Child Bride of Short Creek
Encyclopedia
Child Bride of Short Creek is a dramatization of the lives of the people of Colorado City, Arizona
, and Hildale, Utah
, United States, collectively known as "Short Creek," a community made up of members of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints
, a Mormon separatist group practicing child marriage
and polygamy
.
The story follows fifteen-year-old Jessica Rae Jacobs (Diane Lane) and her friend Naomi (Helen Hunt), who grow up resigned to be victims of a patriarchal, Mormon, polygamist group of separatists in the 1950s West.
Jessica secretly listens to the radio after school lessons one day, and becomes confused over lyrics that describe love ("Hold me, hold me, never let me go, until you've told me...") Her mother, Sister Jacobs, is one of her father's three wives, and tells Jessica that she is happy as she is very close to her 'sister' wives. Soon after, Jessica is getting ready to welcome home the son of the brethren leader of the community, the nineteen-year-old Isaac King who has been fighting in the Korean War.
Jessica is upset that her father will not buy her any girls shoes and instead wears boys' shoes with the socks rolled down. Jessica welcomes Isaac, but is reprimanded after asking what Korea is like, as she has never left Short Creek. Isaac and Jessica show an attraction towards each other and happily dance outside with the rest of the community. Meanwhile, President King calls a meeting with the Brethren where he claims God has told him he must take another wife. Jay Jacobs is disturbed to find that President King is referring to his carefree daughter, Jessica, but puts aside his worries as it is 'God's will'.
In church the next day Isaac shows up late and stares at Jessica through the service. As the community file out of the church President King tells Jessica that she ought to start thinking about marriage. Jessica shows slight shock and soon catches Naomi kissing a teenage boy behind a shed. She shares her worry that she will be married off to an old man, and Naomi claims she is going to escape to Las Vegas to become an actress. On a trip to pick plums, Isaac shows great discomfort and anger when teenagers in a passing car ask him if Jessica and Naomi are his wives and call him a "plig" (short for Polygamist). It soon becomes apparent that Isaac has feelings for Jessica as after she gives him one of her clay animals, he claims that he'll keep it next to his heart. Jessica's mother uneasily orders her daughter not to talk to Isaac so much as '...it don't look right." Jessica stops talking to Isaac so much, though he does tell her about flying in an airplane when she asks him to describe it. When Jessica refuses to talk to him, Isaac states that "So they're afraid we might like each other. They're going to marry you off soon, Jessie." On a trip, while bathing their feet in a lake, Jessica and Naomi discover that Isaac's younger sisters have drowned, despite Isaac diving in to rescue them. At their funeral, Isaac loses his temper with Jessica and claims that Short Creek isn't connected to the outside world. Jessica retorts that she wants to be good and live by the way of God.
Naomi then attempts to leave Short Creek. After walking for a while she naively accepts a ride off two men and tries beer for the first time. The two men attempt to rape her, but are stopped by President King who was following Naomi, having been aware of her wild nature for a while. Naomi, crying is driven back to Short Creek.
President King then tells Jessica of his intentions to marry her, at which Jessica bursts into tears. After much persuasion she agrees, as she knows she has no choice in the matter. Isaac then turns up at her house drunk late one night. She comes outside in her nightgown, disgusted by his drunkenness. When she tries to run away, he grabs hold of her, which scares her, and then he tells her that he wants to run away. Jessica runs away stating "I'm Jessica Rae Jacobs, and I'm proud of it!"
Isaac finds out from his mother the next morning that his father has decided to marry Jessica. He's furious, not only because of his feelings for her, but because of her youth and the fact that his mother will be neglected once again. He angrily confronts his father and tells him that he doesn't want the Kingdom of Heaven or any of it. His father disowns him. One morning after tearfully trying on an old wedding dress, Jessica discovers that Naomi has been secretly married off to an old man to tie her down. After finding this out, she runs to Isaac and confesses her love for him. The two kiss and make plans to leave at the pioneer celebrations the next afternoon. Jessica secretly packs her belongings and the two escape in Isaac's car. In a restaurant, Jessica realizes how much she stands out from the crowd. Isaac promises her that he'll buy her some girls' shoes with straps and they'll stay in a motel where "magic fingers" (massaging mattresses) will put her to sleep. He also claims that he will sleep on the floor until they're married. Just as their bus arrives, they notice many police cars going towards Short Creek and realize it must be a raid. Jessie refuses to board the bus and drives back to Short Creek to warn everyone, leaving a tearful Isaac behind.
The community peacefully co-operate, leaving the authorities to feel guilty as they split the many families up, including a pregnant Naomi. Jessica sadly boards a school bus with her mother and siblings, ready to be taken off to an army barracks to be re-educated.
Two years later, we see the women at the barracks getting ready to board the buses to go back to Short Creek. Jessica, now wearing clothes more suited to a girl her age is wearing Isaac's dogtags around her neck. As she looks around, she sees Isaac standing outside a little blue car. Her mother tells Jessica to "Run, while you still have a chance" and Jessica hugs her mother goodbye, promising to write. Jessica shyly approaches Isaac, who hands her her box of clay animals which he has kept for two years. They happily embrace and drive away together.
Colorado City, Arizona
Colorado City is a town in Mohave County, Arizona, United States, and is located in a region known as the Arizona Strip. According to 2006 Census Bureau estimates, the population of the town was 4,607...
, and Hildale, Utah
Hildale, Utah
Hildale is a city in Washington County, Utah, United States. The population was 2,726 at the 2010 census.Hildale is a twin city to the more well-known Colorado City, Arizona, both of which straddle the border between Utah and Arizona. Hildale is the headquarters of the Fundamentalist Church of...
, United States, collectively known as "Short Creek," a community made up of members of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints
Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints
The Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints is one of the largest Mormon fundamentalist denominations and one of the largest organizations in the United States whose members practice polygamy. The FLDS Church emerged in the early twentieth century when its founding members left...
, a Mormon separatist group practicing child marriage
Child marriage
Child marriage and child betrothal customs occur in various times and places, whereby children are given in matrimony - before marriageable age as defined by the commentator and often before puberty. Today such customs are fairly widespread in parts of Africa, Asia, Oceania and South America: in...
and polygamy
Polygamy
Polygamy is a marriage which includes more than two partners...
.
Cast
- Diane LaneDiane LaneDiane Lane is an American film actress.Born and raised in New York City, Lane made her screen debut at the age of 13 in George Roy Hill's 1979 film A Little Romance, starring opposite Sir Laurence Olivier. Soon after, she was featured on the cover of Time magazine...
: Jessica Jacobs - Helen HuntHelen HuntHelen Elizabeth Hunt is an American actress, film director, and screenwriter. She starred in the sitcom Mad About You for seven years, before being cast in the romantic comedy As Good as It Gets...
: Naomi - Christopher AtkinsChristopher AtkinsChristopher Atkins is an American actor, who became famous with his costarring debut role in the 1980 film The Blue Lagoon.-Early life:...
: Isaac King - Dee Wallace: Mary Jacobs
- Julianne Slocum: Jacobs Daughter
Plot
The story follows fifteen-year-old Jessica Rae Jacobs (Diane Lane) and her friend Naomi (Helen Hunt), who grow up resigned to be victims of a patriarchal, Mormon, polygamist group of separatists in the 1950s West.
Jessica secretly listens to the radio after school lessons one day, and becomes confused over lyrics that describe love ("Hold me, hold me, never let me go, until you've told me...") Her mother, Sister Jacobs, is one of her father's three wives, and tells Jessica that she is happy as she is very close to her 'sister' wives. Soon after, Jessica is getting ready to welcome home the son of the brethren leader of the community, the nineteen-year-old Isaac King who has been fighting in the Korean War.
Jessica is upset that her father will not buy her any girls shoes and instead wears boys' shoes with the socks rolled down. Jessica welcomes Isaac, but is reprimanded after asking what Korea is like, as she has never left Short Creek. Isaac and Jessica show an attraction towards each other and happily dance outside with the rest of the community. Meanwhile, President King calls a meeting with the Brethren where he claims God has told him he must take another wife. Jay Jacobs is disturbed to find that President King is referring to his carefree daughter, Jessica, but puts aside his worries as it is 'God's will'.
In church the next day Isaac shows up late and stares at Jessica through the service. As the community file out of the church President King tells Jessica that she ought to start thinking about marriage. Jessica shows slight shock and soon catches Naomi kissing a teenage boy behind a shed. She shares her worry that she will be married off to an old man, and Naomi claims she is going to escape to Las Vegas to become an actress. On a trip to pick plums, Isaac shows great discomfort and anger when teenagers in a passing car ask him if Jessica and Naomi are his wives and call him a "plig" (short for Polygamist). It soon becomes apparent that Isaac has feelings for Jessica as after she gives him one of her clay animals, he claims that he'll keep it next to his heart. Jessica's mother uneasily orders her daughter not to talk to Isaac so much as '...it don't look right." Jessica stops talking to Isaac so much, though he does tell her about flying in an airplane when she asks him to describe it. When Jessica refuses to talk to him, Isaac states that "So they're afraid we might like each other. They're going to marry you off soon, Jessie." On a trip, while bathing their feet in a lake, Jessica and Naomi discover that Isaac's younger sisters have drowned, despite Isaac diving in to rescue them. At their funeral, Isaac loses his temper with Jessica and claims that Short Creek isn't connected to the outside world. Jessica retorts that she wants to be good and live by the way of God.
Naomi then attempts to leave Short Creek. After walking for a while she naively accepts a ride off two men and tries beer for the first time. The two men attempt to rape her, but are stopped by President King who was following Naomi, having been aware of her wild nature for a while. Naomi, crying is driven back to Short Creek.
President King then tells Jessica of his intentions to marry her, at which Jessica bursts into tears. After much persuasion she agrees, as she knows she has no choice in the matter. Isaac then turns up at her house drunk late one night. She comes outside in her nightgown, disgusted by his drunkenness. When she tries to run away, he grabs hold of her, which scares her, and then he tells her that he wants to run away. Jessica runs away stating "I'm Jessica Rae Jacobs, and I'm proud of it!"
Isaac finds out from his mother the next morning that his father has decided to marry Jessica. He's furious, not only because of his feelings for her, but because of her youth and the fact that his mother will be neglected once again. He angrily confronts his father and tells him that he doesn't want the Kingdom of Heaven or any of it. His father disowns him. One morning after tearfully trying on an old wedding dress, Jessica discovers that Naomi has been secretly married off to an old man to tie her down. After finding this out, she runs to Isaac and confesses her love for him. The two kiss and make plans to leave at the pioneer celebrations the next afternoon. Jessica secretly packs her belongings and the two escape in Isaac's car. In a restaurant, Jessica realizes how much she stands out from the crowd. Isaac promises her that he'll buy her some girls' shoes with straps and they'll stay in a motel where "magic fingers" (massaging mattresses) will put her to sleep. He also claims that he will sleep on the floor until they're married. Just as their bus arrives, they notice many police cars going towards Short Creek and realize it must be a raid. Jessie refuses to board the bus and drives back to Short Creek to warn everyone, leaving a tearful Isaac behind.
The community peacefully co-operate, leaving the authorities to feel guilty as they split the many families up, including a pregnant Naomi. Jessica sadly boards a school bus with her mother and siblings, ready to be taken off to an army barracks to be re-educated.
Two years later, we see the women at the barracks getting ready to board the buses to go back to Short Creek. Jessica, now wearing clothes more suited to a girl her age is wearing Isaac's dogtags around her neck. As she looks around, she sees Isaac standing outside a little blue car. Her mother tells Jessica to "Run, while you still have a chance" and Jessica hugs her mother goodbye, promising to write. Jessica shyly approaches Isaac, who hands her her box of clay animals which he has kept for two years. They happily embrace and drive away together.
External links
- Child Bride of Short Creek at the Internet Movie DatabaseInternet Movie DatabaseInternet Movie Database is an online database of information related to movies, television shows, actors, production crew personnel, video games and fictional characters featured in visual entertainment media. It is one of the most popular online entertainment destinations, with over 100 million...