Abuse Fails to Devastate ‘Ellen Foster’

Imagine an 8-year-old Cinderella with no place to stay except the homes of a wicked grandmother and two self-centered aunts. And imagine what that would be like with no Fairy Godmother and no handsome Prince to come to her rescue.

That’s roughly the situation that confronts young Ellen in CBS’ “Ellen Foster,” a gripping dramatic study of personal survival. Left with an abusive, alcoholic father after the death of her mother, she has no choice but to quickly mature beyond her years and learn how to take care of herself.

But Ellen, portrayed in painfully convincing fashion by Jena Malone (who starred in “Bastard Out of Carolina”), soon comes to the attention of the authorities and is remanded to the custody of her remaining family members.

In the personal odyssey that follows, she is confronted with a selfish young cousin, a duplicitous aunt and, in the most difficult confrontation of all, an angry, vindictive grandmother.

In a role that demands that she have no redeeming qualities whatsoever, Julie Harris plays the grandmother with a seething anger, forcing Ellen to call on inner reserves of strength to survive a humiliating onslaught of hostility.

The youngster’s ability to do so is at the core of this sometimes depressing but ultimately inspiring tale of personal endurance. Constantly recalling loving memories of her mother as a foundation in her quest to endure, Ellen endures one difficult episode after another.

And the final test of her courage and fortitude lies in the fact that it is her own will--rather than deliverance by a Fairy Godmother or Prince Charming--that ultimately frees her from the harsh cycle of events.

Director John Erman and screenwriters Maria Nation and William Hanley have given the production--based on the novel by Kaye Gibbons--a transparent, open quality, in which the drama of Ellen’s life is always placed front and center. And the cast--which also includes Ted Levine in a convincingly aggressive rendering of Ellen’s father--responds with a set of realistic, utterly believable performances.

* “Ellen Foster” airs at 9 p.m. Sunday on CBS (Channel 2). The network has rated it TV-PG (may not be suitable for young children).