Secrets in a Small Town

Watched this on lifetime movie network. It actually kept me alert and i was eager to see how it would end. Great acting as well. Kept me on the edge of my seat.

Gotta love a movie that punches you in the solar plexus and warms your heart in equal measure. The ordeal this poor mother is put through is harrowing but her unflinching pursuit of the truth is extraordinary. Channel your inner mummy bear and go along for the ride (oh, and pack a sweater, it's cold out).

Claire Porter and her daughter Sarah move to a small town from Chicago. She is the new vice principal. Sarah is a basketball jock. The undefeated high school team is coached by Ruth Simmons. After showing out against the team, Sarah is invited to join and the team is having a party for her. Next day, Claire can't find her daughter.

This is good Lifetime. The no-name cast and the limited production do restrict it to B-movie territory. Maybe I've seen the coach from somewhere before. The mystery could be held back for a little longer. I don't like the TV showing the pulling of the table cloth. It cheapens the climatic scene.

This is one of those movies where ending is so typical in form of shooting, killing, arrest, and twist. Also explanation and details are not enough clear and not well explained and not realistic. Explanation is one of those happened first, explained later with holes in the story. But beginning is perfect. We can see very realistic life, behaviors, talk, meetings, and emotions. In fact, this is one of the best and most honest beginnings in all the lifetimes movies I've seen. Only beginning keeps you motivated to watch the whole movie. But everything else is so low quality and usual and boring. Not complete and not good enough. Acting of victim was also too fake and not explained. Unrealistic.

I like the story and the acting wasn't bad. But the movie really dragged, should have cut an half hour off of it. Pacing could have been a lot better.