Abuse, Alcoholism at Center of ‘Wings’

Child abuse and alcoholism, which often go hand in hand, are hot topics for television these days--in drama as well as on talk shows. More often than not, however, the subjects are presented in a context of inherent sensationalism rather than as the result of a societal and familial malaise that requires careful, thoughtful consideration.

“Before Women Had Wings,” the debut entry in a set of six television movies produced by Harpo Films for ABC-TV under the “Oprah Winfrey Presents” umbrella, weighs in heavily on the side of drama--constantly gripping, despite its almost relentless atmosphere of tension and incipient violence. But, although it arrives at a conclusion that makes some effort to break the chain of abuse and alcoholism, its solution fails to deal with the factors that caused the problems in the first place.

The story, based on a novel by Connie May Fowler, who also wrote the screenplay, takes place in Northern Florida in the 1960s. Nine-year-old Avocet, nicknamed “Bird” and portrayed with stunning emotional range by Tina Majorino, is the frequent object of her alcoholic mother’s rage.

In a family grouping that virtually defines the word “dysfunctional,” Bird and her sister Phoebe (Julia Stiles) initially observe the disintegration of the relationship between Glory (Ellen Barkin), their mother, and their drunk and suicidal father, Billy (John Savage).

But when Billy reaches a point at which he can no longer handle his frustrations, both girls become the victims of a bitter, angry and abusive triangulation with their mother.

The ugly balance of the triangle is finally broken by the entry of Miss Zora (Winfrey) into the family’s lives. Warm, supportive and understanding, she provides the refuge that forces Glory to take her first step beyond her rage.

The picture is, for the most part, an acting tour de force for Majorino and Barkin. To Barkin’s credit, she completely sets aside her glamorous image and digs wholeheartedly into a difficult role.

Miss Zora, however, with her almost too-good-to-be-true qualities, tests Winfrey’s capacity to bring believability to a mono-dimensional character.

Filmed almost entirely inside Glory’s shabby trailer home, and unobtrusively directed by Lloyd Kramer, the film has a powerful sense of place, despite the inherent difficulty in accepting the premise that the social, interracial mixing that takes place between Miss Zora and Glory’s children could have occurred with such ease in North Florida in the ‘60s.

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* “Before Women Had Wings” airs at 9 p.m. Sunday on ABC (Channel 7). The network has rated it TV-14-V (may be unsuitable for children under the age of 14 because of violence).