Spring Break Fatal

I was on the edge of my seat! Very suspenseful. You have no idea who did it and your suspicion keeps shifting from guy to guy. Well done! Fantastic characters! From the sleazy, shifty bus driver, vomiting college boyfriend, Mexican party boys, to the innocent girls who simply made poor drunk decisions... wonderful all around. Special surprise ending, with a FURTHER lesson to be learned. Beautiful sunrise too! A real prize from Lifetime, should be required viewing for all. If you are a fan of vacation horrors, this is a must see. The scenery: San Diego, the sunrise, the beach, the pool, all made me feel as if I was on vacation too. Pass the margaritas!

I have to say that this has to be one of the better TV movies on offer. Not only does it have a good storyline, which is both plot and character driven, but it has a really good cast and is very well directed.

The story is set around the disappearance of Kaitlin (Davidovici) and her friend Matty (Golightly) while on a family supervised Spring Break. The story is set in real time but we get flashbacks which tell the tale of the vanishing girls, through the eyes of the witnesses who met them that night. I'm not a fan of "the flashback", however, the director Miele handles them brilliantly and interweaves them into the story effortlessly.

Though what makes this such a good story and film is the characterisations of the mothers. Rene (Zuniga) is Kaitlin's mum and is constantly looking over her daughter's shoulder to make sure that she is safe and well. This can result in her being overcontrolling at times. As a result, she's the one who worries the most and at the earliest opportunity. Whereas Lisa (Bowles) is a little bit freer with her daughter, she's the one that buys her condoms - her thought system is that you cannot look out for your kids all the time, but you can try and keep them safe. So when the girls go missing she's not too overly worried as she believes they've just been out partying all night. She remembers what it was like to be eighteen and on spring break. These two different characters work well off of each other. The two women have been friends since high school, though this night is going to test their friendship to its limit.

The next good thing is the story. This is well written and is filled with believable characters and authentic situations and narrative. There are a couple of scene's which are a little hard to swallow as you can't fully believe them - but it is a couple, so they are easily overlooked. What really helps this film is the fact that as the story progresses and unfolds you never really find out the complete tale until the climax of the movie. This is a great thing as it keeps the viewers glued to the screens with anticipation.

As for the actors and actresses, I cannot fault them at all. They each give a realistic portrayal of their characters.

I would gladly recommend this film to everybody who likes thrillers and mysteries as it's packed with both.

The writers and director have the actors looking west from California to take photographs of a sunrise. I don't think you can do this. I believe the script says the location is Coronado, CA. Is "Pacific Point" a real place? What am I missing here? As long as I've been alive the sun has risen in the east. The actors have given credible performances. The story line is flabby and, aside from a harrowing experience for Mom, the dialogue, photography and character development are uninspiring. I'm not sure what the theme is in this movie. If it is a warning to young people to behave better and use the brains their parents gave them when it comes drugs, alcohol and avoiding handsome guys with no morals, they could probably do better spending Saturday nights for a couple of months observing what goes on in the emergency room of the hospital where I used to work.

What started out as a well-made, relatively large-scale production TV movie quickly became one of the very best movies I have ever seen - in theaters or on television. We've all seen dozens or more movies concerning a child-gone-missing, and a parent's fervent attempts to uncover the mystery and find their child before it's too late. Many times the parents will be looking for their child at the same time the police assigned to the case are doing the same.

Uncovering this mystery along with the parent in this film will keep you glued to your seat. The plot is fast-paced and contains a constant series of interesting events, surprises, and plot twists. It's made brilliantly - with flashbacks, real time happenings, and re-tracing of other characters' steps. What starts out almost as a light, breezy, almost comedic movie... soon turns seriously suspenseful as a mother's raw determination to find her daughter takes over in full force.

What sets this movie apart by far - very far, is the acting. Daphne Zuniga as Rene gives what is truly an Academy Award performance as an extremely relatable protective mother, searching for the whereabouts of her daughter during a Spring break vacation. She acts EXACTLY like a real mother would in real life. The sheer terror/shock she exudes in the many scenes of discoveries is portrayed with such stark realism and belief... that you feel as if you are watching a documentary of a missing person in real time, witnessing a parent's worse nightmare, as the truths become revealed to her and the story unfolds. Her acting is truly that extraordinary. This movie should have been widely released theatrically so that she is recognized for her powerful acting in this movie.

The rest of the cast also deserve exceptionally high acclaim and praise. Lauren Bowles, as Rene's best friend Lisa, brings to new heights the spirit of a parent whose own past mistakes and insecurities makes her an overly-lenient mother, whose daughter actually craves more of her concern and attention. She's the "fun" friend who always tells you not to worry about things and to "relax"... which works 99% of the time, but blows up to disastrous proportions when real trouble hits.

Lisa's daughter Matty, played by Gage Golightly, reaches the perfect note as that girl who is always the partier of the group - the one who always wants to have a good time - even if it means sometimes not making the best choices. At times you feel angry and frustrated with her actions in this movie, but then quickly realize how well you understand her, given her upbringing and her own issues. She may not be as confident and carefree as she first appears - and this becomes glaringly apparent when the nightmare of her friend's disappearance begins.

Brigette Davidovici, as Rene's missing daughter Kaitlin, is flawless as the "perfect" daughter/sister/friend - who seemingly does everything right, is going through a period of self-discovery herself, while at the same time battling the control and protective issues perpetrated upon her by her mother. It's a situation MANY teenagers today can relate to, and are battling with themselves. So her disappearance makes it that much more realistic... it's extremely frightening and anguishing for the viewers... whether you're a parent, teenager, or anyone else.

Special mention should be given to Brock Harris as Alex, a boy that Kaitlin knows. Not many actors can portray drunk scenes with pin point accuracy. It usually is depicted with slurred words and stumbling movements. His actions, however, hit you with stone cold reality... his acting perfectly depicts the type that, when they drink, become a very different person - and you can see it in their eyes. It's a very distinctive and pitch-perfect performance.

Everyone involved with the making of this movie should be credited with the highest regard and acclaim. This is not your typical television movie. Your emotions and involvement with this film will run high. And Daphne Zuniga's performance, her raw determinism and NEVER-giving-up persistence, is absolutely terrific on all counts. A mother's true nightmare, acted brilliantly.

Overprotective mom Daphne Zuniga (as Rene Allen) doesn't like the blue bikini 18-year-old daughter Brigette Davidovici (as Kaitlin) is packing for their sunny San Diego spring break. Mature-looking 15-year-old brother Nicholas Grava (as Kennedy), who reluctantly has to room with Ms. Zuniga, thinks his sister is "advertising." So, the bikini goes… on the trip. Also along are more lenient best friend Lauren Bowles (as Lisa) and her unquestionably wilder daughter, party-ready Gage Golightly (as Matty). When hunky Brock Harris (as Alex) and other handsome young men mix alcohol with the pretty daughters, the girls get real "Gone Missing". This is a well-performed (especially by a frantic Zuniga) and easy to identify with TV movie. The regrettable "wobbly camera" technique is used effectively. Director Tara Miele and editor Phil Norden are notably good at inter-cutting the flashbacks, as we learn what happened to the missing girls.

****** Gone Missing (6/15/13) Tara Miele ~ Daphne Zuniga, Lauren Bowles, Brigette Davidovici, Nicholas R. Grava