Mom , Sridevi’s most recent film, reaffirms society’s romanticised perceptions of motherhood. But when mothers fall off the pedestal, the stories are not for the faint of heart. HBO crime documentary Mommy Dead and Dearest , directed by Erin Lee Carr, delves into the case of Dee Dee Blanchard’s murder by her daughter, Gypsy, and her daughter’s online boyfriend, Nicholas Godejohn.
Greene County prosecutor Dan Patterson concedes to it being “one of the most extraordinary and unusual cases we have seen”.
Carr looks beyond the sensational headlines of June 2015 to make a crime procedural that unfolds like an acute character study. It begins with the police bringing in Gypsy for questioning about the death of her mother and gradually peels off the layers of lies with home videos, interviews, medical records, news reports, and text messages.
We find that the Blanchards relocated to Springfield, Missouri after being displaced by Hurricane Katrina. We are told by neighbours that Gypsy suffered from leukaemia, muscular dystrophy, epilepsy and chromosomal defects. At 18, her mental capacity is that of a seven-year-old.
Picture of devotion
Confined to a wheelchair, viewers see Gypsy’s petite frame and hear an infantile voice. Despite the extra-large glasses, a bald head, a nasal tube and decaying teeth, she has a cheery disposition. Dee Dee, the mother, is a picture of devotion.
Theirs is a story of survival and resilience; only if it were true. As it turns out, Gypsy can walk. She does not have cancer. She is 23. Her ‘disability’ was a fraudulent scheme that gained ground online. First, donations started pouring in, followed by medical airlifts, a Disney trip and free housing. The affable pair turned “viral” celebrities.
A nurse aid at one point, Dee Dee was well-versed in medical terminology. The documentary shows how medical professionals and Gypsy’s father were manipulated by her, with paediatric neurologist Dr. Flasterstein the one exception. He suggested a strong possibility of Munchausen Syndrome.
A person afflicted with the psychological disorder either feigns or induces physical and psychological symptoms in others for sympathy and attention. Dee Dee faked, overstated and even caused some of the diverse ailments that she claimed Gypsy suffered from. A relative says later in the film, “She probably would have been a perfectly fine kid, had her mom not been Dee Dee.”
Gypsy was fed with a painful tube and her head shaved to fake cancer, throughout her adolescent life. The deception began when she was too young to question her authoritative mother, making her hostage to the abuse. Carr shows that Gypsy’s first step towards escape came from the awareness of her own sexuality, when she met her boyfriend online.
Free in prison
Gypsy now serves a 10-year term after pleading guilty to second-degree murder. In her no-holds-barred interview, she is seen in handcuffs, but seems freer in prison. Her hair long, skin glowing and her cheeks fuller.
Carr’s narrative evolves like a thriller but fully immerses the viewer in Gypsy’s conflicted relationship with her mother and her own coming-of-age. Carr has explicitly said in interviews that she believes Gypsy’s truth, but her bias is inconspicuous in the documentary.
The author lives in Mumbai but travels the world vicariously. She speaks less, observes more and never says no to beer. @kuhukuro
