In a Child's Name

This is not your standard underdeveloped Lifetime movie fare. There is nothing superficial about this movie. The characters are fully developed. Let's face it. The best movies on Lifetime are the ones that are two parters. When you are dealing with this kind of material, you need that extra time to develop the plot and characters fully. Valerie Bertinelli is at her best in this. I kind of almost got the impression that she was really just playing herself. The aspect that I found most interesting in the second half of the movie, was the exploration of the Midwestern "Family Values" of the Heartland versus the evil New York/New Jersey devils represented by the Silvanos. Kind of makes you wonder!

This is a very engrossing TV movie, well worth watching. The performances are uniformly good. This movie also contains, in my opinion, one of the best scenes ever seen on television. Not to give anything away, I'll just say watch when the girl's parents go to bed in her house! Absolutely sensational.

It's interesting that actors who used to be known as "good guys" like Gregory Harrison and Michael Ontkean (who is one of the stars of this film) go on in the next part of their careers to play sleazes. Guess it's their good looks, but Ontkean is very good as the husband.

I also liked the Italian background present in the film - and the grandfather's reaction to Ontkean!

Although it's a messed up story, it is the most memorable true story movie I have ever watched. I remember watching it when it first aired when I was 12 with my mom, and have watched it several times since. It is a movie that once you watch it, you never forget it. And it's was a two part movie so it is almost 3 hours long. You are on the edge of your seat the whole time. Such a great cast too & they did such a good job. I haven't read the book yet but look forward to reading it. At least at the end, he gets what he deserves! This is not your typical Lifetime movie. If you like watching true story movies like I do, this is definitely one to watch :)

I think this movie is one of my most favorite movies on lifetime. I have seen it about 3 or 4 times on lifetime and always wondered when they will release it on DVD. I am amazed how Valerie Bertinelli played a grieving sister who wants to put away her sisters husband and also get custody of her sisters son. She is a wonderful actress, who wont let nothing or no one in her way of getting what should be done. The law enforcers also played a good deed for the grieving family. This movie shows how the law works sometimes, and as for Valerie Bertinelli's character, she did not stop til she and her family won all the way. This movie will have you teary-eyed and thinking how a person could do this to his wife and have his parents believe what he said. I think his family should serve time for helping their son. After you see this movie, you will still think about this movie, you will talk about this movie to your friends. I admire everyone who played in this movie and think they are good actors and actresses.

I saw this movie many yrs ago and I thought it was so heart wrenching. the cast was great. The story really hits home with me now my daughter died March 16th 2009 hiking in Eagle creek on the trail. She fell to her death 100 ft. Her whole entire family including her friends thinks her boyfriend pushed her. They share a child together and he was living in Portland close by to me and my daughter and the baby. since she's passed he's taken the baby to live in Bend with his parents who I think are evil people. He's limiting my time with my grand daughter and is now trying to get my 19 yr old daughter to be with him and he took out a life insurance policy on her 3 months before she died for more than what he insured himself for. This is all I'm going to say about it. I love my daughter very much and I know she would want me to raise her child. I'm going to fight with everything I have to get custody of her.