Dirty Little Secret

"Dirty Little Secret" starts out good and effectively sets up the plot for how Hart's character, Joanna, became a hoarder, and the effect her disorder has on her children, particularly Lucy (Lizzie Boys). We see Lucy go on a path to discovery of what a normal functioning family looks like, and sees how a boy in her class has come to terms with his mom's recovery from alcoholism, and we develop hope that she will gain inner strength and feel empowered to lead her mother to admitting her problem and get her on the path to redemption. And the storyline does get us to the point where Lucy confronts her mother, and Joanna does show signs of realizing her problem. The viewer has hope that Joanna will be redeemed and Lizzie will prove mature beyond her years.

Then it all goes downhill from there. Everything gets weird and nonsensical. I won't give away the details, but the last 30 minutes was bizarre.

I think the Lifetime network should have a contest of its viewers to see who can write a better ending to this otherwise pretty good movie.

Shy high school student Lucy (Lizzie Boys) tries to keep to herself. She has one friend and never invites her home. There's a reason. Her highly-skilled nurse and functioning mother Joanna (Melissa Joan Hart) is actually a hoarder. She's always afraid of getting her mother in trouble.

It's Lifetime. It's Melissa Joan Hart. The story lacks drama. I've never considered a child's fear of children services although that would work better for a younger daughter. I don't know where the premise could go. For the drama, Lucy needs to be isolated. She shouldn't have a friend or even siblings. The story could unfold that she starts to open up and that's where the drama comes in. Lizzie looks like a prom queen and it doesn't fit. The last part could be dramatic but some of it seems laughable.

This was really decent up until the last 20 min when it went completely off the rails. Missed opportunity for redemption and a better ending. Two stars for great acting by Melissa Joan Hart and Lizzie Boys but this was truly awful. No idea what the writers or producers were thinking here but it doesn't add up.

It was an okay movie up to the point of Melissa Joan Hart's character being vilified, then left for dead. OCD Hoarding is a disease, not a death sentence. Would have appreciated a more compassionate portrayal of the compulsive hoarder than it was given. Hart overacted in her role, that perhaps she really didn't identify with in the first place.

It was an awful ending. For someone afflicted or affected by hoarding watching the film it is a wound to the heart to see how her family and those around her portrayed the character ie., as someone unworthy of being loved or treated with dignity rather than a piece of trash.

I love Melissa, so I had high hopes for this one. It wasn't terribly written or acted, and the storyline was unlike any other lifetime movie I've ever seen which is good. However, the last 30 minutes of this film are complete garbage. Such missed opportunities for redemption and healing. Just so, so sad and confusing.