The Last Child

1971 "The time: sometime in the future. Mrs. Miller is going to have a baby. But the law says she can't. The law says the world's overpopulated. Run, Mrs. Miller! Run!"
6.7| 1h13m| NR| en
Details

In a badly-overpopulated future, where each couple is only allowed one child and where people over 65 are forbidden medical care under a very draconian set of laws, a young couple, pregnant with their second child (the first died shortly after birth) enlist the help of an elderly former US Senator to help them escape to Canada.

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Reviews

Jeanskynebu the audience applauded
Aiden Melton The storyline feels a little thin and moth-eaten in parts but this sequel is plenty of fun.
Fatma Suarez The movie's neither hopeful in contrived ways, nor hopeless in different contrived ways. Somehow it manages to be wonderful
Caryl It is a whirlwind of delight --- attractive actors, stunning couture, spectacular sets and outrageous parties. It's a feast for the eyes. But what really makes this dramedy work is the acting.
MartinHafer In the late 60s and early 70s, folks in the US started worrying about overpopulation. This led to a few films set in the near future where society is a dystopian nightmare--where there are just too many people and not enough resources (such as "Soylent Green"). In "The Last Child", this overpopulation has led to a terrible time where folks are limited to only one birth AND folks over 65 are refused medical care...all in an effort to deal with the ever- expanding population.When the film begins, you see that a young couple (Michael Cole and Janet Margolin) are expecting a child. The problem is she already had one...and even though it died shortly after birth, they are forbidden by law to have the second one. So they must hide and hope they aren't discovered. Unfortunately, a cop (Ed Asner) catches on and arrests her...and they're planning on sterilizing the poor lady and destroying the child! What comes next is a cross-country race to try to get to safety in Canada...and help from a couple very unlikely sources.This film is bleak...but also exceptionally well done. It's a tense drama and works very, very well. I was particularly impressed by Van Heflin in his final role--he was exceptional. My only proviso is that some people might just find it too bleak.
Eugenia Loli I am an anti-overpopulation believer. I believe that harsh laws will eventually be put into place in the future, be it 1-child per family or 2-children per family (it doesn't matter how many, point is, there will have to be a restriction at some point).What I don't like about this movie is that they tried to make it look justified by introducing two elements that are not realistic: the forbidding of medically treating old people and the fact that the couple had a child before that died. I am pretty sure that if overpopulation becomes a problem, old people will be continued to be medically treated AND families that they lost their first child will be allowed to have a second chance.But because overpopulation restrictions might actually make sense, the writers of the movie tried to give justification to their own knee-jerk reaction kind of movie by adding non-realistic, *truly* fascistic elements in it. That's what bothers me with the plot.
bobbyf The Mod Squad's Michael Cole heads up this great made-for-TV thriller about a young couple on the run from authorities in a near-future world where couples are limited to one child per family. I saw this film several times on Saturday afternoon TV- gosh I hate infomercials. I miss great Saturday afternoon movies. The story in "The Last Child" takes place in the United States in a near future where population growth has caused the government to control the birth rate. Families are limited to one child. What makes this story compelling, is that the couple in question has had a child that died, and this "second" child is not permitted under the law. They are on the run for nearby Canada (of all places) where the law is not so imposing. Now, this is where I could digress into all kinds of political rhetoric, or force my own opinion on you, but in lieu of that, I'll tell you that the ensuing "pursuit" is what makes up the meat of the story. There are stereotypical "bad guys" determined to stop the couple from having their child and there are "sympathetic" good guys who endanger themselves by helping the young couple flee to safety. There's some low budget special effects, but over all, this is a good film for its time that imposes some compelling questions about how far political agendas should be pushed, etc. Personally, this stands as one of the best made-for-TV sci-fi films ever made. The acting and script make up for any technical shortcomings. If you can catch it- go for it.
Tony C So this reviewer's pro-life. This one's anti-socialized medicine. This one doesn't trust Bush. This one doesn't trust Democrats.Hey, guys, how was THE MOVIE?! You know, the one that came out in 1971 and had nothing to do with anything you're talking about? My answer: It was okay. Exciting in parts, kinda cheesy in production values as most TV movies are. Nothing that will likely stick with you forever or bear repeat viewings, but kinda thrilling for 70-some minutes. Van Heflin and Edward Asner were good, and the rest of the cast is mostly 70s actors who stuck mostly to supporting roles and occasional TV movies because none of them really had that much star charisma to speak of. Worth a watch if you catch it on cable or in the dollar bin.