Losing Isaiah (1995): Cast, Box Office & Plot
Losing Isaiah is a 1995 drama directed by Stephen Gyllenhaal, starring Marc John Jefferies as Isaiah, Halle Berry and Jessica Lange. It runs 1 hour 46 minutes and earned $7.6 million worldwide.
- Released
- Runtime
- 1h 46m (106 min)
- Director
- Stephen Gyllenhaal
- Genre
- Drama
- Original language
-
English - Studio
- Paramount Pictures
- After the credits
- No No extra scene
What Is Losing Isaiah About?
The premise of Losing Isaiah without spoilers. The whole story is in the plot summary further down.
Khaila Richards, a crack‑addicted single mother, leaves her infant in a dumpster while high. When she returns panicked, the baby is taken in by social worker Margaret Lewin and her husband Charles, who raise him as their own. Years later, sober Khaila discovers her son is alive and confronts Margaret for custody, sparking a battle over motherhood.
Losing Isaiah Themes & Keywords
· 50 tags- custody battle
- interracial adoption
- marital infidelity
- biological mother
- bare chested male
- learning to read
- mother daughter relationship
- pro bono work
- lawyer
- hair barrette
- prologue
- scene during opening credits
+38 more Show fewer
- aerial camera shot
- social commentary
- david strathairn character
- halle berry character
- jessica lange character
- samuel l. jackson character
- cuba gooding jr character
- cuba gooding jr. character
- live action
- white savior
- baby
- social worker
- cartoon on tv
- female protagonist
- babysitting
- racist
- parenthood
- tutor
- school play
- rocking chair
- rehab
- playground
- school
- bathtub
- adopted son
- single parent
- mother son relationship
- drug addiction
- courtroom
- confrontation
- child custody
- adoption
- class differences
- housing project
- child abuse
- drug rehabilitation
- abandoned baby
- surrogate mother
Losing Isaiah Cast & Characters
Marc John Jefferies leads the cast as Isaiah, with Halle Berry as Khaila Richards and Jessica Lange as Margaret Lewin. Directed by Stephen Gyllenhaal; 49 actors are credited in all.
- Director Stephen Gyllenhaal
- Marc John Jefferies as Isaiah
-
Halle Berry as Khaila Richards -
Jessica Lange as Margaret Lewin -
David Strathairn as Charles Lewin
Also Starring in Losing Isaiah
· 45 more- Daisy Eagan Hannah Lewin
- Samuel L. Jackson Kadar Lewis
- Cuba Gooding Jr. Eddie Hughes
- Regina Taylor Gussie
- John Beasley Garbage Man
- Deanna Dunagan Dr. Goldstein
- Rick Worthy Alley Man
- Jacqueline Brookes Judge Silbowitz
- Jaqueline Fleming File Cabinet Girl
- John Judd Paramedic
- LaTanya Richardson Jackson Caroline Jones
- Mike Nussbaum Dr. Jamison
- Mike Bacarella Liquor Store Clerk
- Joie Lee Marie
- Laura Cerón NICU Woman
- Greg Hollimon Tenement Man
Show all 49 cast members Show fewer cast members
- Ora Jones Day Care Woman
- Eddie Bo Smith Jr. Alley Junkie
- Gaby Santinelli Heidi
- Margaret Travolta Sandra Harris
- Donovon Ian H. McKnight Amir
- Jennifer Crystal Foley Park Nanny
- Patrick Clear Bill Fredericks
- Jacqueline Williams Day Care Worker
- Mike Houlihan Liquor Store Cop #1
- James 'Ike' Eichling Garbage Man
- Jackie Samuel NICU Nurse
- Valeri Ross Day Care Teacher
- Evan Lionel Paramedic #2
- Rikkia A. Smith Josie
- Paulette McDaniels Ethel
- Glenda Starr Kelly Group Leader
- Velma Austin Rehab Leader
- Joan Kohn Toby Fredericks
- James F. Tillett Intern
- Cheryl Hamada ER Nurse
- Jackie Taylor ER Nurse
- Valerie Shull Mrs. Ianelli
- Sibyl Offutt Tenement Woman
- Torrence W. Murphy Alley Man
- Shelia-Marie Robinson Inmate
- LaTaunya Bounds Inmate
- Tamara Rutledge Inmate
- Nicholas Foster Boy at Swings
- Thomica Laquice Simmons Neighbor Girl
More from Stephen Gyllenhaal
More films directed by Stephen Gyllenhaal, best-rated first: Uncharitable, So B. It, Grassroots and Certain Fury.
Losing Isaiah Plot Summary
What happens in Losing Isaiah from start to finish, spoilers included, with a timeline of 12 key events. The opening is below; the full summary is a 3-minute read.
Spoilers ahead
Khaila Richards is an African-American woman grappling with a dangerous crack cocaine addiction. In a moment of sheer desperation, she places her infant son, Isaiah, in a box and leaves him in an alley behind a crack house, promising to return. Her grip on reality wavers as the addiction takes hold, and she soon collapses into another binge, unable to keep the promise she made. The next day, Isaiah narrowly survives a perilous encounter with a passing garbage truck and is rushed to the hospital. There, doctors uncover a troubling truth: the child has also developed an addiction, likely connected to his mother’s drug use during pregnancy.
Full summary
The whole story of Losing Isaiah, scene by scene
Losing Isaiah Box Office
Losing Isaiah grossed $7.6 million worldwide.
Worldwide gross
$7.6M
- US & Canada
- $7.6M
Losing Isaiah Trailers & Videos
The trailer of Losing Isaiah.
How Well Do You Know Losing Isaiah?
10 questions about the story, each with a hint if you get stuck. Pick an answer to see whether you were right.
Question 1 of 10
- Question 1: not answered
- Question 2: not answered
- Question 3: not answered
- Question 4: not answered
- Question 5: not answered
- Question 6: not answered
- Question 7: not answered
- Question 8: not answered
- Question 9: not answered
- Question 10: not answered
What is the name of the mother who struggles with crack addiction?
Cars in Losing Isaiah
21 cars on screen, including the 1993 Chevrolet Caprice and the 1981 Chevrolet Impala.
-
1993 Chevrolet Caprice Minor role -
1981 Chevrolet Impala Minor role -
1986 Ford LTD Crown Victoria Minor role -
1988 Ford Tempo Minor role
Losing Isaiah Also Known As
19 alternative titles, including “Instinto maternal” and “제시카 랭의 모정”.
- Also known as
-
- Instinto maternal
- 제시카 랭의 모정
- Perdiendo a mi hijo
- Lontano da Isaiah
- Die andere Mutter
- Bármi áron
- לאבד את איזייה
- Isaiah'ı Kaybetmek
- Losing Isaiah : Les chemins de l'amour
- Исијахова судбина
- Да изгубиш Исая
- Дело Исайи
+7 more Show fewer
- O Filho Perdido
- Dwie Matki
- 모정
- 生母养母的战争
- Ztracený Izaiáš
- Instint maternal
- สุดรักสายเลือดแม่
Seen Losing Isaiah?
Movies Like Losing Isaiah
Films with a similar story, tone or audience, including Losing It, Losing Alice and Lost.
Losing Isaiah FAQ: Cast, Box Office & Runtime
Runtime, release date, director, cast, box office and post-credit scenes of Losing Isaiah, each answered in a sentence.
How long is Losing Isaiah?
Losing Isaiah runs 1 hour 46 minutes (106 minutes).
When was Losing Isaiah released?
Losing Isaiah was released on March 17, 1995.
Who directed Losing Isaiah?
Losing Isaiah was directed by Stephen Gyllenhaal.
More films by Stephen Gyllenhaal Who is in the cast of Losing Isaiah?
Losing Isaiah stars Marc John Jefferies as Isaiah, Halle Berry as Khaila Richards and Jessica Lange as Margaret Lewin, among 49 credited actors.
How much did Losing Isaiah make at the box office?
Losing Isaiah grossed $7.6 million worldwide.
Does Losing Isaiah have a post-credit scene?
No. Losing Isaiah has no extra scene during or after the credits.
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