Hurt

I just caught this one, like most everybody else, on Movie Central late at night. By the end I was in tears. There was no soundtrack, the acting was a little incredulous, there was no cookie-cutter Hollywood warm feeling in your stomach when the credits began to roll. But real life doesn't always come with a side order of happy ending and that's why this movie touched me in such a powerful way. The acting may have been a little suspect...but the characters portrayed mirror parts in some of us, or in people we know in a very straightforward (and for some of us who have been down that road, painful) kind of way.

I guess you really have to experience the kinds of abuse that stem from substance abuse, neglect and a broken home life (along with the natural side-effects; depression, blame and hatred) to really understand how attractive suicide becomes. When just running away, taking another ride, or drowning your sorrows in whatever toxic substance happens to be your poison of choice, is no longer enough. This kind of thing happens every day for real, I know it has in my life (and I thank God for the second chance that I've been given).

I would recommend this show for anyone who is or has been abused, felt like death is the only option, or just can't find the strength to deal with all the pain inside. In the writers own words "For those who have survived, for those who have not and for those who continue to struggle..."

Ended up catching this disturbing and affecting Canadian movie like most people did, on late night pay Tv.

Coming from an abusive household myself, maybe I was a little bit more sympathetic to the characters than most people would be. I do agree with other reviewers that the visual representations of their abuse were a little over the top and heavy handed (re: the screaming while on the swings scene). But the performances were just so universally excellent from all the teens, that I really got caught up in the story regardless. The three teens felt like real friends, and their reactions to everything that happened, considering the difficulty of the material, was nothing short of amazing.

In fact, the rest of the cast is excellent as well, with a special mention going to Darla's father, who gets just the right mix of crazy, selfish, and loving to make him feel real.

Ultimately, this movie is emotional, and I found myself crying at the end like many others did. Coming from that type of abuse in my childhood, I sat watching, thinking hopefully there was a positive end coming for all these characters.

Yet this is not a Hollywood film, and no matter how much I hated it, the ending was perfectly appropriate and honest. I have read many people who disagreed with the way it all played out, but to me it felt like the ultimate symbolism, and something that happens far more than any of us would like to admit

Quite simply, the movie is a hard watch, but for those who enjoy true emotional and realistic filmaking, its a gem. A movie that refuses to cater to the moral code (especially with the ending), and is all the better for it. Whether its morally responsible or not is a judgment call.

It seems I lucked into watching a really great movie tonight. They showed it here in Canada on Showcase, and I hope they show it again real soon. Great job by all involved. The acting was wonderful, the script was wonderful... pretty much everything was very well done. I would also love to see this coming out on DVD soon, but from reading the other comments, it doesn't look like it will happen. If you need someone to help storm that warehouse, just give me a ring! If I hear anything about it being re-broadcast anytime soon (I'll e-mail Showcase tonight too, to see what their plans are with it), I'll be sure to post in here for all fans hoping to catch it again.

By chance I caught this film late last night, and I am still thinking about it. It was a very sad, but interesting film. The three characters of Stevie, Boy, and Darla meet at a party, and seemingly they have very little in common. As the movie progresses, we find this is not true. They all come from broken homes, and are very troubled. The strong friendship they form helps them face their problems head on. I was very impressed by the lead actors in this film. They played their roles with such true emotion that it was impossible not to sympathize with them. I would definitely recommend this film. 8.5/10

I have never posted a comment about a movie before, so please bare with me.

This movie is absolutely incredible. Every moment of it begged for more. I came from a very loving family, I have never seen any kind of abuse before, but this movie portrays it like I have never seen before, and allows me to be thankful for what I have.

I did not find any plot holes, I have nothing to critisize, this movie was awe inspiring, and I could recommend it to schools. There was no music in the movie, which added to the emotional part, the characters were well picked, and the acting was great.

I recommend this movie to anyone, and is worth the watch. It's gripping and spectacular.

I gave it a 10.