} Ben: Do you think you'll ever try to patch up your relationship with your mom or is it pretty much up to her or what are your thoughts on that? People I don't know. BGN interviews actor Maurice McRae who stars and produces the film Still Here. So I was like, Okay, yeah, he's a friend. We got in his car. And why should they? It makes sense to Patel, looking back, how Monique resisted when he called a social worker behind her back, trying to help her get some legal paper work. But the stuff that she went through as a kid, the remaining questions about her abduction, it was all still there. That fear seemed real seven days later, when authorities found Michelle's car abandoned on the side of the interstate near the Volvo truck plant in Maryland. Superb acting from a largely unknown (by me, anyway) cast. She always tried her best. Come in the car with me. McMullens story on Investigation Discoverys Disappeared show initially in February 2010 and repeated. Monique has always known she was abducted as a child, but specific details about what happened, and why, have been elusive. "I decided to leave," she wrote in a police confession when she was caught in January. Her father said the family is fielding interest from national media and for book deals. Let's go look at old periodicals and anything we could find from that time about kidnapped children. Living in the same area. She phoned Michelle's parents, who immediately called Harrisburg police to report Michelle missing. The assignment lands in the hands of journalist Christian Baker (Whitworth), who at first pursues a false lead, turning the entire case upside down. They're kind of not accessible anymore. One of her clients recognized her as Michelle after watching a rerun of the Investigation Discovery show. Christian with guilt decides to finally do his work properly finding himself in a race against time to help the family find the girl. Then she gets up and does it all over again. Im desperate for any help/guidance/advice.. This happened. It kind of made it more real. 2023's Most Anticipated Sequels, Prequels, and Spin-offs. Monique Watson she/her. Layla the 18-month-old Tabby found refuge on the family's chicken coop after swimming about 150 metres through raging floodwaters. After Christian gets this rude awakening that being a white journalist doesnt automatically mean that hell be welcomed with open arms in certain neighborhoods, he goes back outside and tries to get some more information from Reggie, whos hanging out in the same place with his friends. Still Here is playing in select theaters August 28 and available On VOD September 4. It looks like the filmmakers of Still Here have mostly gotten their stereotypical ideas from what theyve seen in movies and TV shows. So they just completely didn't bring it up. Its also because she knows much more about what happened to her. "She's not some villain that needs to be holed down in her situation because of an error in judgment that she's made.". She had roommates, and got a job at the Creative African Braids and Beauty shop, a Korean-run salon owned by Leemu Topka. Police dogs, helicopters and firefighters converged on the area where her car was found, but Michelle evaded the search. We didn't really care about anything. Great film. Monique: The other day we were talking to each other and I was like, "You remember when I would come over with my mom and then your mom and my mom would go into their room and lock the door and be in there for hours?" And they told me, we don't have these files about this this case because he got let go on a misdemeanor. I think I started last year getting into Reddit. Monique Daniels was an average Oklahoma 15-year-old. I have to say I'm always more compelled to watch movies based on true events. Christian eventually wins over the familys trust when he tells them that he doesnt like how the NYPD has been handling the case and he can do a better job than the police have been doing in investigating Moniques disappearance. 2023 Advance Local Media LLC. And the fact that it will probably be a fellow African American doesnt seem to bother him in the least. Because of the subject matter you forgive a lot of it. (4,379) 5.5 1 h 37 min 2020 X-Ray 16+ When twelve-year-old African American girl Monique Watson goes missing in New York City, the police are apathetic and her father Michael is distraught. "It's not something that was thought out or intended as a way of evading. TV Shows. Up until a few weeks ago, Monique had been looking for that police report for 15 years, even though she might not have realized it. Filled with guilt, Christian helps Michael in the search for his daughter, while facing resistance from the community, the police, and his own publication. var append_element = append_element || function(e){if(void 0==e)return!1;if(! 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Monique L Watson , 41 Lives in Texarkana, TX AKA: Monique James Related to: Mariah Carol Williams, Lacamry Williams, Neyamia A Watson +18 more Places Lived: Brooklyn NY, De Kalb TX Work: texas department of criminal justice , walmart - cake decorator View Reputation Profile Monique Carina Watson , 27 Lives in Macomb, MI Amory: Ventura County PD did give Monique the original police report from the day she was abducted. She hasnt known the name of her abductor. An amber alert that had gone out, was lifted. Lillie and Michael McMullen feared their daughter might have fallen asleep behind the wheel during the long drive or suffered a migraine headache and crashed. "She was pretty upset, she was crying and she was pretty scared," he added. Amory: Which begs the question: what exactly was her mom's relationship to this guy? The two subordinates whove been tasked with most of the investigation are black cop Anthony Evans (played by Danny Johnson) and white cop Greg Spaulding (played by Jeremy Holm), who have very different views on how they should handle the case. formId: '772605' The family relationship is very well tight all around. It was decision time. Anyone who has lived in a major city in the USA and known people of color will find that part of iut relateable. We're going to go to the beach." Real, strong and touching story so much so that it made me have a better understanding of the tumultuous world we all live in today. It just makes you feel not worthy of that love and affection and like you need to search for it elsewhere. But maybe she wasnt asking as many either. As a Limited release, Still Here will only be shown in select movie theaters across major markets. 4,731 following. He said she never stole a cent. The actors made me see into their pain. This brings down a series of pains. "He said, 'Yeah, she got some explaining to do with me,'" her father said. In January 2009, she booked an Amtrak ticket to Emeryville, Calif., and went west. Amory: Im Amory Sivertson, and you're listening to Endless Thread. I do attend community college out here and I do a lot of odd jobs just to provide for myself. Culture Clash:A journalist takes it upon himself to investigate the case of a missing 10-year-old girl because he thinks the police arent doing enough in the investigation. I was just looking at a magazine. She really helped me. The NYPD asks anyone with information about Monique's full identity or what happened to her is asked to call 1-800-577-TIPS. Monique: She ended up finding six pages just about the kidnapping and it actually provided a name too. Its Christian Baker (played by Johnny Whitworth), a somewhat cocky journalist who works for the fictional New York City daily newspaper The Chronicle. Her family believed she'd been abducted. So I knew that it was something that was supposed to be kept a secret. Its implied that Anthony is willing to go as far as frame someone for the crime. Only her family seems to care. jQuery(wrapper).css('top', jQuery(window).height() * 0.4 + wrapper.width() + wrapper.css('padding').replace('px', '') * 2); . } It's about the likelihood someone will show up for her next court hearing. resize77260663fffe99d76c9(wrapper); She worked. In January of 2011, a woman who had watched the Disappeared episode called in to report that . 17 people named Latasha Watson found in Houston, Aubrey and 19 other cities. The reason we don't talk anymore, it's not because I hate her or I don't love her. Josh Crane Twitter Producer, Podcasts & New ProgramsJosh is a producer for podcasts and new programs at WBUR. Our username is. "I knew that if I talked to my parents, they'd convince me to go back home, and I was still afraid.". The guy who appears to be the leader of the group is named Reggie Green (played by Leopold Manswell), and he can immediately tell that Christian isnt street-smart at all and takes full advantage of Christians ignorance. Monique: I was born in Oxnard, California. Christian thinks that the only way for the police to jumpstart the investigation into Moniques disappearance is if the police are shamed into it by a news report that says that the police overlooked a suspect. His irresponsible boss Jerry agrees. Instead of researching this information, like any good journalist would do (and the information would be very easy to find by using The Chronicles address-finding resources), he decides to go to the neighborhood where the Watson family lives, with the hope that someone can tell him which building is the one where the family resides. It was never brought up unless I brought it up. Includes Address (11) Phone (1) Email (1) See Results. When 12 year old Monique Watson disappears from home, her father Michael Watson, refuses to give in as the media and police make little effort in solving the case. Amory: Step 1: try to find the address of the house Monique and her mom were living in when she was taken from the front yard. Hard movie to watch. And we were playing in the front yard and this guy came up. But that's why we didn't even do the Amber Alert until way later, maybe two or three hours after.". Out of options, Michael teams up with Christian Baker, the journalist assigned to Monique's story. But she left behind clues. 2023 Advance Local Media LLC. Out of options, Michael teams up with Christian Baker, the journalist assigned to Monique's story. She decided to ask her god-mother for more information. It's something I have to think about because it's still in my memory. Or the other girl. With public interest waning and time running out, Michael and Christian race to uncover the truth - and find Monique, before it's too late. Still Here is not the worst movie you could ever see. }); If you purchase a product or register for an account through one of the links on our site, we may receive compensation. Some of her previous jobs include a real estate agent. This inflammatory and very unethical article, which could ruin an innocent mans reputation, sets off a chain of events, during which Still Here tries to hammer over viewers heads the ideas that all New York City police officers are corrupt and/or racist and that Christian is the only journalist who can find out what happened to Monique. Jerry tells Christian: You havent been delivering for too long. Amory: We're coming to you from WBUR, Boston's NPR station. Police say Mumuni wanted to help her get paper work, but she resisted. And what does Christian do with this speculation? I hated the beach. Monique: A lot of the things that I've been through, I've always blamed myself. Its just an incredibly lazy and culturally tone-deaf film that offers nothing thats impressively creative. Michelle told police she spent every day with knots in her stomach, worried about being caught. Topka recalls how two women came into the salon, asking to look at a wig cap. Jerry tells Christian about the disappearance of Monique Watson: The cops arent pursuing it. ", In Oakland, hairdresser Leemu Topka still thinks of her as a daughter. Even if we knocked on the door being hungry, it was, Were busy right now. Johnny Whitworth, Maurice McRae, Afton Williamson, Jeremy Holm, Zazie Beetz, Larry Pine, 2021 Blue Fox Entertainment LLC. One complexity shes still trying to figure out, though, a missing piece of the story. type: "text/javascript", The movie has Michaels voiceovers during the meeting, so people can hear his inner thoughts, such as What am I doing here? As some members of the support group drone on about their depressing situations, Michael cant take it any more. Youre walking a thin line here, sport. But lo and behold, Jerry has an idea for an assignment that Christian would be willing to do. I thought it was weird but I didn't know what was going on. They dont get medals for that., Christian eagerly takes the assignment. Amory: Monique says this is around when her moms drug use jumped to a new level. }); Not searchable in the newspapers own archives. But for me, it seemed like I wasn't allowed to make mistakes. Police Chief Rob Martin said that police have followed fruitless tips and searched for McMullen in many states. It's Boston local news in one concise, fun and informative email. Not to mention, the timing of the films release relates to the current affairs in the United States today. Another case where a missing person was found alive is that of Denise Bolser. Still Here repeatedly uses the Watson familys social class as a way to make these African Americans look as pitiful as possible, so that when the savior comes along, he can look even more like a noble do-gooder. I can't stop my life for her right now. It turned out that the hard work Danielle put in at that salon ended up giving her away. It was her own private jail cell. "She is a sweet person. It had been a long day for the "rookie" rescue crew who . Filled with guilt, Christian helps Michael in the search for his daughter, while facing resistance from the community, the police, and his own publication. Ben: A mystery about a day shes just starting to fully remember again. Let's look up the entire area in newspapers.com. In Martinsburg, W.Va., she was Monique Watson, a Hurricane Katrina victim who had lost everything and was running from a stranger who held her captive in a home, raping her repeatedly. She goes to class. They said she was someone else. Bipen Patel, manager at the Knights Inn, told police he met Monique when she was staying at a different hotel, near the Maryland border. And she immediately turned the bike around, started chasing after us, yelling. captainformThemeStyle['772605'] = ''; She actually told me, Oh, you're gonna be on the news. i would rate this an 8 but they brought it down. This guy was always around. And my family felt like it was all their fault, too. Monique: About two years ago, I had this mental breakdown. Christian goes to the building and looks at the mailboxes to find out which one is for the Watsons apartment. They dont give a fuck. That's not fair. And by me talking to her and having a conversation with her, you know, it could trigger things that just might have been better off not addressed for her because, you know, everyone's different. One of the searches led police to West Virginia, where they said she was living and working at a bargain motel using the alias Monique Watson. Martin said he was unaware if she was using a false identification in California. And now I'm trying to be a lot kinder to myself. As a side note fans of Zazie Beetz (the one face I DID recognise) should be aware her role is of a 'Cameo' nature and lasts only a couple of minutes. And he was like, Oh, your mom needs you. Hes been in jail for a separate, more recent crime. That's not fair at all. I really didn't know what was going on because I thought we were going to see my mom. Her fans and other viewers should be warned that Beetz only has one scene in Still Here, which has her on screen for about five minutes. Our clothes were soaking wet and it was getting later. On top of that, Moniques not on the best terms with her family, and nobody in her family is willing to talk about it. Michael is highly suspicious of Christians motives for getting involved in the investigation, because he thinks that Christian just wants to exploit the familys pain and not help them. 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