'Movie of the weekend' flashed across the screen, "Cool!" I thought I can watch a movie while I'm feeding the baby. It started out well and then just seemed in the first segment, (after giving away the story way too early) that it started to go down for the count. Shame on the director, for not giving the story the attention to directorial detail that it really needed.
The story was sort of interesting, like murder mysteries are, however they have been doing the same types of stories for years. Because of the lack of strong directing and carrying the acting parts through, it suffered heavily. Not one of the actors were that convincing, except, maybe the father of Bobby Earl (Sean McCann over 35 years of experience in movies and television, should have had a bigger part too!). Bobby was just always a little too happy-go-lucky (Just like an old-time milk commercial)it was just add-nauseous...and I mean 'Nausea'. The writing seemed in certain spots, very weak. Poorly written. The reactions to the events and the actions of others just seemed, very 'plastic' at times too. I think that the mother, living in the mid-west should have had just a little bit more weight on her bones than Kate had, to be a mother of two, with one in college. {This is not a slam on the mid-west or mothers of two or three or four or any other number of children.}
Kate Jackson in one scene at the city morgue, even though this was not her son that they had found, she seemed 'mechanical' even when she was trying to show relief, that the body was not Bobby's. It just did not come across as she really 'owns' the role, as some of the actors will do in different films, different directors too. In example, Kristian has been around the actor's table for many years, and she is young enough to pull off a 'Sexy' female, antagonist predator/love interest, who is mature, but not too old right? She is only in a soap opera, where that stuff is served up for breakfast lunch and dinner. The director may have had a conversation or two with her about her character, asking her advice even. She has been trained in that arena, so it would make her the one to ask. Maybe just maybe it doesn't translate to 'film' as well as one might think.
It is sad with such a good cast, that they fell this short. The camera work, was good standard for a television movie, nothing really above the regular 'par'. The scenery the place that the story took place was a very nice area as well.
On top of it, Kristian Alphonso, was beautiful, in this movie. Although the acting was facetious. She looked even better then because, she just looks to skinny now a days.
I recommend if you want to kill time and you enjoy MS. Alphonso, she was a very wonderful addition to the casting for this story of 'murder'. (**)
