The accusation alone is enough--a stigma that will never be erased.  The bell cannot be unrung for Glenn Erskine who, early in Return to Innocence, is accused of molesting young child.  Glen's life will never be the same; his innocence lost forever.

     Return to Innocence is a gut wrenching, stomach turning, yet, ultimately, redeeming movie that hits you with base, raw emotion. I give the filmmakers a big thumbs up for having the guts to bring such an emotionally charged story about such a morally sensitive topic (sexual molestation of children) to the screen. The movie is not just about the story of a man wrongly accused, it is also about how we perceive and analyze those accused of criminal acts and how the mere accusation can be as damaging as any conviction.

     Glen Erskine, played brilliantly by Richard Meese, is the stalwart director of a boys home for sexually molested boys and teens. Tommy Jackson, played by talented young Andrew Martin, is a 13 year old boy who has been at the home for 3 months after his mother was arrested for distributing pornographic pictures and movies of her own son. He has enjoyed a very close relationship with one of the counselors, Chris, which unfortunately turned into something that is much more physical and personal than the usual counselor/patient relationship. When Glen confronts and threatens Chris with suspension, Tommy , who believes himself to be in love with Chris, decides to make trouble for Glen.

     This is where everything goes wrong for Glen, as Tommy takes his recent, normal, everyday meetings with Glen and twists them to his own use, accusing Glen of sexually molesting him during those times. The remainder of the story focuses on the court case against Glen, the resultant outcome, and how it affects his life.

     The movie was shot on digital video in black and white with a limited budget. But I feel the filmmakers did a great job with the small amount of funds they had in creating a realistic portrayal of child abuse and those involved in their care. The screenplay was written by Gary M. Frazier, who also wrote the book the movie is based on, and great care was taken by director Rocky Costanzo to portray the movie as closely as possible to the story Mr. Frazier wanted to tell. Despite some minor lighting concerns - I felt the scenes in Glen’s office and the courtroom were a bit on the dark side - I was impressed with the quality of the film and the smooth editing, considering their stretched budget.

     As stated before, Richard Meese was excellent as the besieged counselor. Along with Steve de Forest, who played his very convincing attorney Jim Aiken, their performances were the standouts in the film. Andrew Martin delivered an almost eerie performance as the confused victim who turns the tables on Glen. I also enjoyed Lou Franson as the D.A. Moultrie. It is obvious that these actors were very interested in the story and played their parts sincerely. However, other than these great performances, I would have to say that many of the supporting roles were stiff or halting. 

     What really makes this a good movie is the seriousness and realistic portrayal of the subject matter. This movie pulls no punches and I physically squirmed through some of the more detailed parts of the film dealing with Tommy’s sexual abuse. Rocky Costanzo and Gary M. Frazier do not sugar-coat the script which calls for honest,  in-your-face dialogue.

     Return to Innocence successfully tells an emotionally strong story forcing the audience to think before passing judgment on its fellow man. The incredible ease with which the main character is put into a dire situation is made all too realistic and eerily simple.  The accusation alone should not be enough.

Aaron D. Hoag, 2002