Rivals

Based on a true story, popular and volatile Michelle Lambert (Marnette Patterson) befriends shy Laurie Show (Jennifer Finnigan). One night, Michelle's boyfriend Butch Yunkin (Rel Hunt) rapes Laurie. Michelle is pregnant by Butch and starts harassing Laurie.

Marnette is good as a jealous psychopath. Jennifer Finnigan is good at playing fragile girls, but she's too mature for the part. She needs to be younger and weaker. She really needs to play up the victim role.

The other problem is the quality of the production. This is strictly movie of the week quality. The directions and the style have nothing behind it. The best thing in the movie are the two harrowing performances, but it just couldn't elevate the movie from its melodramatic roots.

This movie was on the TV last night. At first I only wanted to watch because Dawson's mom (Dawson's Creek) plays Laurie's mom, but it proved to be a decent show. All through the movie, I kept thinking: Man, this really happened? No way. It says "True Story" ... Nahh! Couldn't be. Oh, it is then? It's disgusting! If we have to set aside the suspected criminal's human rights to further investigate the problem, let's do it. What happened to Laurie really could have been avoided, the laws just aren't tough enough. It's far worse finding out the hard way that you've had the criminal sitting in the police station before her deed was done and the police couldn't do a thing about it because all you have for evidence is your word over hers. Are there really such horrible people in this World?

I am from Lancaster County, PA. I live in the same school district that some of the actual people attended at one time. I knew Laurie Show and Tabitha Buck and Lawrence Yunkin, and Lisa Michelle Lambert. I am sory but this movie upset me greatly. Half of the details are incorrect and make the other veiwers of this movie believe inaccurate details. As I watched I would point out to my sister what was accurate and inaccurate. I have been following the story all 10 years and I was very upset about the lies in the movie.

This true story is a modern, moving masterpiece. We see the life of Laurie Show (the delightful Jennifer Finnigan) get turned into a one way street to hell when she mixes with the 'popular crowd' only to find them to be deluded and physcotic.

The acting and writing is superb and the film maintains a believable, camp appeal,0 although sometimes it borders a non-realistic horror film.

Now, there are thousands of murders a year. And very violent ones. And this was a brutal murder, but my question is. Why would the mother of Laurie Show let them do a movie about her daughter's death? And of course I'm sure that they embellished a bit with the story. But it seemed pointless to me.

The movie is good. The actors did a good job. It's just the concept of the story that bugs me.

7/10