Fallen Angel (1981 film)
Fallen Angel is a 1981 madeforTV film which explores pedophilia. It was directed by Robert Michael Lewis, written by Lew Hunter, and stars Dana Hill, Melinda Dillon, Richard Masur, and Ronny Cox. It is a GreenEpstein Production in association with Columbia Pictures Television. The film received a Primetime Emmy Award nomination for Outstanding Drama Special, and won a Young Artist Award for star Hill in the category of Best Young Actress.
As the film opens, a child pornography shoot is disrupted when its young star Michelle refuses to perform, throwing a tantrum over a promised visit to the zoo. The man who recruited her, pedophile Howard Howie Nichols Masur, attempts to reason with director Dennis, claiming he just needs a few days in order for Michelle to have an abortion, as Howard had gotten her pregnant. However, Dennis has already made up his mind to dump Michelle and gives Howard an ultimatum find a more cooperative young star or hell blow the whistle on the operation and disappear, leaving Howard to take the rap. Faced with this threat, Howard agrees to begin searching for a new girl to take Michelles place. 12yearold Jennifer Phillips Hill, a recent elementary school graduate and aspiring gymnast fits the mold perfectly. She was voted Most Shy in her class, her father was recently killed in a robbery of his catering truck, she feels unable to communicate with her mother Sherry Dillon, and she cannot accept her mothers new boyfriend who was also her fathers coworker, Frank Dawson Cox.By chance, Jennifer shows up at the local video arcade while Howard is there posting an ad for the girls softball team he coaches at the town rec center. He strikes up a brief conversation and gives her a quarter. She runs into him again while leaving. After snapping a Polaroid photo of Jennifer, Howard tells her she looks like Farrah Fawcett and that she would be great in movies. Jennifer then mentions her late father appeared as an extra in a Burt Reynolds film, then tells of his recent passing, to which Howard expresses sympathy. Before she departs, he takes another picture and asks Jennifer if shed be interested in joining his softball team, to which she agrees. The next day, an argument erupts between Jennifer and Sherry over unfinished housework, which culminates in Jennifer being struck. Angrily, she speeds away from the house on her bicycle and rides to the rec center, where Howard is just winding down a
Source: Wikipedia
