Baxter! (1973)

Taglines: If you believe in love, you’ll be in love with Baxter!

Baxter centers around a preteen boy with a speech impediment who goes to live with his abusive mother in England. He makes friends with the beautiful model (Britt Eklund) who lives upstairs and her French boyfriend (Jean Pierre Cassell). The boy suffers a psychotic break when he learns of the model’s death and ends up in a catatonic state in a mental institution where his speech therapist (Patricia Neal) tries to reach out to him.

Baxter! is a 1973 British drama film directed by Lionel Jeffries and starring Patricia Neal, Jean-Pierre Cassel and Britt Ekland. A young boy struggles to overcome his speech problem (rhotacism) and strained relationship with his parents. The film was based on a book by Kin Platt, called The Boy Who Could Make Himself Disappear. The film was made before Jeffries’ third film as director, Mr Amazing Mr Blunden, but released afterwards.

Directed by: Lionel Jeffries
Starring: Patricia Neal, Britt Ekland, Lynn Carlin, Jean-Pierre Cassel, Scott Jacoby, Sally Thomsett, Paul Maxwell, Paul Eddington, Frances Bennett, Marianne Stone, George Tovey
Screenplay by: Reginald Rose
Cinematography by: Geoffrey Unsworth
Film Editing by: Teddy Darvas
Art Direction by: Anthony Pratt
Makeup Department: Colin Jamison, Paul Rabiger
Music by: Michael J. Lewis
MPAA Rating: None.
Distributed by: National General Pictures (United States)
Release Date: March 4, 1973 (New York City)