B Lessed

Blessed is a 2009 Australian film based on the play Who's Afraid of the Working Class.

The film is ostensibly in two parts, the first showing a day in the life of a group of children as they wander about Melbourne, and the second part shows the the same day but from the mother's perspectives. It doesn't stick to this formula rigidly, as there are scenes concerning all characters throughout the film.

THE CHILDREN:

Daniel: A teenager who tries to rob an old lady. She instead shows him kindness, and offers him a listening ear, as he is somewhat ignored by his loving-but-preoccupied parents. She has a moment of weakness and acts sexually towards him, he freaks out and pushes her, accidentally killing her when she falls. He panics, goes home and attempts suicide.

Trisha and Katrina: Two schoolgirls who play hooky for a day. Trisha's mother makes uniforms for a local private school, and the girls steal two of them to go shopping in higher class areas. They attempt to shoplift some formal dresses, and end up in a police station, with the possibility of murder charges hanging on their heads, due to their bratty behaviour leading to assumptions being made by the police.

Stacey and Orton: Two apparently homeless children, though they are actually runaways. Stacey has left home to find orton, and convince him to come home, while Orton seems to be more concerned with getting her to go home so he can get as far away as possible.

James: The eldest of the "children," he is a man in his 40s. An aboriginal man and member of the stolen generation, he has to confront the death of his mother, only the woman who is legally his "mother" is not his biological one.

Roo: Trisha's brother who has runaway from home, and ends up being involved in a child-pornography shoot.

THE MOTHERS:

Tanya: Daniel's mother, who is stuck in a relationship of resentment. Her husband resents her for being the breadwinner, as he is unemployed. She is a nurse, who helps a sick man who pays her handsomely, only for

Gina: Trisha and Roo's mother, a seamstress for a local private school. She is only concerned for finding Roo, and comes to believe that a local newstory about a boy who drowned in a river may in fact be about him.

Bianca: Katrina's mother, who has a gambling addiction.

Rhonda: Stacey and Orton's mother. Rhonda is being investigated by social workers, and has already had one son taken away from her. She tries to defend her boyfriend  and thinks she is going to have her children taken away from her, but

Laurel: James' "mother", who is plagued with guilt from having raised an aboriginal child away from his real parents, and also for hiding a birthday present his real mother provided for him.

The film provides examples of:


 * Abusive Parents: At the very least, Bianca is neglectful to the point of abuse. Rhonda's new boyfriend qualifies, although not an actual parent.
 * Howl of Sorrow: Probably the best one since Angelina Jolie scream in A Mighty Heart.