Gwen Shamblin: Starving for Salvation

Jennifer Grey is fine (the two star rating from me), but this film is nothing more than a lame paint-by-numbers coverage of the events, and not entirely accurate.

I fully expect a limited series on one of the streamers in the future. This story is too good. LOTS of interesting details not covered in this basic TV movie. And yes, this version is EXACTLY what you'd expect from Lifetime.

The guy playing her second husband is totally miscast. Very cartoonish.

The real-life Gwen Shamblin WAS, herself, cartoonish, and this film plays down her outlandish personality.

This was filmed in Montreal (!), but it does feel like Tennessee. I know Franklin, so that aspect is fine. However, Lifetime is cheap, and films most of their junk in Canada, like the awful Hallmark Channel.

I would give 0 stars if possible. Jennifer Grey did a great job but this is not the true story. If you want a more accurate account watch the HBO MAX documentary, The Way Down. My husband was the lead investigator on the Smith case and Gwen was never interviewed by the police, not for lack of trying. She refused to speak with the police and left the church during the search warrant (which is not shown in this version). The smith tape was recorded during a church session, when the Smith's called live into the service. It wasn't a private phone call with Gwen and the time lines are out of sequence. The Smith's were members of this church via the internet from Atlanta. They also do not go into the Smith case at all, which was for the murder of their son. This portrayal was very Hollywood and overdramatized.

As Jennifer Grey had said, I too never knew anything about this church and Shamblin. I remember hearing about the plane crash and noticing that man that played Tarzan. So I looked in to it and went down a rabbit hole a bit, I was really looking forward to this movie coming out as I knew Jennifer Grey would nail the character and she did to a T. I learned a lot more about the story of Shamblin and what she had created with the church and her following. It took more than praying to be thin that's for sure. Very interesting story, that keeps getting more and more interesting. The acting was amazing in this, definitely worth watching!

Jennifer Grey deserves an Oscar for this. I'm not kidding. She was so genuinely good. Her hair also deserves some sort of award. The hair was giving. It grew. She grew. But the real life hair was higher than depicted. Think about that. This was not an exaggeration. It was underplayed. Google it.

I don't know the whole story I came strictly to comment on hair. I also am watching a lot of old school lifetime movies. I think this is one for the books. It's no Cheerleader murder mystery but I think it's for potential to go down on the books. I loved it enough to write a 600 word review.

Also the real lady is a monster. Duh.

I have to admit that I had never heard of Gwen Shamblin before. I've seen various interviews by Jennifer Grey about this movie and that piqued my interest. I googled Gwen Shamblin and her lifestory is very interesting and at the same time it is frightening how seemingly easily she became a questionable prophetess. I am fascinated of Jennifer Grey and her way of portraying Gwen Shamblin. 10 points for Jennifer! The way in which Gwen Shamblin seems to have lost her own self more and more without noticing it is implemented very well in the film (of course also by the great leading actress). I think I will watch this movie once again. It's very interesting from the first minute til the end.