Menace au paradis

After a violent break-in and robbery, crisis-counselor Alexandra Paul (as Laura Benson) is disturbed by flashbacks. Her soccer-playing teen daughter Ksenia Solo (as Erin) has nightmares. Husband and father Gary Hudson (as Jim), often absent due to his work, decides to move the Illinois family of three to a gated community. Idyllic "Arbor Eden" is heavily secured; it has an entrance officer, coded doorways, and super-tough windows. As this is a "Lifetime" TV-thriller, you can assume they will be needed...

At first, all seems well. The family adopts smart cat "Fred" to replace their likewise named, and unfortunately murdered, dog. Problems involve missing furniture and overbearing neighbor Shannon Lawson (as Janis Rivers). In a custody battle with her ex, Ms. Lawson lives with painfully shy daughter Michelle Killoran (as Jenny), in a perfectly decorated house. As chicken-fed chubby as Paul is attractively thin, Lawson gets on her neighbors' nerves. Lawson deliciously bites into her role, helping make this one fun.

****** Love Thy Neighbor (2/26/06) Paul Schneider ~ Alexandra Paul, Shannon Lawson, Ksenia Solo, Gary Hudson

... or should I say unintentionally hilarious? Either way, this is one of the best comedies I've seen in a long time. I was laughing throughout at the antics of some of the dumbest fictional characters this side of Homer Simpson. It's just one forehead-slapping, painfully stupid scene after another as the clownish, dim-witted cardboard cutouts substituting for actual humanoid characters push, pull, and drag the "plot" to its inevitable and obvious conclusion.

If I had to describe this movie to someone, I'd call it a mutated hybrid of Fatal Attraction, Dumb and Dumber, and the Three Stooges, with a "climax" uncannily similar to the episode of Family Guy in which the whole family gets into a knock-down fistfight in the living room.

Advice to Benson family: next time you get a new pet, do the poor animal a favor and DON'T name it Fred!

This was a great movie. I love movies of the week and watch them all of the time. I liked the idea of the family needing to feel safe so they move to the gated community. We all wonder what it would be like to live in that type of neighborhood. And, don't we all dread that one neighbor who just HAS to be everyone's friend?! LOL. I really enjoyed Alexandra Paul too. She always delivers a good performance. She had great chemistry with the leading man as well. I thought the female villain was SO well done. She was creepy and hilarious all at once. The actress was perfectly cast! If you are a big movie watcher like I am, you have got to see this one. It seemed to have it all. It was suspenseful, fun and the acting was also good. I wish we could see more movies like this one!

Great storyline but acting from the mother was terrible. Also to have a not so bright mother is played out. The movie was Predictable. Security guard was slow. Everything about the mother was off. The neighbor was good.

I had fun watching this. There were some good twists that I didn't see coming and some good suspense. While they are others out there who hate Lifetime movies, I have to say I love the majority of them (there are exceptions though). And this movie is one that I liked. If you don't like Lifetime, all you have to do is not watch it. I loved Alexandra Paul in this and Lover's Revenge and Saving Emily. I also saw that Love Thy Neighbor scored the highest approval rating in the Nielsens that they've "ever had for an Indy film." I honestly can see how people would dislike Lifetime films, but they are what they are. I am the audience they're shooting for I guess. If you're looking for an Academy Award film, you're not going to find it on Lifetime. But if you like these movie of the week popcorn movies, then I'd recommend this one as much as any other. To each is own I guess.