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Baby Doe

Play trailer Poster for Baby Doe Jul 2026 1h 39m Documentary Play Trailer Watchlist
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Tomatometer 7 Reviews Popcornmeter Fewer than 50 Ratings
30 years ago, Gail Ritchey, a young woman from a conservative Christian community in rural Ohio, gave birth alone and left her newborn in the woods. Now a mother of three, her quiet suburban life is shattered when DNA evidence links her to "Geauga's Child," and she is arrested for murder -- despite saying the baby was stillborn. Facing a life sentence, Gail leans on her family for support as she confronts the weight of societal and religious pressures. Directed by Jessica Earnshaw (Jacinta), BABY DOE cuts through the headlines to uncover the human complexity of Gail's case -- examining the intersection of women's health, justice, and the outside forces that continue to shape stories like hers.

Critics Reviews

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Stephen Saito Variety 03/17/2025
Although Ritchey can’t articulate her own experience, Earnshaw is nonetheless able to illustrate what could have led her to such an unthinkable decision. Go to Full Review Jessi Cape Austin Chronicle 03/08/2025
Earnshaw’s direction balances raw emotion with careful storytelling. Go to Full Review Caryn James The Hollywood Reporter 03/08/2025
Earnshaw’s tone is never polemical, but Baby Doe is definitely a work of advocacy, and her strategy of letting Ritchey and the people who judge her speak for themselves is largely effective. Go to Full Review Valerie Kalfrin AWFJ.org 2d
a fascinating and compassionate look at a one woman’s choice made decades earlier that she still struggles to reconcile. Go to Full Review Avi Offer NYC Movie Guru Jul 8
A heartbreaking and well-edited documentary. Go to Full Review Alan Zilberman Washington City Paper 06/23/2025
A lighter touch might have unearthed terrible consequences about everything from America’s reproductive laws to abstinence education; instead Baby Doe tugs at your emotions while ignoring your ability to think critically Go to Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Chance Maurice N @Chance-Maurice Jul 14 Watching Baby Doe felt deeply emotional and thought-provoking for me. The documentary follows Gail Ritchey, whose life is turned upside down decades after giving birth alone and leaving a newborn in the woods, leading to her arrest and a reexamination of events that happened many years earlier. Rather than focusing only on the legal case, the film explores difficult questions about trauma, pregnancy denial, societal judgment, and compassion, encouraging viewers to look beyond headlines and consider the human story behind them. My joyful takeaway is that understanding often requires us to listen before we judge, and that empathy can reveal truths that are far more complex than they first appeal See more Read all reviews
Baby Doe

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Cast & Crew

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Jessica Earnshaw

Director

Gail Eastwood-Ritchey

Self

Jessica Earnshaw

Producer

Holly Meehl Chapman

Producer

Jenny Raskin

Executive Producer

Kelsey Koenig

Executive Producer
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Baby Doe

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Movie Info

Synopsis 30 years ago, Gail Ritchey, a young woman from a conservative Christian community in rural Ohio, gave birth alone and left her newborn in the woods. Now a mother of three, her quiet suburban life is shattered when DNA evidence links her to "Geauga's Child," and she is arrested for murder -- despite saying the baby was stillborn. Facing a life sentence, Gail leans on her family for support as she confronts the weight of societal and religious pressures. Directed by Jessica Earnshaw (Jacinta), BABY DOE cuts through the headlines to uncover the human complexity of Gail's case -- examining the intersection of women's health, justice, and the outside forces that continue to shape stories like hers.
Director
Jessica Earnshaw
Producer
Jessica Earnshaw, Holly Meehl Chapman
Distributor
Fourth Act Film
Production Co
Impact Partners, InMaat Foundation, Lunamax Films
Genre
Documentary
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Jul 10, 2026, Limited
Runtime
1h 39m