Sfida alla vita

Forget that this is a TV Movie of the Week (unless thats a plus in your book, as it for me). Viveka Davis (Viveka Davis, who later played John Cryer's foxy girlfriend, Emily, in Morgan Stewart's Coming Home, rent it now!) shines as Susan Bower, a 15 year old girl just trying to fit in, be cool with the older kids & please her parents all at the same time. George Segal & Stockard Channing play her rather oblivious parents. And Tate Donovan plays her friend Ricky (with a bitchin' Suicidal Tendencies shirt... get that dude a Pepsi!). Olivia D'Abo is it for all of 30 sec & if you blink, you'll miss her. But there's simply no missing Nancy Cartwright's mullet... it's a character in itself. Anyway, back to Viveka Davis, she plays the role of Susan brilliantly. I remember seeing this film (it's not a movie, it's a FILM damnit!) when it aired as a kid & wishing Susan was my friend. Me & my friends to this day quote this movie constantly & watch it on a regular basis & yet very few people know what we're talking about when we mention it. Someday I'm gonna make "Be Honest Susan" t-shirts with Viveka Davis' picture from the video box (yes I own it, are you kidding me?) and it's gonna the next big craze!!! Hey, anyone out there have episodes of Sweet Surrender on tape?

Viveka Rocks! Luv ya Susan!

I could understand why a lot of young people find this TV movie lame, but don't forget it was made 20 years ago and times have change. The movie is actually realistic on the going-ons that happen at some rehab centers; I have a sister that went through a similar ordeal (for an eating disorder) and what she described to me reminded me very much of this movie.

The story is about a teenage girl from an upper-class family named Susan, (portrayed wonderfully by Viveka Davis), who falls in with the wrong crowd and gets involved with drugs. The parents are blind to their daughter's drug abuse until she is involved in a car wreck causing the father to become suspicious of his daughter's behavior. Despite the mother's denial that their precious daughter would stoop to drugs, the father is finally convinced of his daughter's problems and firmly puts her in rehab. Susan puts up a fight and gives the counselors a rough time and even escapes, but eventually gets with the program, and father and daughter are reunited.

Yes, the movie is dated, but it's not horrible. It brings to light the evils of drug abuse involving teenagers and how it not only affects the user, but their entire family.

As a 14 yr old girl I was shown this movie and found it so powerful that today, at 25 I still remember it clearly. I have not touched a drug because of that movie. It put me off to the extent that I was never even curious or tempted to try drugs despite my surroundings and friends that provided me with many opportunities. The graphic details shown here are very effective and the message given is potent.I hope that this movie is shown to many teenagers in an effort to prevent drug use. I plan to show it to my children. As a 14 yr old I do not remember taking notice of the acting skills in this movie so perhaps it would not be entertaining for grown-ups but I would definitely call it a "MUST" for teenagers.

I am in the process of watching this film in health class AND IT WILL BE ON THE TEST! Possibly one of the worst films I've been subjected to in my education, with an intrusive soundtrack and junior high drama club performances. Plus we all know people who take uppers, downers, PCP, LSD, heroin, coke etc. and have abortions look perfectly fine to their M.D. fathers. And when somebody hasn't showed up at school for a month they never contact the parents to ask what's going on. Stockard Channing should be ashamed that she even showed up to the set. DO NOT WATCH.

I was a young teen when I saw this movie and it was very compelling in my opinion. I lived with an older sibling who was on drugs and I related to the younger sister and parents in this movie. It was kind of like watching my home life on TV. Luckily the drug user in the movie had a great opportunity for effective help. Hindsight being 20/20, I think my parents would have handled the situation the same way it was handled in this film. I do believe it is a great movie to show impressionable kids as a warning and a front row seat to what life is like for the family of someone who chooses to go down the path of drug use.