on December 1, 1996 on Showtime and was released to DVD on February 8, 2005.
at Caroline's house. As Willa runs through the house looking for a place to hide we see that Caroline's house is very upscale. It's three stories with a swimming pool
and expensive furniture. Robbie is hiding in a tree across the street watching his sister. He is supposed to pick up Willa but he waits until after the Millerton's let Willa eat dinner with them before he knocks on the door.
Bill takes Willa to the clinic because her coughing and headaches are getting worse. Bill wants to know what's wrong with her but Michael refuses to tell him anything until the results of the tests come back.
While grocery shopping, the kids scarf down as many free samples as they can until the employee tells them that the samples are just incentives for people to buy. Robbie pretends he's going to buy some but then leaves them on a shelf when he walks away. When they check out Bill doesn't have enough money to pay for all the groceries so he's forced to put some back.
At this point Robbie starts skipping school to find ways to earn money. At first he helps people bring their groceries to their car and then he walks through the park looking for cans and bottles to recycle. Eventually he comes across a mechanic
named Gus whom he develops a friendship with.
At Caroline's house while playing make-believe, Willa steals some food from the Millerton's pantry and hides it in her school bag. Caroline's mother notices but doesn't confront her about it because she doesn't know what to say. Feeling bad, however, she gives Willa a bag of apple
s when she's about to leave to take home with her.
Bill has to work a double shift at the fast food restaurant so he's not able to bring Willa to her doctor's appointment. Michael meets Bill at work to give him an update on Willa. He says that Willa's immune system
is weak because she's not getting enough iron
. He tells Bill that Willa is now at the age when any period of time without adequate nutrition
can have long lasting implications that she can't make up for.
Bill goes for a job interview for a busboy
at a fancy restaurant. The manager hires him and says he can start on Monday. He's so happy that he quits his job at the fast food restaurant and tells Willa she can invite Caroline over for dinner. However, before he's able to start his new job he finds out that the owner replaced him with his nephew. Bill is pissed off now because he's unemployed and he spent a bunch of money for clothes that he doesn't need anymore. At home Caroline witnesses Bill fly into a rage throwing furniture. When Michael comes to pick her up he hears about Bill's latest string of bad luck and invites him over for dinner on Sunday. Bill refuses and says, "I can't digest charity food."
The next day Bill finds a job at a car wash through a temp agency. He comes home to a house with no food and changes his mind about the barbecue
at the Millerton's. It turns out to be a little awkward because Caroline's grandparents and the Januson's don't have anything in common. Willa and Caroline are the only two people who seem to be perfectly comfortable with each other. Bill confides in Michael that before coming there his family hadn't eaten in more than a day.
That night, Willa's health starts getting much worse. She cries and coughs all night. The only thing that Bill can do to make her feel better is to sing her a lullaby
.
Finally realizing he has no choice, he breaks down and for the first time goes to apply for food stamps
. He spends all day at the "North Seattle Food Bank" being shuffled from one line to another until they tell him that the earliest he can receive assistance will be in 5 days.
At the auto shop, Gus tells Robbie that the car they've been trying to fix is almost done except that it needs a new carburetor
. Robbie runs home to get some money so he can buy it. He takes the money Bill was saving for rent that he had kept hidden. While there he gets caught by his father, and they have another big fight. Bill finds out that Robbie has been skipping school for 3 weeks but he doesn't find out about the money. Robbie tells him, "a man's not a man unless he pulls his weight" and Bill tells him that he's, "just another mouth to feed". Then he tells Robbie to go back to school but instead he goes to buy the part he needs and then takes it to Gus. The next day she tells him that she found a buyer willing to pay $1855 for the car and that she's willing to split it with him because of all the help he's given her.
Bill happens to walk by a construction site
and feeling desperate he joins in and starts working. Even though he wasn't hired, they let him work because they need the help. By the end of the day the supervisor decides to hire him after seeing what a hard worker he is.
Meanwhile, Robbie goes to see Gus and finds the car isn't there. Unfortunately she wasn't able to sell it. Angela, a girl who works with her, borrowed the car the night before to go see her boyfriend and ended up getting into a car accident
. Gus tries to explain to him that it's not the end of the world but she doesn't know the situation he's in.
When he gets home Willa tries to console him seeing that he's upset. Robbie just ignores her because he is too upset to talk so she goes outside. Thinking there's no more hope, Robbie trashes the time capsule
that he's been making then writes on the bathroom mirror, "one less mouth to feed". He steps into the shower, takes off his belt and ties it to the showerhead.
When Bill gets home he finds Willa waiting for him outside on the steps and he's excited to tell her and Robbie about his new job as a construction worker. They go inside to find Robbie passed out in the bathtub. The showerhead had broken.
At the hospital Robbie wakes up and confesses to his father about stealing the money. Bill is just happy to see that Robbie will be alright. Later, we see Willa and Caroline playing in a park. Caroline notices that Willa is sad but tries to pretend like nothing is wrong. Playfully, she starts tossing flower petals at Willa but she is too tired to play along.
. It was co-produced by the End Hunger Network, an organization that dedicates itself to fighting hunger.
1996 in film
Major releases this year included Scream, Independence Day, Fargo, Trainspotting, The English Patient, Twister, Mars Attacks!, Jerry Maguire and a version of Evita starring Madonna.-Events:...
American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
television film about poverty in the United States
Poverty in the United States
Poverty is defined as the state of one who lacks a usual or socially acceptable amount of money or material possessions. According to the U.S. Census Bureau data released Tuesday September 13th, 2011, the nation's poverty rate rose to 15.1% in 2010, up from 14.3% in 2009 and to its highest level...
. The film is directed by Martin Bell and stars Beau Bridges
Beau Bridges
Lloyd Vernet "Beau" Bridges III is an American actor and director.- Early life :Bridges was born in Los Angeles, the son of actor Lloyd Bridges and his college sweetheart, Dorothy Bridges . He was nicknamed "Beau" by his mother and father after Ashley Wilkes's son in Gone with the Wind, the book...
, Bruce Davison
Bruce Davison
Bruce Davison is an American actor and director.-Early life:Davison was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, the son of Marian E. , a secretary, and Clair W. Davison, a musician, architect, and draftsman for the Army Engineers. His parents divorced when he was three years old. He was raised by his...
, and Alice Krige
Alice Krige
Alice Maud Krige is a South African actress. Her first feature film role was as the Gilbert and Sullivan singer Sybil Gordon in the 1981 Academy Award-winning film Chariots of Fire...
. Bridges plays Bill Januson, a father struggling to support his family and whose pride and optimism prevent him from seeking help until it is too late. He was nominated for many awards including a Screen Actors Guild Award and an Emmy Award
Emmy Award
An Emmy Award, often referred to simply as the Emmy, is a television production award, similar in nature to the Peabody Awards but more focused on entertainment, and is considered the television equivalent to the Academy Awards and the Grammy Awards .A majority of Emmys are presented in various...
. The film aired on December 1, 1996 on Showtime and was released to DVD on February 8, 2005.
Characters
- Bill Januson (Beau BridgesBeau BridgesLloyd Vernet "Beau" Bridges III is an American actor and director.- Early life :Bridges was born in Los Angeles, the son of actor Lloyd Bridges and his college sweetheart, Dorothy Bridges . He was nicknamed "Beau" by his mother and father after Ashley Wilkes's son in Gone with the Wind, the book...
) - Widower and father of two children. A year ago he had a house and a good job. He was making $16/hr working on an assembly weld line at a GMGeneral MotorsGeneral Motors Company , commonly known as GM, formerly incorporated as General Motors Corporation, is an American multinational automotive corporation headquartered in Detroit, Michigan and the world's second-largest automaker in 2010...
auto plant. After working there for 17 years a robot took over his job. Bill's wife died of cancer seven months ago. He calls himself a jack of all trades although he has no high school diploma. He thinks that what's wrong with this country is that no one wants to work for a living. - Willa Januson (Jena MaloneJena MaloneJena Malone is an American actress and musician who has appeared on television, in films, and on Broadway. She made her movie debut with the film Bastard Out of Carolina , and has appeared in films including Contact , Stepmom , Donnie Darko , Saved! , Into the Wild , and Sucker Punch .Malone is...
) - Willa is Bill's young daughter. As the movie progresses her health deteriorates due to malnutritionMalnutritionMalnutrition is the condition that results from taking an unbalanced diet in which certain nutrients are lacking, in excess , or in the wrong proportions....
. - Robbie Januson (Shelton Dane) - Willa's 11 year old brother. He is always picking on his little sister good-naturedly to toughen her up. He is the kind of kid who is into the Silver SurferSilver SurferThe Silver Surfer is a Marvel Comics superhero created by Jack Kirby. The character first appears in Fantastic Four #48 , the first of a three-issue arc that fans call "The Galactus Trilogy"....
and who wants to create a time capsuleTime capsuleA time capsule is an historic cache of goods or information, usually intended as a method of communication with future people and to help future archaeologists, anthropologists, or historians...
for the future. Robbie is very mature and responsible for his age. He is always trying to give his father advice. For example, he suggests his father learn about cyberspaceCyberspaceCyberspace is the electronic medium of computer networks, in which online communication takes place.The term "cyberspace" was first used by the cyberpunk science fiction author William Gibson, though the concept was described somewhat earlier, for example in the Vernor Vinge short story "True...
to help him get a better job and he says they should get a solar cellSolar cellA solar cell is a solid state electrical device that converts the energy of light directly into electricity by the photovoltaic effect....
to save money on electricity. - Caroline Millerton (Allegra DentonAllegra DentonAllegra Denton is a Canadian former child actress most notable for her role in the TV movie Hidden in America.-Filmography:- External links :...
) - Willa's best friend and Dr. Millerton's daughter. - Dr. Michael Millerton (Bruce DavisonBruce DavisonBruce Davison is an American actor and director.-Early life:Davison was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, the son of Marian E. , a secretary, and Clair W. Davison, a musician, architect, and draftsman for the Army Engineers. His parents divorced when he was three years old. He was raised by his...
) - Doctor and father of Caroline. He first meets Willa when she comes to play with Caroline. He later develops a friendship with Bill when he brings Willa to the clinic. He tries his best to help Bill by trying to find him a job or offering to loan him money. - Dee Millerton (Alice KrigeAlice KrigeAlice Maud Krige is a South African actress. Her first feature film role was as the Gilbert and Sullivan singer Sybil Gordon in the 1981 Academy Award-winning film Chariots of Fire...
) - Dr. Millerton's wife. She is a very generous person. She is the kind of person who is willing to invite Willa over every day for every meal. - Gus (Frances McDormandFrances McDormandFrances Louise McDormand is an American film and stage actress. She has starred in a number of films, including her Academy Award-winning performance as Marge Gunderson in Fargo, in 1996...
) - A mechanic that Robbie meets one day while skipping school. After spending some time together they enter into a kind of partnership with each other to fix an old car so they can sell it. She tells Robbie, "A man's not a man unless he pulls his weight." - Vincent (Jeff BridgesJeff BridgesJeffrey Leon "Jeff" Bridges is an American actor and musician. He won the Academy Award for Best Actor for his role as Otis "Bad" Blake in the 2009 film Crazy Heart....
) - Another surgeon who works with Michael. He also works three days a week at the community clinic. One day Michael loses a bet with him over a baseball stat and has to cover his shift at the clinic.
Plot
Willa and Caroline are playing hide and seekHide and seek
Hide-and-seek or hide-and-go-seek is a variant of the game tag, in which a number of players conceal themselves in the environment, to be found by one or more seekers.-Variants:Numerous variants of the game can be found around the world...
at Caroline's house. As Willa runs through the house looking for a place to hide we see that Caroline's house is very upscale. It's three stories with a swimming pool
Swimming pool
A swimming pool, swimming bath, wading pool, or simply a pool, is a container filled with water intended for swimming or water-based recreation. There are many standard sizes; the largest is the Olympic-size swimming pool...
and expensive furniture. Robbie is hiding in a tree across the street watching his sister. He is supposed to pick up Willa but he waits until after the Millerton's let Willa eat dinner with them before he knocks on the door.
Bill takes Willa to the clinic because her coughing and headaches are getting worse. Bill wants to know what's wrong with her but Michael refuses to tell him anything until the results of the tests come back.
While grocery shopping, the kids scarf down as many free samples as they can until the employee tells them that the samples are just incentives for people to buy. Robbie pretends he's going to buy some but then leaves them on a shelf when he walks away. When they check out Bill doesn't have enough money to pay for all the groceries so he's forced to put some back.
At this point Robbie starts skipping school to find ways to earn money. At first he helps people bring their groceries to their car and then he walks through the park looking for cans and bottles to recycle. Eventually he comes across a mechanic
Mechanic
A mechanic is a craftsman or technician who uses tools to build or repair machinery.Many mechanics are specialized in a particular field such as auto mechanics, bicycle mechanics, motorcycle mechanics, boiler mechanics, general mechanics, industrial maintenance mechanics , air conditioning and...
named Gus whom he develops a friendship with.
At Caroline's house while playing make-believe, Willa steals some food from the Millerton's pantry and hides it in her school bag. Caroline's mother notices but doesn't confront her about it because she doesn't know what to say. Feeling bad, however, she gives Willa a bag of apple
Apple
The apple is the pomaceous fruit of the apple tree, species Malus domestica in the rose family . It is one of the most widely cultivated tree fruits, and the most widely known of the many members of genus Malus that are used by humans. Apple grow on small, deciduous trees that blossom in the spring...
s when she's about to leave to take home with her.
Bill has to work a double shift at the fast food restaurant so he's not able to bring Willa to her doctor's appointment. Michael meets Bill at work to give him an update on Willa. He says that Willa's immune system
Immune system
An immune system is a system of biological structures and processes within an organism that protects against disease by identifying and killing pathogens and tumor cells. It detects a wide variety of agents, from viruses to parasitic worms, and needs to distinguish them from the organism's own...
is weak because she's not getting enough iron
Iron
Iron is a chemical element with the symbol Fe and atomic number 26. It is a metal in the first transition series. It is the most common element forming the planet Earth as a whole, forming much of Earth's outer and inner core. It is the fourth most common element in the Earth's crust...
. He tells Bill that Willa is now at the age when any period of time without adequate nutrition
Nutrition
Nutrition is the provision, to cells and organisms, of the materials necessary to support life. Many common health problems can be prevented or alleviated with a healthy diet....
can have long lasting implications that she can't make up for.
Bill goes for a job interview for a busboy
Busboy
Busser, busboy and busgirl are terms used in the United States for someone who works in the restaurant and catering industry clearing tables, taking dirty dishes to the dishwasher, setting tables and otherwise assisting the waiting staff....
at a fancy restaurant. The manager hires him and says he can start on Monday. He's so happy that he quits his job at the fast food restaurant and tells Willa she can invite Caroline over for dinner. However, before he's able to start his new job he finds out that the owner replaced him with his nephew. Bill is pissed off now because he's unemployed and he spent a bunch of money for clothes that he doesn't need anymore. At home Caroline witnesses Bill fly into a rage throwing furniture. When Michael comes to pick her up he hears about Bill's latest string of bad luck and invites him over for dinner on Sunday. Bill refuses and says, "I can't digest charity food."
The next day Bill finds a job at a car wash through a temp agency. He comes home to a house with no food and changes his mind about the barbecue
Barbecue
Barbecue or barbeque , used chiefly in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, New Zealand and Australia is a method and apparatus for cooking meat, poultry and occasionally fish with the heat and hot smoke of a fire, smoking wood, or hot coals of...
at the Millerton's. It turns out to be a little awkward because Caroline's grandparents and the Januson's don't have anything in common. Willa and Caroline are the only two people who seem to be perfectly comfortable with each other. Bill confides in Michael that before coming there his family hadn't eaten in more than a day.
That night, Willa's health starts getting much worse. She cries and coughs all night. The only thing that Bill can do to make her feel better is to sing her a lullaby
Lullaby
A lullaby is a soothing song, usually sung to young children before they go to sleep, with the intention of speeding that process. As a result they are often simple and repetitive. Lullabies can be found in every culture and since the ancient period....
.
Finally realizing he has no choice, he breaks down and for the first time goes to apply for food stamps
Food Stamp Program
The United States Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program , historically and commonly known as the Food Stamp Program, is a federal-assistance program that provides assistance to low- and no-income people and families living in the U.S. Though the program is administered by the U.S. Department of...
. He spends all day at the "North Seattle Food Bank" being shuffled from one line to another until they tell him that the earliest he can receive assistance will be in 5 days.
At the auto shop, Gus tells Robbie that the car they've been trying to fix is almost done except that it needs a new carburetor
Carburetor
A carburetor , carburettor, or carburetter is a device that blends air and fuel for an internal combustion engine. It is sometimes shortened to carb in North America and the United Kingdom....
. Robbie runs home to get some money so he can buy it. He takes the money Bill was saving for rent that he had kept hidden. While there he gets caught by his father, and they have another big fight. Bill finds out that Robbie has been skipping school for 3 weeks but he doesn't find out about the money. Robbie tells him, "a man's not a man unless he pulls his weight" and Bill tells him that he's, "just another mouth to feed". Then he tells Robbie to go back to school but instead he goes to buy the part he needs and then takes it to Gus. The next day she tells him that she found a buyer willing to pay $1855 for the car and that she's willing to split it with him because of all the help he's given her.
Bill happens to walk by a construction site
Construction Site
Construction Site is a television series created by The Jim Henson Company in 1999, and consists of 7 construction vehicles. The show was broadcast on ABC Kids for a while, and had a range of videos. It was originally produced for and shown on CITV starting in 1999. In 2000 it was nominated for a...
and feeling desperate he joins in and starts working. Even though he wasn't hired, they let him work because they need the help. By the end of the day the supervisor decides to hire him after seeing what a hard worker he is.
Meanwhile, Robbie goes to see Gus and finds the car isn't there. Unfortunately she wasn't able to sell it. Angela, a girl who works with her, borrowed the car the night before to go see her boyfriend and ended up getting into a car accident
Car accident
A traffic collision, also known as a traffic accident, motor vehicle collision, motor vehicle accident, car accident, automobile accident, Road Traffic Collision or car crash, occurs when a vehicle collides with another vehicle, pedestrian, animal, road debris, or other stationary obstruction,...
. Gus tries to explain to him that it's not the end of the world but she doesn't know the situation he's in.
When he gets home Willa tries to console him seeing that he's upset. Robbie just ignores her because he is too upset to talk so she goes outside. Thinking there's no more hope, Robbie trashes the time capsule
Time capsule
A time capsule is an historic cache of goods or information, usually intended as a method of communication with future people and to help future archaeologists, anthropologists, or historians...
that he's been making then writes on the bathroom mirror, "one less mouth to feed". He steps into the shower, takes off his belt and ties it to the showerhead.
When Bill gets home he finds Willa waiting for him outside on the steps and he's excited to tell her and Robbie about his new job as a construction worker. They go inside to find Robbie passed out in the bathtub. The showerhead had broken.
At the hospital Robbie wakes up and confesses to his father about stealing the money. Bill is just happy to see that Robbie will be alright. Later, we see Willa and Caroline playing in a park. Caroline notices that Willa is sad but tries to pretend like nothing is wrong. Playfully, she starts tossing flower petals at Willa but she is too tired to play along.
Closing caption
The credits end with the following caption:Production
The film was shot in TorontoToronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
. It was co-produced by the End Hunger Network, an organization that dedicates itself to fighting hunger.
Award nominations
Hidden in America was nominated for 9 awards altogether in 1997-1998.| Award | Category | Recipient |
|---|---|---|
| Emmy Award Emmy Award An Emmy Award, often referred to simply as the Emmy, is a television production award, similar in nature to the Peabody Awards but more focused on entertainment, and is considered the television equivalent to the Academy Awards and the Grammy Awards .A majority of Emmys are presented in various... |
Outstanding Cinematography for a Miniseries or a Special | James R. Bagdonas - Director of Photography |
| Outstanding Lead Actor in a Miniseries or a Special | Beau Bridges Beau Bridges Lloyd Vernet "Beau" Bridges III is an American actor and director.- Early life :Bridges was born in Los Angeles, the son of actor Lloyd Bridges and his college sweetheart, Dorothy Bridges . He was nicknamed "Beau" by his mother and father after Ashley Wilkes's son in Gone with the Wind, the book... as Bill Januson |
|
| Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Miniseries or a Special | Frances McDormand Frances McDormand Frances Louise McDormand is an American film and stage actress. She has starred in a number of films, including her Academy Award-winning performance as Marge Gunderson in Fargo, in 1996... as Gus the mechanic |
|
| Golden Globe | Best Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for TV | Hidden in America |
| Satellite Award | Best Performance by an Actor in a Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for Television | Beau Bridges Beau Bridges Lloyd Vernet "Beau" Bridges III is an American actor and director.- Early life :Bridges was born in Los Angeles, the son of actor Lloyd Bridges and his college sweetheart, Dorothy Bridges . He was nicknamed "Beau" by his mother and father after Ashley Wilkes's son in Gone with the Wind, the book... as Bill Januson |
| Best Performance by an Actress in a Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made For Television | Jena Malone Jena Malone Jena Malone is an American actress and musician who has appeared on television, in films, and on Broadway. She made her movie debut with the film Bastard Out of Carolina , and has appeared in films including Contact , Stepmom , Donnie Darko , Saved! , Into the Wild , and Sucker Punch .Malone is... as Willa Januson |
|
| Screen Actors Guild Award | Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a TV Movie or Miniseries | Beau Bridges Beau Bridges Lloyd Vernet "Beau" Bridges III is an American actor and director.- Early life :Bridges was born in Los Angeles, the son of actor Lloyd Bridges and his college sweetheart, Dorothy Bridges . He was nicknamed "Beau" by his mother and father after Ashley Wilkes's son in Gone with the Wind, the book... as Bill Januson |
| Writers Guild of America Award Writers Guild of America Award The Writers Guild of America Award for outstanding achievements in film, television, and radio has been presented annually by the Writers Guild of America, East and Writers Guild of America, West since 1949... |
Original Long Form | Peter Silverman and Michael De Guzman - Writers |
| Young Artist Award Young Artist Award The Young Artist Award is an accolade bestowed by the Young Artist Foundation, a non-profit organization founded in 1978 to recognize and award excellence of youth performers, and to provide scholarships for young artists who may be physically and/or financially challenged.The Young Artist... |
Best Performance in a TV Movie/Mini-Series - Young Actor | Shelton Dane as Robbie Januson |
External links
- Hidden in America at VarietyVariety (magazine)Variety is an American weekly entertainment-trade magazine founded in New York City, New York, in 1905 by Sime Silverman. With the rise of the importance of the motion-picture industry, Daily Variety, a daily edition based in Los Angeles, California, was founded by Silverman in 1933. In 1998, the...