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Give Me Back My Daughter – Review
Give Me Back My Daughter – Lifetime – 2 hours and 0 minutes
Renee rehearses talking points for her boss, Richard, before work because a management position has opened up, and she believes she’s perfect for the role. She drops off her daughter, Imani, at school and goes to work. Renee meets with Richard and starts her speech. He cuts her off and sadly informs Renee that she is a victim of downsizing. Renee can’t believe it. However, Renee trusts she can find a job soon with her master’s degree. However, Renee doesn’t have a job or home 90 days later. For months, Renee and Imani lived in Renee’s car while she looked for work, and Imani attended school. And without an address, Renee can’t get assistance.
Renee gets an interview but must pick Imani up from school early. Imani called someone a bad name because that person teased her for being poor. Renee has 2 hours before her interview and calls her friend, Latoya, to watch Imani. Latoya agrees to childcare but isn’t home when Renee arrives. With 30 minutes until the interview, Renee drives to the workplace. She considers bringing Imani inside but recalls a past incident. The interviewer canceled when he saw Imani in the waiting room. Renee doesn’t want to lose this job opportunity, so she tells Imani to stay in the car. Renee arrives on time, but the interview starts 30 minutes late. It goes well, and the interviewer offers Renee the job. Renee leaves the interview on cloud nine until she sees police officers surrounding her vehicle. Someone saw Imani alone in the car during cold weather and called the police. They take Imani and arrest Renee. Renee must thrive and get Imani out of foster care. Can Renee succeed?
Inspired by actual stories, Renee faces a cascade of hardship. The script takes time to explain Renee’s situation so the audience doesn’t solely place blame on Renee. She is a widowed single mother who grew up in foster care. Her deceased husband shared her journey. So, Renee learned to rely on herself and doesn’t know how to ask for help. While being away from Imani is traumatic, Renee uses the time properly to regroup and rethink her perspective. She gives and receives assistance from others while attending therapy. This film displays the holes in the system while showing perseverance through adversity with astounding acting and different problematic origins. The conclusion doesn’t put a pretty bow on Renee’s life but ends honestly.
I give it 4.5 out of 5 stars
Did I do something wrong – Imani
I don’t deserve this – Renee
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Secrets in the Foundation – Review
Secrets in the Foundation – LMN – 2 hours and 0 minutes
Elena moves into her new home with her daughter, Sadie, and father-in-law, Jim. She wants to restart her life after her husband’s death and turn the house into a bed and breakfast. The family unpacks, and Sadie finds her room. She hears footsteps and calls out to Elena. Elena doesn’t answer, so Sadie walks into the hallway and bumps into Elena. Sadie asks why Elena didn’t respond, and Elena says she was downstairs. Sadie swears the footsteps were her mom’s, but Elena blames it on the old house. Later, Jim says he also hears noises but thinks it’s rats. Elena promises to call an exterminator.
Sadie attends her first day at her new school. She becomes a pariah when her classmates learn she lives in the ‘ghost house.’ However, one student, Dylan, wants to know more. He is creating a podcast about the home and would love to go inside. Several people died in that home throughout the years, and the history has become folklore. Sadie runs home to confront Elena. Elena says she got a good deal on the house but didn’t explain why. Elena warns Sadie that every home has had a death, so she shouldn’t listen to gossip. She implores Sadie to relax and adjust to their new home. When the exterminator can’t find rats, Elena worries that Sadie may be right. Can they find the secrets in the foundation before someone dies?
This movie starts as a mystery but foreshadows the culprit in the home’s history lesson. Viewers will deduce what’s happening, who’s doing it, and why. Afterward, the film loses its luster and falls into the Lifetime clichés. One thought-provoking moment is when Elena explains why she didn’t verbally agree with Sadie, despite thinking that Sadie was correct. The film has a low body count, but the death shocks the audience. This movie is watchable until the mystery is gone. Viewers will lose interest in the storyline after that.
I give it 2.5 out of 5 stars
Nope, not interested in anything you have to say tonight – Jim
You didn’t hear me just a second ago – Sadie
He’ll call you right back – Elena
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Fit for Murder – Review
Fit for Murder – Lifetime – 2 hours and 0 minutes
Police Detectives Wilson and Mogg drive to the middle of the Las Vegas desert because, earlier, someone reported a car engulfed in flames. After firefighters control the scene, the police investigate the burnt Jaguar. They open the trunk and find a body that’s bound and gagged. They use the license plate to uncover the owner, fitness competitor Kelly Ryan. The officers believe Kelly is in the trunk and cringe at telling Kelly’s husband, bodybuilder Craig Titus. When the officers knock on the door, Kelly answers. Kelly tells them that her former assistant, Melissa James, stole the car and could be the woman inside. Kelly explains that she recently fired her because she discovered Melissa was stealing from them. Kelly and Craig’s story doesn’t sit well with Wilson and Mogg. So, they ask the fitness icons to come to the station for more questioning. Officers will find a dark side to the fitness world that involves sex, drugs, and money.
Based on actual events, this non-linear movie follows Craig and Kelly from their first meeting with Melissa to their sad ending. The writers didn’t try to make anyone look ‘good’ by excluding their part in Melissa’s death. All three people involved had detrimental flaws. Kelly allows Craig to walk over her because she has low self-esteem. However, she doesn’t confront Craig. Instead, she takes it out on Melissa. Melissa falls in love with the fame and Craig’s admiration. She questions why Kelly hates her while having an affair with Kelly’s husband. Craig has always been on the wrong side of the law. He loves playing these women against each other while they adore him. The financial problems don’t help the troubled situation. The writing overcomes the film’s budget, but it’s not as salacious as other Lifetime ‘true crime’ films. Now, the storytelling can be off-putting for some. The non-linear format helps viewers see the crime from the detectives’ point of view. If you want to watch this film before it repeats on Lifetime, you can watch it on Tubi (FTC Affiliate Disclaimer).
I give it 3.5 out of 5 stars
How did you get into doing all this – Melissa
You follow me. Stay close – Craig
What the hell is happening – Kelly
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Hearts Around the Table: Shari’s Second Act – Review
Hearts Around the Table: Shari’s Second Act – Hallmark – 2 hours and 0 minutes
Shari’s loving family greets her as she returns to Maryland after divorcing her husband, David. Shari’s foster mother, Angie, is happy to have Shari back at the house, but Shari informs Angie that she won’t stay long. A co-op owner approved Shari’s application. It comes with an apartment, and Shari has her first portrait commission. She has the confidence to turn her hobby into a career.
Shari enters her new space, flicks the light switch, and sees sparks. The handyman, Evan, enters and offers to fix it. He says these older buildings require more work, but it’s worth it. He repairs it before Shari heads to Sunday supper with her family. During supper, Shari calls Evan handsome, and they all take notice. Josh, Jenna, and Kiki sweetly tease their sister.
Later, Shari and Evan spend time together while she buys art supplies. She meets his grandmother, Lindsay. Lindsay’s an artist. However, Lindsay sold her art for pennies to make ends meet. Now, she has lost her love for the art form and can’t locate her paintings. Evan has quietly been searching for them. Later, Shari discovers Evan owns the co-op building. His grandfather was the architect and left it to Evan in his will. He wants to create a studio space for artists to show their work. However, he needs help. Shari offers sound advice. Over the coming weeks, Shari has spent more time on Evan’s work than on her art. And she hasn’t found inspiration for her painting. She worries that she’s repeating the mistakes from her first marriage by putting Evan’s needs before her art. Her family echoes her fears. In Shari’s second act, will she get a second chance at love or error?
This movie follows Shari after her divorce. Angie nurtured Shari’s love of painting but saw it falter when Shari got married. However, Angie stayed mum. Shari’s ex-husband, David, is a diplomat. Shari lived the ‘high life’ but felt that David didn’t care about her passions. She supported him while her identity fell away. She moves and focuses on regaining her self-worth. It’s that story that will resonate with Hallmark fans. The act of self-discovery and doubt will make you fall in love with the characters. Her family shares her concerns but leaves room for Shari to find the correct path. Although the conclusion is foreseeable, you will watch until the end to see how Shari and Evan work out their differences. And the subplot between Josh and his player, Kyle, will break and melt your heart. This sequel is better than its predecessor and gives viewers something to look forward to in the next two movies.
I give it 4 out of 5 stars
I will call you whatever you like as long as the checks clear – Evan
Hey Shari – Josh
She just came back from bingeing all her world belongings – Jenna
Well, I didn’t forget – Kiki
What am I doing now – Rory
I’m a little bit of a work in progress – Shari
Sometimes life gets so busy that we forget to put our spirits first – Angie
Never sell yourself or your art short – Lindsay
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Categories: Brendan Morgan, Brock Yurich, Cadence Reese, Fit for Murder, Gabourey Sidibe, Give Me Back My Daughter, hallmark, Hearts Around the Table: Shari's Second Act, Home is Where the Harm Is, Julia Terranova, Kristi Murdock, lifetime, lifetime movie network, lmn, Made for TV, Mark Speno, Mindy Cohn, Mishael Morgan, movie, Paris Smith, review, Secrets in the Foundation, Spring into Love, Tory Trowbridge, tv review
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