Choices (1986) — AI Story Visualization

Plot Analysis Summary

A family crisis exposes conflicting beliefs about abortion, parenthood, marriage, age, and personal autonomy.

Story Structure — 5 Plot Phases

A Household Under Pressure

The story introduces Evan as a retiring Manhattan judge and establishes his complicated household. His daughter's return home creates the conditions for a family crisis.

Key Events

• Judge Nears Retirement — Evan Granger is introduced as a prominent Manhattan judge approaching retirement. Characters: Evan Granger Location: Manhattan
• Family Household Established — Evan's household includes his second wife and his college-aged daughter from his first marriage. Characters: Evan Granger Location: Evan's home
• Daughter Returns Home — Evan's daughter returns home during a break from school. Characters: Evan Granger Location: Evan's home
• Pregnancy Is Disclosed — After becoming ill, Evan's daughter reveals that she is pregnant. Characters: Evan Granger Location: Evan's home
• Father Learns the News — Evan is told about the pregnancy and his daughter's possible abortion. Characters: Evan Granger Location: Evan's home

The First Pregnancy Debate

Evan's daughter reveals her pregnancy and considers an abortion because she wants to protect her law school plans. Evan rejects her decision, while Scott takes an opposing but also anti-abortion position.

Key Events

• Evan Reacts With Anger — Evan becomes enraged when his daughter discusses abortion without informing Scott. Characters: Evan Granger Location: Evan's home
• Abortion Debate Begins — Evan argues that his daughter does not have the right to proceed with an abortion. Characters: Evan Granger Location: Evan's home
• Education Versus Parenthood — His daughter argues that having a baby would interfere with her law school plans. Characters: Evan Granger Location: Evan's home
• Scott Learns of Pregnancy — Scott learns that his former girlfriend is pregnant. Characters: Scott Location: Unspecified
• Scott Rejects Abortion — Scott declares that abortion is comparable to murder. Characters: Scott Location: Unspecified
• Marriage Is Proposed — Scott insists that he should marry his pregnant former girlfriend. Characters: Scott Location: Unspecified

Scott's Marriage Demand

After learning about the pregnancy, Scott insists on marriage and carrying the fetus to term. His position adds pressure to an already divided family.

Key Events

• Term Pregnancy Demanded — Scott insists that the pregnancy should continue to term. Characters: Scott Location: Unspecified
• Marriage Agreement Resurfaced — Evan and his wife confront the consequences of their agreement not to have children together. Characters: Evan Granger Location: Evan's home
• Second Pregnancy Revealed — Evan's wife discovers that she is pregnant as well. Characters: Evan Granger Location: Evan's home

The Reversal at Home

Evan's wife discovers that she is pregnant despite their agreement not to have children together. Evan opposes this pregnancy, revealing a sharp contradiction in his moral reasoning.

Key Events

• Evan Reverses Position — Evan opposes his wife's wish to have the baby, unlike his position on his daughter's pregnancy. Characters: Evan Granger Location: Evan's home
• Age Becomes an Obstacle — Evan argues that he does not want to attend a child's high school graduation at age eighty. Characters: Evan Granger Location: Evan's home
• Conflicting Moral Standards — Evan's opposing responses to the two pregnancies expose a central moral contradiction. Characters: Evan Granger Location: Evan's home

The Weight of Choice

The connected disputes force Evan, his daughter, and Scott to confront responsibility, autonomy, age, and family expectations. The story closes around the necessity of making personal choices.

Key Events

• Three Choices Collide — Evan, his daughter, and Scott face incompatible views about pregnancy, abortion, marriage, and responsibility. Characters: Evan Granger, Scott Location: Unspecified
• Family Future Is Uncertain — The competing pregnancy decisions force Evan's family to reconsider its future. Characters: Evan Granger Location: Evan's home
• Choices Remain Personal — The story culminates with the characters forced to make important personal choices. Characters: Evan Granger, Scott Location: Unspecified

Story Breakdown

• Retiring Judge — Evan's professional status and family structure establish the pressures surrounding his decisions.
  • Manhattan Career — Evan is a prominent Manhattan judge approaching retirement.
  • Blended Household — His household includes his second wife and his daughter from his first marriage.
• Unexpected Pregnancy — A college-aged daughter returns home and reveals a pregnancy that immediately divides the family.
  • Homecoming — Evan's daughter returns during a break from school.
  • Pregnancy Disclosure — She reveals the pregnancy after becoming ill.
• Abortion Conflict — The first pregnancy creates a dispute over autonomy, morality, and educational plans.
  • Evan's Opposition — Evan argues that his daughter does not have the right to proceed with an abortion.
  • Law School Plans — His daughter fears that having a baby would interfere with her education.
• Scott's Intervention — Scott responds to the pregnancy with a forceful anti-abortion position and a marriage proposal.
  • Murder Comparison — Scott believes abortion is comparable to murder.
  • Marriage Proposal — He insists on marrying his pregnant former girlfriend.
• Second Pregnancy — A second pregnancy transforms the family debate and directly challenges Evan's stated principles.
  • Broken Agreement — Evan and his wife had agreed not to have children together.
  • New Discovery — Evan's wife discovers that she is pregnant as well.
• Moral Reversal — Evan supports continuation of one pregnancy but opposes the other, exposing a central contradiction.
  • Age Objection — Evan does not want to attend a child's high school graduation at age eighty.
  • Contradictory Standards — His different reactions reveal the tension between principle and personal circumstance.
• Forced Decisions — The intertwined disputes leave the central figures facing consequential personal choices.
  • Family Future — The pregnancy decisions require the household to reconsider its future.
  • Personal Responsibility — Evan, his daughter, and Scott must confront the consequences of their positions.

Directed by

David Lowell Rich

Key Cast

• George C. Scott — Evan Granger
• Jacqueline Bisset — Marisa Granger
• Melissa Gilbert — Terry Granger
• Laurie Kennedy — Ellen
• Steven Flynn — Scott