The Good Mother

I knew the story in about 15 minutes in and yep I was right. This whole movie has been done over and over and not just the 1st time this movie was out ages ago. It's plot and ending are predictable for anyone into watching movies. I only watched until end to see if it was what I thought. Waste of time, if you read reviews read the reviews for this movie.

Helen Slater was good as Supergirl but in this she's a messed up villain. I found the story very sad. A teenage girl died of an illness, and her best friend needs to help the little sister from a similar fate . The "good mother" is just a wolf inside sheep clothing. The mother was so evil.

Primary intestinal lymphangiectasia (PIL) is a rare digestive disorder characterized by abnormally enlarged (dilatated) lymph vessels supplying the lining of the small intestine. The main symptoms are swelling (edema) of the limbs and abdominal discomfort. The disorder is usually diagnosed before three years of age but is sometimes diagnosed later in life.

Nothing about high fever.

Why? Because Munchausen Syndrome by proxy. As far as motive is concerned. It's not a bad film, I would've rated it higher, only thing is at this point it's been done so many times (The Glass House, The Harvest, one of the subplots in the Sixth Sense) to name a few, so it's lacking in the originality department. However, it's a serious subject to shed light on that apparently affects thousands of people every year (case in point, Gypsy Rose and her awful mother). The acting was fine, for the most part (Patrick Fabian was solid, Helen Slater-rip earphone users from her screaming every so often) I thought Camille playing Jillian was fine too. I give it a 5 just because the plot is kind of old and predictable.

Caught shoplifting, troubled teenager Camille Cregan (as Jillian Sanders) is bailed out of jail by her best friend's mother, Helen Slater (as Cheryl Jordan). A nurse on leave from her hospital, Ms. Slater asks Ms. Cregan to move in and help care for desperately ill daughter Meaghan Martin (as Melanie). Cregan's estranged mother is in rehab, so she agrees moves in with her sick friend and perfect mom. Cregan quickly becomes suspicious and begins to secretly investigate Martin's mysterious illness...

While not heralded as a biographical story, "The Good Mother" is claimed to be based on a factual condition. It's more like a disease drama than a psycho thriller. As such, it's too bad more wasn't done with the psychological problem because it doesn't ring true, here, and Slater just seems to be shouting about nothing. Cregan is lovely and impressive. There is fine direction and photography by Richard Gabai and Scott Peck, who are especially good shooting scenes in the bed and dining rooms.

***** The Good Mother (6/8/13) Richard Gabai ~ Helen Slater, Camille Cregan, Patrick Fabian, James Eckhouse