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Danielle rang them up, and they left. BGN interviews actor Maurice McRae who stars and produces the film Still Here. I would get picked up from school and not be talked to and not be asked about my day, and then as soon as my cousins were in the car, it was like, "Oh, how was your day? And black police officers and officials that continue to work in these institutions of oppression and inequality should be shamed! Ben: But that same night that Monique and her friend Alyssa had been trying to find information online with no luck, Monique did something a little radical. }
Even the initial storyline changed from Romania to New York and with a black family. Contact Us
Im doing great right now. Amory: Moniques friends on the other hand, have wanted to talk about it. resize77260663fffe99d76c9(wrapper);
In Oakland, Calif., they knew her as Danielle Jones, the adopted daughter of abusive parents who left her Chicago home with no money or identification. People I don't know. 7,061 Followers, 4,731 Following, 323 Posts - See Instagram photos and videos from Monique Watson (@piinklemonade_) piinklemonade_ Follow. And a description of the kidnappers car: a dark blue, 1995 Honda Civic. It makes you feel, and makes you think whether everyone is caring for one another enough. Greg is more reluctant, and he feels guilty about possibly targeting someone who might be innocent. Its also because she knows much more about what happened to her. She helped me take care of myself again. The Romanian-born director makes his feature film debut with Still Here. Amory: Monique doesnt know if her moms drug addiction played a role in her being abducted. Layla the 18-month-old Tabby found refuge on the family's chicken coop after swimming about 150 metres through raging floodwaters. police say McMullen was a thief, and that's why she has been missing since September 2008. Its one of the movies many unrealistic moments, because the taxi driver isnt a suspect. Hes not even a person of interest, because theres no proof that this taxi driver had any contact with Monique. She could be trapped in her car out of sight of passing traffic. If you purchase a product or register for an account through one of the links on our site, we may receive compensation. Still Here is playing in select theaters August 28 and available On VOD September 4. I want to make this clear, I'm being really open about this just because, you know, this was my childhood. Michael gives this reply before slamming the door in Christians face: You want to help? "He said, 'Yeah, she got some explaining to do with me,'" her father said. Patel had grown suspicious of how fast she picked up on computer skills, but he bought her a laptop and allowed her access to his credit cards and other equipment. "He came and [Monique] said: 'Please, I don't need it. And I know that sounds like Mary Poppins of libraries, but its kind of why we all do what we do. And since the memories are traumatic, digging into them has also been really scary. Community Rules apply to all content you upload or otherwise submit to this site. And she's like, "Do you even know who this guy is? (document.removeEventListener("DOMContentLoaded",d),window.removeEventListener("load",d)):(document.detachEvent("onreadystatechange",d),window.detachEvent("onload",d))},d=function(){t||!document.addEventListener&&"load"!==event.type&&"complete"!==document.readyState||(t=!0,n(),e())};if("complete"===document.readyState)e();else if(document.addEventListener)document.addEventListener("DOMContentLoaded",d),window.addEventListener("load",d);else{document.attachEvent("onreadystatechange",d),window.attachEvent("onload",d);var o=!1;try{o=null==window.frameElement&&document.documentElement}catch(a){}o&&o.doScroll&&!function c(){if(!t){try{o.doScroll("left")}catch(d){return setTimeout(c,50)}t=!0,n(),e()}}()}};
And, you know, she helped me get a job. Still Here is not the worst movie you could ever see. Although the interrogation methods are over-the-top, its one of the few times in the movie where there is some realism. It should also be noted that Christian, who likes to wear scarves and designer coats, is always dressed as if hes about to have drinks at a trendy cocktail lounge, instead of going to some of the run-down seedy areas where he has to go during the course of his investigation.. Michelle got right back on the road. Then get the fuck out of here!. It's something I have to think about because it's still in my memory. We need more stories around resilience and family like this one. Some of her previous jobs include a real estate agent. It was nice but at the same time, my aunt wasn't like my mom. Filled with guilt, Christian helps Michael in the search for his daughter, while facing resistance from the community, the police, and his own publication. The friend who had been watching Michelle's son turned over a note scribbled from Michelle that said she needed time to think. }
Filled with guilt, Christian helps Michael in the search for his daughter, while facing resistance from the community, the police, and his own publication. Amory Sivertson: Monique is 20. She actually told me, Oh, you're gonna be on the news. };
Meet Monique Watson! And the performance of the entire cast is superb but the guy that played the dad.man you need your own reward. Tho cops are a bit overblown but all of the evets portrayed ring true. And he ended up telling us, "Well, we're going to have a fun day. Ben: Kat Ramzinski has some experience in real estate. She's excellent. This website is using Google Analytics. Something went wrong while submitting the form. formId: '772605'
It's Boston local news in one concise, fun and informative email. "I heard a guy asking her: 'Tell me the truth. The other girl. Please check Fandango and Atom Tickets to see if the film is playing in your area. The assignment lands in the hands of journalist Christian Baker (Whitworth), who at first pursues a false lead, turning the entire case upside down. When youre a kid and something gets swept under the rug, sometimes you move on to other things and its not until youre older that the nagging questions return. Christian obviously thinks that easy puff pieces are beneath him and hes bored with the assignments that hes been getting lately. There are cases of white-collar theft for far more money in which defendants are sentenced to probation as long as they pay back the money. captainForm772605PreloadInterval63fffe99d7859 = setInterval(function(){
Amory: Im Amory Sivertson, and you're listening to Endless Thread. 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. I'm a white lady and old. Danielle built up a client base. The assignment lands in the hands of journalist Christian Baker (Whitworth), who at first pursues a false lead, turning the entire case upside down. Amory: The name of her abductor. Still Here begins with distraught father Michael Watson (played by Maurice McRae) putting up missing-person flyers about his 10-year-old daughter Monique (played by Zariah Singletary) in the New York City neighborhood where they live. Movie Insider is a registered service mark of The Movie Insider LLC. And through therapy Monique has realized that knowing the full story about what happened to her is an important part of moving past it. resize77260563fffe99d7859(wrapper);
Our story Email Us Call Us: 248.387.9826, USA TODAY • L.A. Times • CBS Detroit • Crains Detroit Business • Corp Magazine, Zazie Beetz, Johnny Whitworth, Larry Pine, Maurice McRae, Vlad Feier, Afton Williamson. There were 11 other movies released on the same date, including The New Mutants, Rogue and Fatima. Monique: I've been living with this for 15 years and this is something he did in a matter of a day. ", In Oakland, hairdresser Leemu Topka still thinks of her as a daughter. I want to go to different countries. Ben: The show featuring stories found in the vast ecosystem of online communities called Reddit. "We certainly want people to understand she's not a villifiable person. She made sure I took my medication. append_element({
Regardless, this was difficult for Monique to learn. Monique: I was born in Oxnard, California. With public interest waning and time running out, Michael and Christian race to uncover the truth - and find Monique, before its too late. Monique: We were so hungry, we ended up going to Carl's Jr. and they gave us these kids meals, the star-shaped nuggets, and that's kind of useless information because I don't remember anything else but I remember those star-shaped nuggets. else if ('' == 'right')
Made sure I went to therapy, was taking me to my therapy sessions. "You never know how people react under sudden stress and pressure. AllRightsReserved. function resize77260663fffe99d76c9(wrapper){
Menu. Click a location below to find Monique more easily. Ben: Was that because your aunt was basically suggesting that you wouldn't necessarily keep staying with her if you, you know, did the wrong thing or something? The police dont seem to care, but a crusading white journalist decides to do his own investigation, and hes the only one who can get things done and save the day. Maurice McRae on Emotional Drama of Still Here [Exclusive Interview], Johnny Whitworth on Playing An Investigative Journalist in Still Here [Exclusive Interview], Jeremy Holm on Playing a Conflicted Cop in Still Here [Exclusive Interview], The Mandalorian S3 Episode 1 Review: ROUGH START!!! It was like my body remembered. Join Facebook to connect with Monique Watson and others you may know. YouTubes privacy policy is available here and YouTubes terms of service is available here. Im doing everything I can by myself. She told us that.". We didn't really care about anything. She's truly a good person who made a mistake.". 'Still here' looked promising on paper but comes in as a difficult watch on many levels - including, messy editing, direction, photography, and a poorly realised script - featuring very few convincing situations and many unfocused characters. e track upcoming movies through all stages of film production. Even if we knocked on the door being hungry, it was, Were busy right now. popupTrigger.click(function(){
His unannounced visit is a disaster. It was never brought up unless I brought it up. And why should they? Susquehanna Twp. A US Marshals fugitive team found the teen - who was in a distraught state - at about 5:30pm on Tuesday in Port Huron, Michigan, Deputy Marshal Robert Watson said. There were just certain triggers that would remind me of my kidnapping. Monique: When I woke up, it was crazy, just so many responses, so many private messages from complete strangers. We started driving and we drove right past my mom and she was on her bike. This guy was always around. It doesn't even have my mom's name because of privacy reasons. And the fact that it will probably be a fellow African American doesnt seem to bother him in the least. popupTrigger.css('visibility', 'visible');
Many people who run from crimes run from really big ones, such as murder or rape. And if she didn't get the money, something bad was gonna happen to you." And her mom suggested they move back to California, then and there. The charges right now are just allegations, and if she is indeed found guilty, she will deserve any punishment she gets, he said. She was really depressed. "Let's not portray [her son] as a child whose life has fallen apart because his mother disappeared," her father, Michael McMullen, said. Still Here also wants to have its cake and eat it too: It portrays the New York Police Department as racist and corrupt, but the movies entire concept is based on the over-used, racially condescending trope that black people are helpless until a white savior comes along to solve their problems. But she left behind clues. Ben: But getting the full story has been impossible. She had been working at the hotel under the alias Monique Watson. The cops were uncomfortable to watch and not because of how they treated the family and the suspects, though that was difficult for another reason, but because their acting was beyond horrible. Because when you keep that in for so many years, it just eats you up. And it pulled up about 40 different newspaper articles. window.addEventListener('resize', function(){
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?" "She's a good kid," he said. "I was shocked when I heard all these things about her, because these are things I didn't see in her," Topka said. "She was pretty upset, she was crying and she was pretty scared," he added. They started crying. Amory: We're coming to you from WBUR, Boston's NPR station. Christian goes to the building and looks at the mailboxes to find out which one is for the Watsons apartment. Still Here was a Limited release in 2020 on Friday, August 28, 2020. was a college student, a single mom, a beloved daughter whose disappearance worried her family for more than two years. setTimeout(function () {
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I just have a lot of people to prove wrong. ", One of the first things Michelle did when she came back was sit down with her son. "I tried to check on her, but the name I had was different," Topka said. captainformDomReady(function() {
7,061 followers. Hard movie to watch. Then, one day, her grandmother died. Lillie McMullen, said her family remained prayerful during the time her daughter was missing. 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. }, true); var captainformCustomVars = {};
And that's why they were in that room and we weren't allowed to talk to them. She endured and suffered and had to contend with difficulties in life that any penalty and incarceration would not near have matched.". elementType: "script",
I don't know why I got kidnapped. And I hate the idea of somebody not being able to help heal themselves because somebodys keeping information from them. She gets out at three. Her memories are incomplete, she was only five when she was kidnapped. Lived In Rosedale NY, Providence RI, Boston MA, New York NY. Hes an African immigrant whos scared out of his mind, and he vehemently proclaims that hes innocent. She knew about the investigation weeks before she disappeared, township police said. id: "captainform_js_global_vars",
I really didn't know what was going on because I thought we were going to see my mom. This nightclub scenes only purpose is to establish that Christian is sexually interested in women, so that viewers know that Christian is the prototypical good-looking, straight white male who usually gets to be the hero in movies like this one. jQuery(wrapper).find('a').removeAttr('href');
His face was familiar. Latasha Monique Watson, 36. The show had reached out to local police and the McMullen family, and aired an hourlong profile in January 2009. Also known as Shereemo Monique Watson, Monique Sher, Monique Monique Watson. Danielle said she had no family, that she had run from her adoptive parents in Chicago because her father abused her. He abruptly gets up in the middle of the meeting and announces, This aint right, before storming out. Monique: So I was five years old and we were living in Saticoy and I used to play with this little girl that would come over once in a while. Facebook gives people the power to share and makes the world more open and connected. Monique's personal mission is to inspire people to take strategic actions to advance their lives and careers and become their own best advocate. Christian introduces himself and tells Michael that hes from The Chronicle and wants to help with the investigation into Moniques disappearance. Related To Andrea Watson, Catherine Watson, Rita Watson. But there are a few things worth noting. elementType: "script",
We just got back from the beach. Or worse, she could have become a victim -- vulnerable and weary from the treacherous trip. And this is where Still Here really goes downhill, because the movie wants people think that even though Christian makes a lot of stupid mistakes, hes still a fantastic investigator. Amory: She never got any real answers about her abduction. });
And re-visiting her case. And its really, to be completely honest, more than my actual family has shown me. Her mother, Tynesha Brooks, 41,. }
I couldn't take them and it was hard to overlook. Ben: A mystery about a day shes just starting to fully remember again. Monique: About two years ago, I had this mental breakdown. You know how it is: Poor black family in a poor black neighborhood Cops arent interested. Not to mention, the timing of the films release relates to the current affairs in the United States today. In Still Here, when twelve-year-old Monique Watson disappears from home, her father, Michael Watson (McRae), refuses to give up even as the media and police make little effort in solving the. Maybe something even worse happened to her that she doesn't remember. if('' == 'floating') {
The irony is that if she had just answered to this in 2008, she probably wouldve already served any time associated with these charges if convicted, Martin said. And as we were driving to the beach, he had a couple of porn magazines and he ended up giving us the porn magazines and made us look through them and kind of suggested that we do that. });
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. Its as simple-minded and formulaic as it sounds. Michelle will tell her story in her own words eventually, he said. In STILL HERE, when twelve-year-old Monique Watson disappears from home, her father Michael Watson refuses to give up even as the media and police make little effort in solving the case. She had friends. McMullens car was found in Hagerstown, Md., with her personal possessions inside a little more than a week after she disappeared. var wrapper = jQuery('#captainformForm772606EmbedPopup63fffe99d76c9');
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In November 2008, the TV show "America's Most Wanted" posted a blurb about her on its website, but no leads came from that, either. When she got back to Dauphin County in March, Michelle told Detective Michael Thornton that she hadn't shared her real story with anyone while on the lam. Only her family seems to care. She told him she was hiding from an abusive man in Louisiana. Stay up and watch it with me. And I ended up just falling asleep because I was so tired and just so exhausted and just really confused. McMullen disappeared while police were investigating the theft of about $10,000 from Progress-Immanuel Presbyterian Church, where she worked. Culture Representation:Taking place in New York City, the dramatic film Still Here has a racially diverse cast (African American and white) representing the middle-class and working-class. Its something shes changing. Includes Address (11) Phone (1) Email (1) See Results. captainformCustomVars['772605'] = '';
And soon her moms habit lead to other habits. By what name was Still Here (2020) officially released in Japan in Japanese? Use of and/or registration on any portion of this site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement, Privacy Policy and Cookie Statement, and Your Privacy Choices and Rights (each updated 1/26/2023). Jerry tells Christian about the disappearance of Monique Watson: The cops arent pursuing it. Our username is. And it will tell you all this information. She used them only to pay for school, he said. Kat: Let's find the house. I don't know the dates that it happened. Ben: In the span of a lunch break, Pseudo-Nymph found what Monique had been searching for for years. The family relationship is very well tight all around. He said she never stole a cent. Monique has always known she was abducted as a child, but specific details about what happened, and why, have been elusive. Because people around them, who love them, have to draw clear lines. Police dogs, helicopters and firefighters converged on the area where her car was found, but Michelle evaded the search. Engaging and involving story. Vlad Feier, a filmmaker with an obligation to tell his perspective of the truth skews the importance of this topic with exaggerated earnestness. We just realized like, oh, they were probably doing drugs together. Amirah Watson, 10, was found at the home in Atlanta on Thursday, March 19 around 8:30 a.m., according to a release from the Richland County Sheriff's Department. Do think he's in California still? Monique: Thanks to the advice that Reddit gave me, they were telling me to go to the local police station, Ventura County, and ask for my records. But this is how black people are treated in this country and it's so sad that the victims are victimized over and over again. Shes wondered if it had to do with Child Protective Services. Topka recalls how two women came into the salon, asking to look at a wig cap. It comes across as another excuse to push the agenda of the unhelpful law and its big bad white guy type policingoffering little more than supposition to back up its accusations. michael lombard actor obituary; justinas duknauskas biography; organic valley grassmilk yogurt discontinued Amory: This Mary Poppins of libraries known as Pseudonymph on Reddit also had a useful tool at her disposal: access to pay-walled newspaper databases. She was like, "None of that, nothing happened. Ben: Moniques more positive outlook in recent months is definitely because of her friends. Our clothes were soaking wet and it was getting later. Monique: By the end of the day, he just dropped us off at a park and said, Oh, I have to go to work, stay here. And, you know, we were both cold. But she thinks she and the other girl crossed the street from the park and started looking for help. Account through one of the movie Insider LLC movies through all stages of film production he came [! 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