A Filha Errada

I saw this movie with the title "The Wrong Daughter" on Lifetime, and it was a stereotypical Lifetime movie, with all the usual elements. I won't go into them now; anyone who watches Lifetime movies knows what I mean.

I thought the way it is listed here is strange, though. They don't list it as a "TV Movie", though I can't believe it wasn't made as one. This is true especially since it is listed as a Lifetime movie under the "Company Credits" section, if you click on "Production Co: See more". They also don't list the running time, which is unusual.

But the strangest part is that they show it as a "Comedy, Thriller", and there are absolutely no comedic elements to the movie. As I said, it is just a standard Lifetime movie, with a crazy person doing improbable things, and with a typically improbable, predictable ending.

I can only suspect that, since the movie just aired the day before I wrote this, IMDB may not have all the facts straight about the movie yet. Hopefully that will be corrected over time.

Anyway, as far as a review goes, what can I say other than what I already did? It's typical Lifetime movie, no better or worse than what is usually produced for them. If you like those kinds of movies, this will please you as much as any other Lifetime movie does. Just don't expect great acting, or a coherent script without gaping holes in it. But you already know that, if you watch Lifetime movies and know the standard structure that is used to make them. I gave it 6 stars. It probably deserves less, but it gave me exactly what I expected from a Lifetime movie, so I was a bit generous.

Silly, silly, silly. Two things really bug us about this film- wait, three things; three things really bug us about this film. First, when Samantha knocks out Danica it looks like she just pushed a few books over on her. WTF? Apparently, one of the books must have been "Heavy." Second, when the real Danica calls Kate- that would not happen in real life. It would have been the woman who runs the home that would make the call....and she was sitting right there. Third, the ending where Kate talks Samantha out of killing Danica. Nah. Kate is another LMN who needs to take a ride on the clue bus. Would you not, in real life, do some checking on a girl who claims to be the daughter you gave up 17 years ago?

I have to be honest and say that I figured that this 2018 movie was most likely going to be another generic crime thriller since it was a TV movie. Sure, I had never even heard about it prior to watching it, but I still opted to give the movie a fair chance. Maybe it would be a nice surprise of a movie.

Writers Carlee Malemute and Jesenia Ruiz put together a fair script. Sure, one can argue for it being a bit generic and predictable, but it still proved to be an entertaining enough movie.

I wasn't familiar with a single actress or actor on the cast list. But I will say that the acting performances were actually good, and they had a good cast ensemble put together for the movie.

"The Wrong Daughter" was actually a fairly enough entertaining movie. Sure, you know the outcome of the movie from the very beginning, but it was still an enjoyable movie to watch.

My rating of director Ben Meyerson's 2018 movie "The Wrong Daughter" lands on a five out of ten stars.

Typical campy lifetime pic, but with outstanding acting.

THE WRONG DAUGHTER (TV MOVIE 2018)

BASIC PLOT: Kate (nm122354) and Joseph (Jon Prescott) have almost everything they need to make their life complete. They're in love, successful, and Kate is finally fulfilling her dream to open a restaurant. There's just one thing missing, a child. After multiple unsuccessful IVF attempts, they've finally given up on having a family of their own. But, there's still one possibility, Kate gave up a child at 16. She thought the baby went to a good home, but due to a medical issue, her baby was returned to foster care. Danica (Sierra Pond) has been living in group homes ever since. Unfortunately, she doesn't live there alone. She shares a room with a troubled young woman named Samantha (Sydney Sweeney). Samantha has broken so many rules, she's been asked to leave. On her way out, she steals Danica's laptop, and her identity. If Danica doesn't want to reach out to her birth mother, Samantha will. She's determined to have a family, and will remove anyone who stands in her way, including Danica. Will Kate realize she's brought a homicidal maniac into her life in time to save those she loves?

WHAT WORKS: *This is a decent melodrama, with only one major plot hole. It's well acted, well paced, and is an enjoyable ride, for the most part.

WHAT DOESN'T WORK: *Knocking a few books off a bookshelf at someone, wouldn't knock them out. That's a bit ridiculous.

*It is a ludicrous plot device to have the police arrest Melissa (Kelsey Griswold) for breaking down in grief when she finds Ivan's (Jesse Pepe) body. It would open the police up to false arrest charges, and lawsuits. I fast forwarded through the cops speech about assaulting an officer, as it was the officer who assaulted Melissa. This movie was a great melodrama, up until this agregious plot hole. Jesenia Ruiz and Carlee Malemute know how to write quality melodramas, so why add a plot hole so big, they fall in it? They needed a plot device to delay Melissa from reaching Kate. Fine. There are a million ways she could be delayed that do not suspend my disbelief. She could be sedated, have to wait for Ivan's parents, anything but a false arrest. In this litigious day and age, police air on the side of caution. They would check out Melissa's story, and treat her with the respect most police officers give the grieving.

TO RECOMMEND, OR NOT TO RECOMMEND, THAT IS THE QUESTION: *I would recommend this to people who understand and enjoy the art form of melodrama. This is a step above the usual made-for-tv movie faire, so enjoy!

CLOSING NOTES: *This is a Made-For-TV movie, please keep that in mind before you watch\rate it. TV movies have a much lower budget, and so your expectations should be adjusted.

*I have no connection to the film, or production in ANY way. I am just an honest viewer, who wishes for more straight forward reviews. Hope I helped you out.