A Comprehensive Review of The Movie Tale (2018)Through the Lens of “Every Part of My Body is Private to Me®”
The Tale is a powerful film that serves as a profound examination of the long-term psychological impact of child sexual abuse. Written and directed by Jennifer Fox based on her own life, it is less a simple narrative and more a journey into the mind’s ability to protect itself by distorting and rewriting traumatic experiences. The film’s opening line, “The story you are about to see is true… as far as I know,” immediately signals that it will be a deep, and often uncomfortable, exploration of memory, truth, and self-deception.
The film follows Jennifer, a successful documentary filmmaker in her 40s, as she begins to unravel the “beautiful relationship” she remembers from her childhood with her riding instructor and running coach. This journey is triggered by her mother finding an essay Jennifer wrote at age 13. The essay, a “work of fiction” she wrote where she framed herself as a heroine, is a jarring contrast to the reality of what happened. This conflict between her adult memory and the raw, documented feelings of her younger self lies at the heart of the film.
The Abuser’s Toolkit: Unveiling the Strategy
Fox’s story illustrates what leading Family Attorney and Child Safeguarding Innovator Mr. Taiwo Akinlami has taught for over three decades through his frameworks and curriculum: the four tactics of sexual abusers; profiling, grooming, attack, and manipulation.
- Profiling: Bill and Mrs. G deliberately selected Jenny, a 13-year-old away from her parents, eager to please and impressionable.
- Grooming: They blurred boundaries through mentorship, flattery, and “special” treatment, making Jenny complicit in what she thought was love.
- Attack: Abuse escalated gradually, masked as intimacy.
- Manipulation: Through secrecy and reframing, Jenny was made to believe she was heroic, not abused.
This mirrors what Mr. Akinlami, Renowned Family Attorney, Trailblazing Innovator in Family Strengthening, Child Safeguarding, and Protection, and a Leading Parenting Ideologue, respected across Africa and globally for pioneering frameworks that shape policy, reform systems, and empower families consistently teaches: abusers weaponize innocence, affection, and authority to gain access and ensure silence.
Every Part of My Body is Private to Me®: Prevention as Protection
The concept of “Every Part of My Body is Private to Me® (EPP2ME),” a phrase and concept created by Mr. Akinlami, is a fundamental tool for this education. The film demonstrates the devastating consequences of not having this intelligence. The 13-year-old Jennifer was not equipped to say no or to recognize that her body was her own, and that no touch is a good touch unless it provides care and affection. The film’s ultimate message is a powerful call to action: we must proactively prepare and empower children to recognize and resist the tactics of abusers. In his book, The Burden and Wisdom of Parenting which is available on Amazon, Akinlami argues that sexuality education must go beyond sex and abstinence. It must cultivate Self-Protection Intelligence (SPI), teaching children that:
- Their bodies belong to them.
- No touch is a good touch unless it conveys genuine care and affection.
- They can question, intercept, and expose inappropriate behaviour, even from presumed trusted adults.
Lessons to Note:
- Abuse can sometimes hide in prestige: Fox’s abuser, later revealed as Olympian Ted Nash, demonstrates how status shields predators.
- Children are not victims; they were abused i.e dehumanized: Naming matters, language either disempowers or restores dignity.
- Silence enables predators: Mrs. G’s denial mirrors how institutions protect reputations over children.
- Prevention must be systemic: Films like The Tale remind us that safeguarding is not optional, it must be embedded in homes, schools, faith centers, and policies.
A Call to Action
The Tale is painful to watch, but necessary. It compels us to emphasize the following:
- Teach children early that “Every Part of My Body is Private to Me®.”
- Name grooming and harassment immediately, without dismissing them as jokes or “clumsiness.”
- Raise confident, socially skilled children who can intercept inappropriate behaviour and empower them to play their role in their personal safety and protection.
- Institutionalize Child Safeguarding and Protection Policy/System in schools and Family Constitution within our families with the aim of putting in place systems to safeguard our precious children.
Conclusion
Jennifer Fox turned her personal reckoning into a film that holds up a mirror to society. But for change to come, we must go beyond awareness into prevention. The Tale is therefore more than Fox’s story, it is a call for every parent, caregiver, and institution to embrace Child Safeguarding and Protection as a shield. The film’s ultimate message is a powerful call to action: we must proactively prepare and empower our precious children to recognize and resist the tactics of abusers.
