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Pour une vie meilleure

Original title: Homeless to Harvard: The Liz Murray Story
  • TV Movie
  • 2003
  • TV-14
  • 1h 28m
IMDb RATING
7.1/10
4.7K
YOUR RATING
Thora Birch in Pour une vie meilleure (2003)
BiographyDrama

Liz Murray is a young girl who is taken care of by her loving but drug-addicted parents. She becomes homeless at 15, and after tragedy strikes, she begins her work to finish high school.Liz Murray is a young girl who is taken care of by her loving but drug-addicted parents. She becomes homeless at 15, and after tragedy strikes, she begins her work to finish high school.Liz Murray is a young girl who is taken care of by her loving but drug-addicted parents. She becomes homeless at 15, and after tragedy strikes, she begins her work to finish high school.

  • Director
    • Peter Levin
  • Writer
    • Ronni Kern
  • Stars
    • Thora Birch
    • Michael Riley
    • Robert Bockstael
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • IMDb RATING
    7.1/10
    4.7K
    YOUR RATING
    • Director
      • Peter Levin
    • Writer
      • Ronni Kern
    • Stars
      • Thora Birch
      • Michael Riley
      • Robert Bockstael
    • 36User reviews
    • 4Critic reviews
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • See production info at IMDbPro
    • Nominated for 3 Primetime Emmys
      • 3 wins & 6 nominations total

    Photos17

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    Top cast39

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    Thora Birch
    Thora Birch
    • Liz Murray
    Michael Riley
    Michael Riley
    • Peter
    Robert Bockstael
    • David
    Makyla Smith
    • Chris
    Kelly Lynch
    Kelly Lynch
    • Jean Murray
    Jennifer Pisana
    • Young Liz
    Aron Tager
    Aron Tager
    • Pops
    Elliot Page
    Elliot Page
    • Young Lisa
    • (as Ellen Page)
    Marla McLean
    • Lisa
    Marguerite McNeil
    • Eva
    Amber Godfrey
    • Dawn
    Seamus Morrison
    Seamus Morrison
    • Bobby
    John Fulton
    • Old Irish Cop
    Rejean Cournoyer
    • Young Irish Cop
    Mauralea Austin
    • Miss Wanda
    Kristine Slawter
    • Tall Thin Girl
    Mary-Colin Chisholm
    Mary-Colin Chisholm
    • Teacher at Public School
    • (as Mary Colin Chisholm)
    Stan Carew
    • New York Times Editor
    • Director
      • Peter Levin
    • Writer
      • Ronni Kern
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

    User reviews36

    7.14.6K
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    Featured reviews

    9dollarbillsemail

    TRULY A TRIUMPH OF THE HUMAN SPIRIT

    Generally, made for television movies are on a level below theatrical endeavors. However, `Homeless To Harvard' is a surprising and welcome exception. Without question it is one of the best made for television movies ever produced. This true story of Liz Murray continually strikes your primal emotional chord throughout the movie. The story is told in a stark realistically convincing manner. Excellent performances are turned in by Jennifer Pisana and Thora Birch as Liz at slightly different ages and by Kelly Lynch as Liz's alcoholic and drug addicted mother Jean. Unfortunately, the world has an ample supply of dysfunctional parents. Most often, their own children use them as an excuse to be equally dysfunctional. How uplifting to have a child use their parent's dysfunctional behavior, not as an excuse to sink into oblivion, but rather as a reason to not follow in their footsteps. This movie is all about choices. Anyone of any age who watches this movie will be left with absolutely no excuse to wallow in self pity. While this movie is a remarkable endeavor, it could have been even better. Understandably you can only fit so much content into a movie. Moreover, I'm certain that the writers included all of the key elements of Liz's life. However, this movie would have stood in a class by itself if only they had delved into Liz's true character. They did an exceptional job of depicting the decadent life that she was subject to, her reactions to it, and her existence within it. However, you don't get to see inside of Liz to actually know what she's all about. In addition, I sensed that we were shown a slightly whitewashed portrait of Liz in contrast to her true self. I suspect that she was in fact a little less innocent and a little more tarnished and troublesome than she was portrayed to be. If there's one unanswered question lingering on viewer's minds, it has to be: Why, after overcoming such insurmountable adversity, did she end up leaving Harvard? All that aside, 'Homeless To Harvard' is truly a triumph of the human spirit movie. This will be a treasured prize for your DVD/VHS collection when it becomes available.
    10sebringpoet

    Thora Birch is wonderful!

    Thora Birch is Liz, a young woman who grows up in a poor household where both parents are excessive drug addicts. She's a genius but she refuses to go to school because she doesn't know how to interact with her peers (she's intellectually superior to them).

    When her mother leaves to live with her sexually abusive grandfather, Liz tries to live there but runs away after an argument with him. She lives on the street, and in a group home. She stays at friends' houses from time to time. She discovers what hardship really is.

    After her mother dies from AIDS (which she acquired from drug use), Liz wakes up, and realizes her potential. She also realizes that she doesn't want to be homeless anymore, and that she wants to move on to a civilized lifestyle. So she goes to school. She is in gifted classes and she finishes High School in two years. She also receives a scholarship to Harvard, from the New Yor times for an essay she wrote about overcoming obstacles to get to her success.

    The movie is very inspiring one of the best Lifetime movies created. Thora Birch proves that she is one of the best younger actresses today. Her powerful performance is very much deserving of an Emmy Award.
    10Xarabe

    Phenomenal

    I remember hearing about Liz Murray on Oprah back in 2004. I also remember she was the first recipient of Oprah's Chutzpah award and was inspired by her story. Naturally, it was only right of me to be curious about the film made about her life, and since I was not able to see it back then, I decided to fork out the money to buy the actual movie online last year. I'm so glad I did because it truly is one of the most inspirational films I've seen. The film has no pretense about it, it doesn't paint Liz Murray as this big heroine or self-pitying sermonizer, her story just was what it was - she realized her situation and took steps to eventuate to success out of grand resilience. She overcame a great deal of hardship to make it out telling her story to the world. Anecdotes that really convey her situation; about doing her homework on the subway train, juggling twice the amount of course work, trying to deal with her family situation of drug-addicted parents, shoplifting self help books and of course it goes without saying - being homeless.

    The performances are terrific, especially Thora Birch - off the back of her comedic role in Ghostworld - really shows her range here and her portrayal is determinedly solemn. Also, an honorable mention to the girl who plays young Liz.

    I'm also glad this story wasn't made into some big Hollywood production - it would have come across too schmaltzy.
    9MarieGabrielle

    Very well done, with a good message....

    I had only seen Thora Birch in "Ghost World" (where she was also quite good) and so felt she deserved credit for this TV movie which was based on a true story.

    Kelly Lynch and Michael Riley portray Liz Murray's parents who are both drug addicts living in squalor in a NYC apartment. I am not certain why Lynch often gets these roles. In "The Jacket" she had a similar role, but she is nonetheless believable.

    Liz Murray attends school, and while being an excellent student, has difficulty with her emotions, sadness, and unstable home life. Eventually her mother contracts AIDS, and must either live with her father, or some form of assisted living. Murray apparently managed on her own. She studies hard, takes AP college courses, and sleeps overnight in abandoned subway cars. (Anyone who has seen the NY city subway system know this is no small feat).

    Birch is believable, and looks the part; with all the odds against her she does well, graduates high school, and is offered a scholarship to Harvard. The fact that this is a true story is positive, it is nice to see a movie with a decent message for kids with real reasons why they should stay in school. 9/10.
    9jules-170

    So moving it inspired me to write a song!

    I was really moved by this story, even more so when I realised it was based on a true story! I thought that Thora's acting as Liz was really great and she had me routing for Liz to pull through and make it.

    It was really inspiring (so much so that I wrote a song straight after watching it!) and it teaches that you should never give up on yourself. OK, so Liz made it to Harvard and not everyone will be that lucky, but Harvard isn't for everyone and the message is really to set yourself a goal that you think you just might be able to attain and then go for it!

    It was a shame that UK television saw fit not to put it on at a reasonable time as it was aired late on Monday night and finished after 1:00am. I really only caught it by chance, but was very glad that I did.

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    Storyline

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    Did you know

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    • Trivia
      Based on the true story of Elizabeth "Liz" Murray. The real Liz appeared in the movie as a social worker and was also a co-producer for the production.
    • Quotes

      Liz Murray: I'd give it back, all of it, if I could have my family back.

    • Connections
      Featured in The 55th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards (2003)
    • Soundtracks
      Miracle
      Performed by Joanna Pacitti

      Taken from the album "This Crazy Life"

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    Details

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    • Release date
      • August 29, 2005 (France)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Languages
      • English
      • Portuguese
      • Brazilian Sign Language
    • Also known as
      • Homeless to Harvard: The Liz Murray Story
    • Filming locations
      • Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
    • Production companies
      • Barnet Bain Films
      • Magic Rock Productions
      • Metafilmics
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Tech specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      • 1h 28m(88 min)
    • Color
      • Color
    • Sound mix
      • Stereo
      • Dolby Digital
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.33 : 1

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