Eight Days to Live

This is a pretty good movie. It has a good story and good acting. It's based on a true story a son, Joe Spring, who goes missing after he doesn't return home when he said he would. His mother, Teresa Spring(Kelly Rowan from Fox's "The OC") learns that he never made it to the party he said he was going to, so she goes searching for him.

It's a different kind of movie, the kind that can teach you stuff. I think it was good because it's a Lifetime movie and they usually turn out pretty good. Next time this movie's on, I suggest watching it. I know I will. I think it can teach parents to always make sure you know where you're kids are because you never know if you will see them again.

Eight Days To Live is one of those films I found myself questioning how I got around to watching, it wasn't on my watchlist and I'd never even heard of it.

It's a Lifetime original movie, it looks great and it's cast is brilliant. It stars Kelly Rowan, Michael Eklund and the always excellent Katherine Isabelle.

It tells the story of a 19 year old who goes missing enroute to a party and his families efforts to find him, pretty simple stuff.

Thing is it's actually really quite well made, some of the characters aren't overly likeable but the cast make the best of what they've been given and actually impressed me.

The story though simple is paced perfectly and I found myself really quite gripped and looking forward to seeing where it was building to.

Then it all goes wrong, then it delivers a finale that kills the film stone dead. The finale is unbelievable on many levels and I'm so disappointed with it. I was enjoying the film, this is something I would have gone on to recommend but then THAT happened. Oh dear.

Watchable film if you just close your eyes and imagine your own ending.

The Good:

Gripping

Great cast

Very well made

The Bad:

One of the worst endings I've ever seen

Things I Learnt From This Movie:

Someone needs firing for coming up with that ending

Cheating protagonists are really a thing now aren't they!

Michael Eklund was born to be a bad guy

7.5 stars.

Whether they took too many liberties or whatever, I still was semi-thrilled by the suspense and missing person vibe throughout the film. It's really about a family who is not getting along for some reason. It appears to be the father who is somewhat of a deadbeat, he had a major injury while performing manual labor for his job, but it's not totally clear at first. He's been unemployed for a while now and his kids are suffering for it. So he's trying to get a job while his wife and kids are doing their thing. But the film is not about the dad, I only talk of him because he's the reason they are all so sullen and lost. The mom is the main character, she's a great actress, I've always loved her, on the "OC", she was totally the best, but I know the actress herself had some issues back in the day, haven't seen her much, if ever, in the past 17 years. I just looked up shows she was in. Did you know she was in a show called "Perception" about 8 years back? Look at the cast, wow that's a bunch of very familiar actors. I might have to look into it.

Anyways, the boy who gets lost, we have no idea how or why he was lost, but his journey is an intriguing one and as we watch the puzzle pieces coming together, it's an entertaining ride (even if not the intent). I won't spoil it by telling you if he lives or dies.

I probably saw this 15 years ago, just don't remember it, but all the actors are familiar to me. It's a basic story, but for a minimum budget production and some decent search and rescue low-key action, it works.

Really great movie; Good job CTV for making movies like this. Families need more movies they can watch together. This was perfect to watch with your teenagers...some real emotions were shown. I really didn't expect to watch the whole movie, but it really hooked me; I cried, laughed and was on the edge of my seat. It was very realistic, some great scenery of our West Coast. Loved the actors in it... Ryan McDonell especially, who played the older jerk of a brother, but had an emotional breakthrough in the end played his part so well. Would love to see him in a lead role soon! I would highly recommend this movie to anyone...I would love to see it again as well. I'll keep my eyes open for it.

I enjoyed this movie even though it is very predictable from scene one. Kelly Rowan, who is beautiful, is excellent (really perfect) as the terrified, but determined mother. The other performances by the other family members were fine, but none really stood out in my mind. The story is well-paced and the Canadian scenery is superb as is usual in Lifetime movies (which I believe are generally underrated). One embarrassingly bad (almost comedic) role was turned in by Michael Eklund as Weaver, the bad dude in the movie. I thought his role, and his "acting," were totally unbelievable, way overacted. He looked like a poorly drawn comic book villain. Whoever cast him should get their hands slapped. Despite that, it was an entertaining movie and worth seeing. Based on an intriguing true story.