Terror in the Family

I was curious about this as an early credit for Hillary Swank, and if I were she and someone mentioned this movie in my presence I'd probably be thinking, "I'm a big movie star now, I've won two Academy Awards, I should be allowed to forget credits like that." Truth be told, though, it's a better than average Lifetime movie and Swank acquits herself marvelously in it as the rebellious teenage girl whose violent relations with her family open a lot of old wounds going back three generations. This has some of the usual Lifetime weaknesses — melodramatic plot construction, an overly reverential attitude towards psychotherapy, sappy piano-and-strings background music (they must have a library of millions of these records) and a limp excuse for punk rock allegedly performed by Garrett's band, as well as the obligatory soft-core porn scene — but it's also solidly acted by a tight ensemble cast, it's all too believable despite the melodramatics, and Gregory Goodell has a visual sense far ahead of most of the Lifetime directors.

Joanna Kerns, (Cynthia Martin) plays the role of a mother who loves her family and especially her daughter, Deena Martin (Hilary Swank) who has the hots for her boyfriend who is wild and drags Deena down the wrong way of life. However, Cynthia Martin loves to drink wine all day long and has trouble trying to deal with her husband who wants to make pottery in the basement all the time. In the meantime, Adam Martin, the son of Cynthia Martin loves to drink vodka from a bottle before he goes to sleep or when problems start to hit him in the face. The only sane person in this out of control family is Todd Martin, (Dan Lauria) who plays the role of the husband of this crazy family which needs professional help.

At first, 'Terror in the Family' seems like just another familiar tale of a 'normal' American family dealing with a violent teenager.

As the story progresses, however, you eventually realize that the violently rebellious daughter (Hillary Swank) may be the only member of this family that ISN'T totally bonkers. Mom's an alcoholic, dear ol' dad (who spends most of his time making wooden salad bowls) never wanted kids in the first place, younger brother Adam is a closet drunk, and grandma makes Joan Crawford look like mother of the year.

This family is so dysfunctional that you have to wonder how they ever stayed together long enough to have teenage kids! As the non-stop bickering reaches a fever pitch in the final hour, it's hard not to laugh out loud.

If this were a black comedy, it might work. But as a drama, it falls apart rather quickly. Too bad, since the cast was good enough to deliver much more.

If you're looking for a quality movie about a family and their problems, "Terror in the Family" is the one to see. It doesn't waste time, or sermonize, which is what a drama, especially one with this theme, should be. And it's never slow, either. Also, there's nothing new to it either. And it is predictable. Hence the title, the movie is about a teenager's behavior that is apparently influenced by her boyfriend. At the very end, it turns out it is. In case you haven't seen or heard of any of the actors here, almost the entire cast is made up of familiar faces: Hilary Swank, "Growing Pains" star Joanna Kerns, and "The Wonder Years" star Dan Lauria.

Grade: B+

The subject matter is not just about a violent teen (Hillary Swank) but what got her that way. The title is misleading, sounds more like a serial killer type movie.

Kerns does well, portraying a housewife with a distant husband, drinking too much (as it turns out her mother, portrayed by Nan Martin, liked using physical force to keep the kids in line). Dan Lauria is the father, who prefers woodworking in the basement to avoid addressing the issues. There was also a similar film on Lifetime with Delta Burke and Ryan Merriman: "Child of Rage"; it presented this problem in a clearer light- and the audience learns that teen violence against parents is not unusual. There are also many different causes, and it does not happen in a vacuum.

This movie has Swank as the root of the problem, until the very end where it is clear her mother (Kerns) was raised by an abusive mother. This issue should have been developed more. Also the faltering marriage issue was never addressed; Kathleen Wilhoite is Kern's sister, who has some insight about the problem, and is all but ignored throughout the film. The other adults who contribute to the problem do not admit it until the last five minutes of the film, where everyone except the abusive grandma goes to therapy.

Worth a shot if you at least have an interest in what causes teens to act out, and why alcoholism exists.