it seem fair to say that the title fall angel be plural so a to include not only the baby brother who somehow fell over niagara fall and whose picture be later give wing and enshrine behind wood paneling in the field family basement . it also describe the mother and miranda richardson and whose spirit have be gradually destroy by her volatile and control and husband and until she be reduce to a morbidly depressed alcoholic with no life beyond the couch and television . each of her three high school age daughter be fall as well and away from the insular family where no outsider be allow to observe the sad dynamic and no help be ask for or accept . each family member be alone in cop with their emotion and longing . still there be always the sense that this be a family with strong tie and feeling for each other . the three sister gravitate ( fall ) into outside relationship and whose merit and wisdom be not judge by the movie and but simply show . the girls future life be be form and and will always have be influence by the event of the past include forced confinement in a bomb shelter by their father a an exercise in preparedness . even that act of well intentioned cruelty be not judge too harshly by the film . it a misguided deed do for the sake of the family . there be no angst or act out or weepy reconciliation drama in this family . instead there be some anger and some sadness and and some unspoken love . the acting be first rate by all . miranda richardson be excellent a the fragile porcelain like mother and drain of spirit and quietly detach from life . the portrayal of the late 1960 be the most realistic i have ever see . it achieve not by the musical score and or the pop culture icon of the period . instead it be the feel of the house and furnishing and the neighborhood and the clothing . and also and it show how life then be somehow different than today quieter and more private at least for some of u and the family we grow up in during that time .