Following the suicide of her mother, moody Malibu teenager Paloma Kwiatkowski (as Cathy Earnshaw) withdraws from her snooty friends and rediscovers childhood pal Andrew Jacobs (as Heath). The son of an illegal Mexican immigrant, Mr. Jacobs has grown into a noticeably bulging hunk (in one of the couple's beach scenes), with beautiful hair. The mature-looking high school teenagers have a lot of sex, but their relationship seems doomed. She's the heir of mega-wealthy James Caan (as Earnshaw) and he's the Hispanic son of a super-poor deported mother. Also interested in Ms. Kwiatkowski is upscale Matthew Boehm (as Eddie Linton)...
This is a modernized version of Emily Bronte's classic "Wuthering Heights" (1847) with the setting changed to a Malibu, California high school. The performers don't look like they're in high school, but this is a "Lifetime" TV movie fantasy, after all. Almost everything about the story is wretched through most of the running time, and it positively reeks with ending scenes that make no sense. Events during the final 15 minutes are especially confusing; either adapting 1800s details proved too difficult, or director Anthony DiBlasi and the crew simply ran out of time. You didn't miss Mr. Caan's final expiration scene; apparently, it wasn't presented...
The camera is steady and the cast is attractive, but the execution is silly...
They should have had it begin with Kwiatkowski in college and made progress from there, after an opening with "Cathy" and "Heath" as young kids. A revision that works is having the novel's older brother "Hindley" appear as a candidate for rehab, traveling in a van dubbed "Moor Side" (now, that's clever). Interestingly, he is played by Errol Flynn's grandson Sean Flynn (as Lee). Hollywood nepotism doubles up by likewise featuring Clint Eastwood's daughter Francesca Eastwood (as Ellen). One of her party dresses is particularly outstanding. For thong bikinis, Jacobs' final pool party scene can't be beat.
*** Wuthering High School (3/14/15) Anthony DiBlasi ~ Paloma Kwiatkowski, Andrew Jacobs, Sean Flynn, Matthew Boehm
