Dangerous Child

I just have to agree with all of you - Ryan's play in the movie is just brilliant. All the rage and violence in one moment, and the regret and tears in the other, all very strong and pure. As a whole it is interesting to see how the story goes, but there isn't even the slightest shadow of impatience, because you just don't know what he'll do next. and the look, his eyes, filled with such hidden anger and even evil... just makes you shake...it's so real...

besides, you can almost feel the confusion that's happening in that boy's mind, just by the look on his face.

a great movie no less than 10 out of 10

i really enjoyed this movie it was great i really liked ryan merriman in this more serious roll i have to admitt when he knocked out his brother and ryan started to cry also this is a very powerful movie and i defintently suggest u watch it!! thanx 4 ur time!!

It's good to finally start seeing ole Delta again after all those years after "Delta" flopped. And with all the comedic roles she's had since she's seriously started acting again, I really enjoyed seeing her dramatic side. The movie itself isn't Oscar quality, but it's about average for "Made-For-TV." The thing that sets it apart is that focuses on an all too frequent problem these days: parental abuse. Now I am not a parent, myself. However I do watch my mother deal with my brother and it scared me at some points during this movie to see some of the same things happening and what they can turn into. The character of "Jack" is a far too accurate portrayal of teenagers today. Anytime he does something wrong, he is able to either talk his way out of it by changing the subject, or let's his temper get out of whack and throw things across the room. His mother doesn't know what to do about it, so she's passes it off as a phase and moves on, which even I know is a big no-no in parenting. But then, what is she supposed to do? She's the only one who really sees the extent of what he is actually capable, so nobody knows what to tell her, as far as what to do. She could defend herself, but, even if she could bring herself to do that, the law would look at it as child abuse since "Protect the Children" is the main thing these days. At any rate, this is a good movie to watch, moreso as research and warning than anything else.

The film is exactly what the synopsis says, "mother is accused of abusing her children, when in reality her son is the abuser." Of the 90 minutes of the films runtime, 80 of them is just various scenes of the oldest son acting out, then being abusive towards his mother.

Since the movie spent all of it's time (and budget I assume) on mentioned above, the ending is rushed and lackluster. The movie tries to fit some emotional scenes in here, one's that if they actually had time would've made their mark, but they fall flat. The very ending scene skips six months ahead without telling the viewer and, while cute, really makes you go "that's it??"

You'll save yourself the time if you just read the synopsis paragraph.

this film addresses an issue which we do not often hear about, when the child is the abuser. We do hear of elder abuse in the news, but only the most extreme cases. What is valuable about this movie is that it also encompasses the societal problems, what Delta Burke(the mother) may or may not have done to cause the problem, and the reasons why the behavior is occurring.

Vito Ruginis portrays the father, who is re-married and treats his son (well played by Ryan Merriman) as his friend/buddy. Many parenting issues are explored, such as when Burke covers up for her son when the police are at the door, after he has hit her, and she has fallen on the floor. There is also a disturbing scene where he abuses the family cat.

Delta Burke gives an excellent and touching performance as a divorced mother, struggling to raise two sons. She has no idea why Merriman has such uncontrollable rage, and initially thinks he is just in a phase that he will grow out of. There is also the fact that she has no support or help from the ex-husband and father (Ruginis) who has the attitude "boys will be boys".

The point of this film is to show that behavior occurs for a reason. When Burke attends therapy, she realizes that she has allowed her ex-husband to verbally abuse her, and the son may have picked up on this attitude. She also realizes that her ex-husband's behavior has negatively influenced her son.

While there are never easy answers, this film has at least three different perspectives: the mother,trying to do the right thing; the son, who is angry and does not know why; and his father, who is in complete denial. Highly recommended. 9/10.