Hunger Point

The comment about the movie being bizarre was probably made out of ignorance and lack of experience. This movie was very real about a very real problem. It portrayed an illness in need of treatment. Anorexia and bulimia are not just decisions and will power but life threatening illnesses. They affect the whole family and must be taken seriously. They also must be treated by professionals.. it is not an issue that can be treated at home as the movie portrays well. It is not a fun movie or lighthearted so someone who wants to be cheered up or see a light hearted romance would not enjoy it. If someone wants to see something that brings out the problem and gives information it would be good to watch. It may help someone on the verge of an eating disorder but won't touch those who are deeply into it. They need far more than a movie to get help.

this movie does address some key issues. If one compares it to other movies of this type, it is certainly much better, than say, the Lifetime movie with Lynda Carter, same subject, (forgot the name of the movie, though!!) Christina Hendricks and Susan May Pratt are the daughters of a neurotic mother who has also made her rounds through therapy, Valium addiction, etc. (The movie may have explored her pathology more, to better explain the daughters problems). Both actresses are excellent, and Barbara Hershey fits the bill, as the mother who is overbearing and vain.

Susan May Pratt is the anorexic, I will not delve into the outcome, but she is quite good in the role. We see the denial and control issues of her mother, and the selfishness of her sister (Christina Hendricks); who flirts with an intern at her sister's hospital. We also see how later she has deluded herself, and how the doctor cannot even remember the patient's name; I thought this was quite realistic, and have experienced a similar situation; the anorexic patient and family puts their trust in a physician, only to be let down.

We see the general despair, denial and blame that families have in a situation like this, especially when any psychiatric problems are addressed; the family reacts differently; Barbara Hershey throws herself into work, the father goes into denial, and the sister experiences depression.

All in all, a good movie that at least explores emotional issues, instead of the tired idea that ..."girls want to be models"...it is so much deeper than that; self-esteem, career, women's roles and societal pressures are all part of this, and it doesn't seem society has gotten any smarter in the last 20 years, since anorexia was first addressed by the media, and medical organizations as an epidemic.

The book is certainly excellent, and Jillian Medoff, the author, also has a website, I hope she will continue to write about women's issues, as she is so empathic and astute.

Finally, if you cannot talk to your daughter about these issues, have her watch; she will certainly relate to the daughters in the movie, and Frannie (Christina Hendricks) is a real character who develops into a mature healthy young adult, at the end of this film.

If you're like me, you love cheesy Lifetime movies. Well, then this is for you. Hunger Point is the story of a girl who checks herself into rehab for anorexia and how she came to be that way. As a child, her mother would encourage her two daughters to be as thin as possible. The story focuses more on the girl's older sister, who is between jobs and living with her parents during a very stressful time. It definitely follows the old Lifetime plot, but it works if you aren't expecting much. Despite the serious subject matter, I found it pretty campy, but entertaining enough. A plus (or minus for some) is the horrible hairdo Barb Hershey sports all through the movie. If you're ever bored and it's rerunning, I'd watch it just for the cheese factor.

Lifetime went brave in this movie. They were way ahead of their time. They took on a subject so enormous many were too afraid to touch or pretended it was not important enough to touch. Body image in young women. Obviously it is a very important subject because it is in the top mind of everyone. Kudos to the writer for crafting a screenplay far more true and interesting than the book, much of it based on her own sisters' trouble with eating disorders. The LA Times said it was THE most important movie on the subject of all time and that every mother and daughter should watch it. The Hollywood Reporter said Ms. Amelon's writing is extraordinary and she should get an Emmy for the movie. Too bad the director threw in the scene about the websites, something that wasn't in the book. Reviews have been critical on that scene and the writer was right in trying to keep it out of the movie. Over all, the movie should have been a feature and nominated instead for an Oscar.

Hunger Point got my attention because of Barbara Hershey's name. She would not lend her respected name to an ordinary tale of eating disorders. Before giving this Lifetime film a try, I can recall watching no other treatment since the major network TV movie of Karen Carpenter's tragic struggle (1989). Hershey plays a difficult role with empathy, allowing us to care for her even as we see the horror of her well-intentioned child-raising habits. How else can her younger daughter, who is so clearly torn by conflicting feelings, keep going back to her?

Other subtleties are implicit in this younger daughter's characterization: Frannie Hunter as played by Christina Hendricks. For most of the film Frannie sees wrong only in the way others live their lives, and resists all hints that she needs help too (like family members affected by someone's drinking, usually seeing the drinker as the only sick one, slow to realize they've become sick too). The eating disorder (ED) counselor was also played with subtlety: to the uninitiated, a less than ideal worker; to the experienced, doing her best in an greatly discouraging medical field.

After watching Hunger Point, I wanted to check the names of the writers, but first saw the name of the director: Joan Micklin Silver. As soon as I Googled her name I saw she's one of the outstanding directors of the last thirty years, first coming to my attention with Crossing Delancey. At the time (1988), I noticed only the critical praise, not the director's name. After reading about her list of contributions to film, I have no doubt she wanted to work on this film because it was worthy, one of the better treatments of eating disorders even if it comes seemingly late, when the general public is tired of the theme. In time, I have no doubt this film will stand out from the rest, and will be recommended viewing for many people caught up in the ED cycle.

Thanks to writers Jillian Medoff and Deborah Amelon for the novel and screenplay that attracted Barbara Hershey's talents, and the great directing skills of Joan Micklin Silver.