Douce Audrina: l'enfant sans passé

This movie is a total disgrace to the book. The book draws you in, but this piece of trash movie just makes you want to run away from the television.

I was locked inside all weekend due to a hurricane and decided to binge all the VC Andrews series on Lifetime. It got to be pretty repetitive with similar story lines, twists, incest, poverty, rich family member dying etc. And then I got to My Sweet Audrina! I almost missed it because it's older and not a series but a stand alone but my god it was the best! It's pretty rare for me these days in my movie binging madness to find a film that keeps me off my phone, fully engaged, on the edge my seat, and wondering who/what/where/when/why! In fact I normally have the whole plot figured out but not with this. But along with an interesting and really originally story line, you have great actors! I fell in love with James Tupper in the Revenge series years ago, which is always a go to rewatch for me. As well as William Moseley in The Royals, which was canceled way too soon. India Eisley was unfamiliar to me but I could see her having a fantastic career if given the right opportunities. In my opinion this is one of the over all best films I've seen in years and it's a quick, easy watch without getting dragged out unnecessarily.

My sweet audrina is one of the best books I've ever read. This movie however is awful. The acting is terrible and I can't seem to figure out why Arden and audrina seem to have Scottish accents??? If you enjoyed the book save yourself and do not watch this garbage excuse for a movie.

Once again, Lifetime TV attempts to adapt a novel by the much loved cult author V.C. Andrews. The Dollanganger series was a mixed bag, successful in some ways, but failing when they made alterations to the source material. "My Sweet Audrina" falls victim to the same kind of amateurish "tweaking" of the original story.

To be fair, Lifetime didn't have so much to work with, as this novel wasn't really the author's best work, unlike the Dollanganger series, which was a huge success all over the world. This film is successful on some levels, such as the set design and cinematography being really gorgeous, as well as the mostly unknown cast. The house in which the drama takes place is a visual treat that will please fans of Gothic and romantic architecture. I just wish the script had been more like the novel. Yes, it is a rather strange book, and I imagine Lifetime didn't want to gamble on something that would put off their usual audience. So what we get is less of a Gothic horror/mystery, and more of an erotic thriller/soap opera production that Lifetime TV is known to produce. What a shame; the books were immensely popular, and the movie could have garnered more attention if it had been a bit more unique and daring. As it stands, "My Sweet Audrina" is still worth a look as a curiosity piece for fans of the V.C. Andrews books. It's surprising that this weird book was ever made into a movie in the first place.

Audrina Adare (Farryn VanHumbeck) lived in isolation with with her father Damian (James Tupper), mother Lucietta, aunt Ellsbeth and cousin Vera (Kacey Rohl) in a mansion. She lived in the shadow of her dead sister namesake. She is confused with time and lost memories. Vera constantly taunts her. Her father pushes a connection with the original Audrina. Arden Lowe is a local boy in love with Audrina. Lucietta dies in childbirth and baby Sylvia is autistic. Years later, Audrina (India Eisley) takes piano lessons from Lamar Rensdale while Vera (Tess Atkins) flirts.

This starts off like a moody horror movie. In the end, it's only a spooky mystery. Kacey Rohl should have stayed as Vera. The change in Audrina actresses is acceptable and Arden is inevitable. Rohl could easily play all the different ages. India Eisley has the innocent fragility and beauty for the part. Her speaking voice does mumble her lines sometimes which isn't the greatest for a lead. The middle is a lot of slow rambling sexual melodrama. It's somewhat aimless. It needs a direction and the simplest is Audrina researching her namesake predecessor. By the end, the reveal doesn't satisfy as much as releases the movie from its expectations.