Don't Look Behind You

I hated this adaption of Lois Duncan's book. The book wasn't her greatest work, but it was a hundred times better. The acting was dull, no character development, all they did if there was any acting was whine and be bratty. Because of all this this movie was horrible and I wouldn't recommend it at all to anyone. Don't waste your time.

I read the book when I was in Junior High some years back, and to this day...it's one of my favorite books and have read it since as a college student even. I didn't even know the movie existed till one day about a year ago when it aired on TV. I was thrilled to watch it until, as said in another review, the end of the first 10 minutes. This movie made you hate the characters, made the plot bland, and the acting didn't do anything for it. I know they say the movie is NEVER as good at the book..but this could be the worse case I've ever seen. If you like the book..don't bother to watch,if you think you want to watch it. Get the book.

Avoid this movie if you have better things to do. The acting was uncoordinated, mechanized and almost comic like (expression of fear, expression of anger, expression of happiness from the book etc...), the dialog was banal and everything else was clothed in this conflict of self-preservation and freedom: the wife knowingly risks her family's life, just to get some house diagrams uploaded, the teenage daughter terrorizes and endangers the family because her hormones are boiling, the father seems to be living somewhere up in the stars. In fact only the son shows some kind of normal behaviour. In fact the whole film reminded me vaguely of "American Beauty", but just trying pathetically to be an exciting thriller.

Although "the book is always better" this movie was an excellent addition to my class's experience of the novel study. After reading the novel, the movie allowed them to put faces with the characters and feel the drama visually unfold. The movie sticks closely enough to the book's plot that the kids aren't confused and disappointed, but there are also enough differences that they are intrigued. Plus, the twist at the end keeps their interest peaked! They beg me not to turn it off when class is over. They remember the book fondly after seeing the movie. In today's visually stimulated world having novels played out on screen really helps us continue to push literature. I know it sounds crazy, but it works. On that same note, some kids can not fully connect with what they've read, so being able to "really get" what happened in a novel is an awesome thing when they can watch it and catch on. Not enough movies stick to the plot enough to work in the classroom, but this one certainly does.

Although after 40 minutes the movie goes to a common plot, the beginning of the movie is breathtaking with ups and downs all the time, with a lot of tension all over the almost 2 hours. Patrick Duffy seems to be free from "Boby Ewing" character and is good for other dense performances. Although it is a thriller with murders and tension, you don't have unecessary violence in it.