A well respected child psychologist finds his life turned upside down when he is accused of sexually molesting a young boy under his care.
Glen Erskine: A family man and the director and chief of staff of New Horizons, a group home and counseling center for abused boys. Glen is a child psychologist with impeccable credentials who has an international reputation as one of the foremost scholars in the study of male adolescent sexuality. Tommy Jackson: A victim of emotional, physical, and sexual abuse since he was an infant, Tommy is taken into custody by the Department of Social Services and placed at New Horizons after his mother is arrested by the FBI for making pornographic videos of him and selling them on the Internet. At New Horizons, Tommy's young life finally seems to be coming together. But when the nature of the love he shares with one of his counselors is discovered and their relationship is destroyed, Tommy strikes back by accusing the man he believes responsible - Glen Erskine. With that accusation, the stage is set for a dark, disturbing, and yet poignant tale of love, commitment, betrayal, forgiveness, and redemption^×and a riveting look at the processes and agendas involved in the prosecution of a child sex abuse case.—Gary M. Frazier
Emerging filmmaker Rocky Costanzo makes his feature directorial debut with this edgy courtroom drama concerning a prolific child psychologist accused of abusing a minor. Adapted by author Gary M. Frazier from his own novel, Return to Innocence tells the tale of Glen Erskine. A devoted family man with a reputation as the foremost expert in the arena of male adolescent sexuality, Erskine is an established child psychologist and the current chief of staff at New Horizons - a counseling center and group home for abused boys. Tommy Jackson is the latest arrival at New Horizons. Ever since Tommy was a young boy, he has suffered psychical, emotional, and sexual abuse at the hands of his deeply disturbed mother. When the FBI arrests Tommy's mother for producing pornographic videos of her son and distributing them on the internet, the emotionally damaged boy is taken into custody by the Department of Social Services, and sent to New Horizons for treatment. At first, it seems as if Tommy is well on the road to emotional recovery. Just as it begins to seem that the boy is summoning the strength to move beyond his dark past, however, a shocking revelation about his relationship with a New Horizons staff member sets the stage for tragedy. Believing Erskine is the man responsible for revealing his deeply personal secret, Tommy impulsively lashes out by accusing him of a crime that could easily destroy the prominent child psychologist reputation and career. When a child's word is taken as the absolute truth, what hope is there for an innocent man who has devoted his entire life to the benevolent cause of helping troubled children? ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
