I think the psycho-dynamics of it all is the answer to the problem. Once the pattern is established it sets in motion the actions of those who fall prey to a projection or dissociation. Is Terry the victim of Marisa's friend's adolescent mistake [acting out]? Murdering a person with a soul or killing people for their souls or preventing souls from being planted onto undesirables? Slaves don't have souls (The Fine Art of Love)...Marisa's responses seem the most logical and sane to me. Would Terry be the type to give her child up for adoption? She is not of the class of people who are forced, through religious guilt, to follow through with a pregnancy and then relinquish her child to someone else. It makes for good story though, MOTHER WHO GIVES UP CHILD IS REUNITED WITH ADOPTED DAUGHTER. Isn't that a bit sado-masochistic? What about Marisa? Does she unconsciously get pregnant because subconsciously she really wants a child, but tries desperately to keep her contract with her husband? It is well known that abortion has been going on for more than a century. Clearing it up is not always a perfect task, like filtering your water, some of it is going to get through no matter how hard you work to prevent it. The acting in this film is quite good, the emotional intonation throughout seems appropriate, though I think the anger was underplayed too much and the dialogue seems choppy in places.
The trauma of Terry's experience will be replayed in her mind as she moves on to someone else to create a new life for herself. In the film we do see her taking a positive step toward correcting her own behavior by not having a one night stand with someone else. She has gotten the support she needs from Marisa and finally her father, that helps prevent her from taking her anger and guilt out on herself and running out and getting into trouble again.
A Day Without Rain is also a good film to watch on this subject.
