V.C. Andrews’s Heaven – Review

V.C. Andrews’s Heaven – Lifetime – 2 hours and 3 minutes

Heaven Casteel lives in the poorest part of town and everyone looks down on them.  Her father, Luke, drinks too much and works too little.  One night her grandmother decides to tell Heaven the truth.  Sarah Casteel, Luke’s wife, is not her mother.  Leigh ‘Angel’ Vanvoreen died giving birth to Heaven.  Luke buried her and treated Heaven harshly ever since.  Now, Luke and Sarah have several children.  Tom is a strong teen who performs poorly in school.  Fanny is a flirt who tries to influence Heaven to become more spontaneous.  Young twins, Keith and Janie argue over food, space, and free time.  When Sarah gives birth to a disfigured baby, that later dies, she goes into a state of depression and blames Luke.  She walks out on the family, leaving Luke at the bottom of a bottle.  After meeting Logan at school, he comes to visit.  He notices the kids are alone without any adults.  Heaven makes him promise not to tell authorities.  She worries they will be put in foster care and separated.  The reality of her situation is worse than her fears.  She comes home from school and sees Luke putting the twins in a stranger’s car.  He has sold them to a couple and never told her.  Tom was sold to a farm in VA.  Fanny was sold to the local priest.  Now, it’s just Heaven and Luke.  Within 24 hours, Luke decides to give Heaven away too.  She looks too much like her mother and when he gets drunk, he confuses Heaven for Angel and tries to crawl into her bed.  The next morning, Heaven meets her new parents Cal and Kitty.  With new parents, Heaven is determined to find her siblings and Logan.  But not before she ends up on the wrong side of the town’s gossip.

The first novel in the Casteel Family Saga by V.C. Andrews strays away from the book. (FTC Affiliate Disclaimer).  If you love the book, you will notice that important characters, backstories, and characters’ important traits are missing.  It seems like the screenplay writer and/or director only read the first book in the series.  They truly didn’t understand how small nuance would play a major factor in the overall storytelling.  For everyone else, this movie provides tea-spitting twist and turns, never before seen on Lifetime.  You look forward to the next movie in this saga.  However, don’t read the books until the end of the movies.

I give it 4 out of 5 stars

You know you don’t get to choose your relatives … or your teachers – Logan

What about honor your children? Why doesn’t the good book say that – Heaven

I learned that from you. Hold on to that ok – Tom

I have to go – Fanny

Sometimes he gets blocked – Kitty

Hey, Cinderella – Cal

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The Wrong Tutor – Review

The Wrong Tutor – LMN – 2 hours and 0 minutes

Last month, Eric was caught driving under the influence.  While he was not drunk, he was underage.  His license was taken away, he lost his mom’s trust, and his soccer coach is disappointed in him.  Today, Eric has made a 180-degree change.  His field performance has improved so much, he is being scouted by college coaches.  Just one small problem.  He is horrible at math.  After receiving yet another F, Eric is approached by the new girl Emily.  She offers to tutor him if he introduces her to his friends.  He agrees and they study together daily.  At a party, Jess, Eric’s girlfriend, catches him drinking.  They fight and he walks away.  Emily follows to comfort him and the two kiss.  He walks away and tells her it was a mistake.  At their next tutoring session, the tells her the kiss can never happen again.  Emily seems ok but inside she is coming unhinged.  Eric has no idea what Emily will do to get him all to herself.

This movie is a big build with all the Lifetime hints but no real conclusion.  When you see the epi-pen, you think “well we know how that person will die”.  Or the nosy friend doing research will die.  But nothing happens.  Even with the big standoff, reminiscent of the Okay Corral, you feel disappointed at the end.  Lifetime has never held back with teens and violence, so you wonder why they started now.  This movie feels more like a PSA on filing false sexual harassment claims than a “The Wrong” movie.  Jackeé and Vivica are the saving grace of this movie.

I give it 2 out of 5 stars

I don’t think I could do that completely sober – Eric

If it wasn’t for Jess, you wouldn’t be in this mess in the first place – Carol

Oh no, the phone is dying. I think … – Jess

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Loved to Death – Review

Loved to Death – TV One – 2 hours and 0 minutes

Jackson sees a beautiful woman, Monica, drop her keys and he returns them.  After playful banter, they exchange numbers.  After a year of dating, Monica still loves him but Jackson irks her family.  Her sister, Courtney, believes he is weird and hates that he can never keep a job.  Monica’s daughter, Meghan, never wants to be in the same room with him.  Monica’s mother and her other sister, Tiffany, keep their opinions to themselves because he helps around the house.  As Jackson starts to unravel professionally, he takes out his anger on Monica.  He belittles her and bruises her body.  She feels too emotionally and financially invested to leave.  She attempts to encourage Jackson.  But the more she tries, the more his abusive nature grows.  In the thick of it, Monica meets Dre.  He is sweet, strong, funny, hardworking, and loves his mom.  He sees her bruises and tries to talk to her.  But she shuts him out.  When Jackson goes a step too far, she leaves him and starts seeing Dre.  Jackson won’t let her go that easy.  He plans to love Monica to death.

Inspired by true events, this Love, Lies, and Murder movie displays alternate ending to an abusive relationship.  While it clearly expresses the downfall of Monica and Jackson’s relationship, it doesn’t do the same with Meghan’s relationship with Jackson.  You know she doesn’t like him but it’s never laid out why.  This history will help the viewer understand the depth of Jackson’s insecurities and need to control.  Also, you are left want to know more about Monica’s first marriage.  Was it abusive? Is this a pattern for her?  There is so much hinted backstory with no context.  You feel as if you are missing something.  Be prepared, Jackson’s outburst in court will leave chills up your spine.

I give it 4 out of 5 stars

Yeah, that’s exactly what you need too: Jesus – Monica

Don’t lose yourself in the process of trying to save other people – Courtney

You’re mine and I don’t care what the courts have to say – Jackson

Oh, that look. I see it now – Tiffany

Strong and smart – Dre

You know this isn’t about you – Meghan

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