Hunger Point

this was without a doubt one of the best books i've ever read. i just finished it this weekend and was so excited to find out that it had been made into a movie AND that it was playing today on lifetime. now i wish i hadn't found out. this is quite possibly the WORST movie i've ever seen - the acting is horrendous and they ruined an amazing book. i usually love to see other people's interpretations of books i've read (and love cheesy lifetime movies), but not in this case - don't waste your time!!

This movie was based on Jillian Medoff's 1997 520-page novel by the same name. The book told a beautiful, realistic story. Making it into a movie, especially a TV movie (not that they would ever release a film about eating disorders in theaters), was not a good idea. So much of the story was cut out. If I had only seen the movie and not read the book, I would have hated it. But it some ways it was nice seeing a favorite book of mine brought to life. I would have to say that was the only reason I liked this movie at all. Well, the acting was pretty good, I'll give you that. One thing I didn't like was the writers' attempt to address an issue relating to eating disorders that was not an issue at the time the book was written, and therefore was obviously not part of the book. That was the issue of pro-anorexia websites, the whole "anorexic and proud" mentality. Whether or not this is an important issue is another matter, but it was not part of the book and therefore should not have been included in the movie. The cut so much of the story out, just to add in something that wasn't originally there. I'd say this is worth checking out if you've read and liked the book, otherwise, skip it.

this movie does address some key issues. If one compares it to other movies of this type, it is certainly much better, than say, the Lifetime movie with Lynda Carter, same subject, (forgot the name of the movie, though!!) Christina Hendricks and Susan May Pratt are the daughters of a neurotic mother who has also made her rounds through therapy, Valium addiction, etc. (The movie may have explored her pathology more, to better explain the daughters problems). Both actresses are excellent, and Barbara Hershey fits the bill, as the mother who is overbearing and vain.

Susan May Pratt is the anorexic, I will not delve into the outcome, but she is quite good in the role. We see the denial and control issues of her mother, and the selfishness of her sister (Christina Hendricks); who flirts with an intern at her sister's hospital. We also see how later she has deluded herself, and how the doctor cannot even remember the patient's name; I thought this was quite realistic, and have experienced a similar situation; the anorexic patient and family puts their trust in a physician, only to be let down.

We see the general despair, denial and blame that families have in a situation like this, especially when any psychiatric problems are addressed; the family reacts differently; Barbara Hershey throws herself into work, the father goes into denial, and the sister experiences depression.

All in all, a good movie that at least explores emotional issues, instead of the tired idea that ..."girls want to be models"...it is so much deeper than that; self-esteem, career, women's roles and societal pressures are all part of this, and it doesn't seem society has gotten any smarter in the last 20 years, since anorexia was first addressed by the media, and medical organizations as an epidemic.

The book is certainly excellent, and Jillian Medoff, the author, also has a website, I hope she will continue to write about women's issues, as she is so empathic and astute.

Finally, if you cannot talk to your daughter about these issues, have her watch; she will certainly relate to the daughters in the movie, and Frannie (Christina Hendricks) is a real character who develops into a mature healthy young adult, at the end of this film.

When I saw the previews for this movie I was intrigued. I was expecting a movie about a young woman who was battling anorexia that delved into how it all began and followed her along her struggle. However the "background information" that would set up the childhood of this suffering character is quickly plowed through and immediately she is checking into a hospital.

There are a few heart breaking scenes that, despite some cheesy and ill-delivered lines, are haunting. When Frannie and Mother first visit Shelly, her utter anger is portrayed extremely well. This is someone who controls her eating because she feels her life is in a tailspin and everything else is out of her control. The other scenes is the two sisters in the restaurant and Shelly asks Frannie to order the sandwich and put on "more dressing" and is practically salivating.

Then 'Hunger Point' meets a fork in the road of the plot and goes in another direction. Shelly becomes an underlying theme or can even be considered a catalyst, for the rest of the film.

If you watch this movie expecting it to be centered around Shelly, it ends up being about Frannie. But if it reruns, I'll tune in. You must at least once!

If you're like me, you love cheesy Lifetime movies. Well, then this is for you. Hunger Point is the story of a girl who checks herself into rehab for anorexia and how she came to be that way. As a child, her mother would encourage her two daughters to be as thin as possible. The story focuses more on the girl's older sister, who is between jobs and living with her parents during a very stressful time. It definitely follows the old Lifetime plot, but it works if you aren't expecting much. Despite the serious subject matter, I found it pretty campy, but entertaining enough. A plus (or minus for some) is the horrible hairdo Barb Hershey sports all through the movie. If you're ever bored and it's rerunning, I'd watch it just for the cheese factor.