Sharing the Secret

Right i'm not going to waste time being complacent, sorry to gush but i loved this movie, not before has such an accurate and true portrayal of the silent epidemic of bulimia nervosa been witnessed on celluloid.

Everything in this movie not only mirrored my own experiences but bared witness to the underlying emotions, the driving force behind such self-destruction, when Beth glares ineptly into the mirror at her self as her friend tells her she doesn't have to do it because she's already skinny and she screams "i do it because i'm messed up" i can't help but want to embrace the writer , i may write a letter of thanks, but at least the curtain veil on the real reason behind Ed's are finally being revealed, to quote the reviewer before me it's not some diet "gone wrong".

Back to the film, very strong and nonchalant performances from Mare Winningham and Alison Lohman, the first part of the movie see's us adapt to Beth as a person and what's going on in her life, here i feel the point wavers slightly, it's the "classic" scenario, nice kid, high achiever but hides a deeply embedded insecurity. It really carries it's weight in the last forty five minutes as we see Beth come to terms with recovery, i must say the scene were Beth tells her mother she's bulimic has to be one of the most heart rendering and accurate ever, (well maybe not ever) but the point is it really conveys the sense of awkwardness of it all, her mothers disbelief, the shouting, the crying, Beth's cries are enough to make even the hardest of people wail, it's the epitome of desperation leaking out and i defy anyone not to feel a pang of sadness. What was also so brilliant about this film was the fact that Beth's mum was a therapist but even she failed to notice what was happening to her daughter, it really is shocking, nothing in the move is ever overly dramatised and kudos to the end scene in which it is not so glaringly obvious that Beth is over her disorder yet, anyone who's had any kind of Ed knows it is not that easy to get over...........

This is the only movie I've ever seen that actually represents the feelings wrapped up in an eating disorder. That scene when she tells her mom, oh my god, that was pretty much me. Actually, the whole movie is pretty much my story. So the character 'Beth' is absolutely amazing, I think, in a painful way of course. Brilliantly acted, too. The only thing that really bothers me, is how it ends with her fake smile again, and her thoughts that life can only be superficial... It kills me. Plus, that anorexic therapist, who is obviously still so insecure and only thinking about doing and saying the right thing... Awful. And her mom, who apparently just wants her daughter to be well, since whenever she's angry, her mom turns her the cold shoulder, and Beth comes crawling back, of course. It's so painful to watch, I would much rather have seen her mom just being confronted and Beth being taken care of and made stronger and comforted to realize that the world can actually be really hopeful, and joyful, and great. Hmm, bit of a psychobabble, but obviously this movie means a lot to me.

This film rubbed me in some uncomfortable ways but opened my eyes. It truly does portray the realness of an eating disorder.

The main character does a wonderful job acting her part. A great movie to show young teenagers in high school too.

Just a very sad concept.

I cried my heart out, watching this movie. I have never suffered from any eating disorder, but I think this must be a very true picture.

Alison Lohman is excellent! She expresses these feelings amazingly well. My teenage years came back to me so vividly. Anyone who has gone through difficult times as a child or teenager will be able to relate to this movie. I recommend you all to see it!

The music is great too - I've now discovered Diana Lorden.

I'm also looking forward to seeing Alison Lohman in White Oléander, because I am positive she is perfectly suited for the role as Agnes.

Without a doubt one of the most well-acted television movies we have seen, that also managed to feel relatively accurate in it's portrayal of bulimia without ever being melodramatic or cheesy. Even comparing this to older television movies from the 80s and 90s, when TV movies were actually worth watching, this outshines a majority of them. One scene in particular where Beth reveals her eating disorder to her mom showcases just how talented both Lohman and Winningham are - you don't see acting this real or emotional very often, and there's a nuance to their performances that you wouldn't even expect in an Oscar-nominated film. Their performances also highlight some truly great writing.