Invisible Child
Encyclopedia
Invisible Child is a 1999 film starring Rita Wilson
as a mother who imagines she has three children when she only has two. Fearing his wife may be institutionalized
because of her mental illness
, her husband goes along with this charade as though it is perfectly normal. The 10-year old daughter assists her father in facilitating the delusion. The youngest child seems to really believe that he has a sister named "Maggie". They hire a nanny
who initially goes along with the family's unusual situation, but she becomes concerned about the effects on the real children and reports the family to child protective services
. A legal battle ensues, ending in victory for the family. It is also revealed that the real children were not harmed by pretending about "Maggie". In the middle of the movie the husband explains that he tried to take his wife to the best psychologists in town. They told him that she was mentally ill and would have to go to an institution. He didn't want that to happen, so he went along with it for five years. His wife hears him carrying on a conversation with "Maggie" one night. The next morning she states that "Maggie" has died. Apparently, hearing the aforementioned conversation helps the wife out of her mental illness and allows her to finally let go of her imaginary child.
Rita Wilson
-Early life:Wilson was born Margarita Ibrahimoff in Los Angeles, California.Her father, a Bulgarian who worked at a racetrack, was born in Greece. Before immigrating to the US, he had lived in Bulgaria and Turkey....
as a mother who imagines she has three children when she only has two. Fearing his wife may be institutionalized
Institutionalized
Institutionalized may refer to:* The act of being placed in a psychiatric hospital* "Institutionalized" , a song on Suicidal Tendencies 1983 titular album* Institutionalized , a 2005 rap album by American rapper Ras Kass...
because of her mental illness
Mental illness
A mental disorder or mental illness is a psychological or behavioral pattern generally associated with subjective distress or disability that occurs in an individual, and which is not a part of normal development or culture. Such a disorder may consist of a combination of affective, behavioural,...
, her husband goes along with this charade as though it is perfectly normal. The 10-year old daughter assists her father in facilitating the delusion. The youngest child seems to really believe that he has a sister named "Maggie". They hire a nanny
Nanny
A nanny, childminder or child care provider, is an individual who provides care for one or more children in a family as a service...
who initially goes along with the family's unusual situation, but she becomes concerned about the effects on the real children and reports the family to child protective services
Child Protective Services
Child Protective Services is the name of a governmental agency in many states of the United States that responds to reports of child abuse or neglect. Some states use other names, often attempting to reflect more family-centered practices, such as "Department of Children & Family Services"...
. A legal battle ensues, ending in victory for the family. It is also revealed that the real children were not harmed by pretending about "Maggie". In the middle of the movie the husband explains that he tried to take his wife to the best psychologists in town. They told him that she was mentally ill and would have to go to an institution. He didn't want that to happen, so he went along with it for five years. His wife hears him carrying on a conversation with "Maggie" one night. The next morning she states that "Maggie" has died. Apparently, hearing the aforementioned conversation helps the wife out of her mental illness and allows her to finally let go of her imaginary child.