Susan Graham – Google

I seldom write reviews, but for this gem, I just had to. I can't say enough about the emotions I experienced right along with Melody. From her frustration, to her joy, love, happiness, annoyance, courage, strength, determination, excitement, anger and at a rare moment or two, her self-pity. The highs and lows of her experiences left a lasting impression on me that I won't soon forget. This movie left me feeling grateful and humble. To feel as if you don't have a voice has to be one of the most frustrating experiences anyone could ever go through. But Melody perseveres with class and the courage I inspire to achieve. Absolutely LOVED this movie. Btw, I read a 3 star review that has me thoroughly confused! This movie was NOT about "Jennifer" as the reviewer said. The lead was obsessed with her and Jennifer Aniston was her voice, but trust me.....no one thought about Jennifer and the focus was entirely on the lead character, the little girl with CP.

I was astounded at the 1 star reviews until I began to read them. I understand now. This movie is ONLY interesting if you have the intelligence to follow it. Some called it boring while others said it was difficult to follow. Of course it is if you simply can't! I assume these are the same reviewers who would just love a simple story line with no drama. Some raters mentioned the dark and emotional basis of the film....with no warning. That's ridiculous because darkness, pain, sorrow, fear, anger, abuse and grief is a part of most of our lives. Maybe not abuse for everyone, but life is NOT wrapped in a pretty bow. Looking at the positive, it made me feel grateful in the end, not dirty. Someone stated that the name of the city was made up and went into a long dialogue about the geography of NC. Ummmmm, okay....a great deal of cities are made up in movies. Cities, people, planets, companies, buildings, etc. This one had me baffled. Some said it was all over the place.....well it's understandable that they would find it hard to comprehend because let's face it.....this movie is intended for those of us (the majority) who can appreciate a good drama, crime thriller, a little action, comedic moments and ROMANCE! Let's look at what makes a movie a GOOD movie: First, the actors.....hands down superb in every way. Casting was on point. Second, the plot. Not predictable in any way. The performance left you wondering what was going to happen next instead of guessing....and being correct! Third, the twist! No spoilers here, but oh my! Fourth, the cinematography. Not a lot of computer generated imagery here. Very realistic. And lastly, this movie is very unique, invoking an array of emotions, most dark. Not a lot of movies about a little girl "raising" herself in a marshland. In essence, GREAT movie, but only for those of us who can appreciate it for what it is. To be honest, I had no problems following the movie at all.....I just paid attention and didn't look for excitement or action at every turn!

Well, that's 90 minutes of my life I'll NEVER get back! The only reason I rated this movie 2 stars is because Russel Crowe is truly an amazing actor. As for the plot, it was okay as far as road rage goes. As for the reviews about the violence, I personally think that although there is a great deal of violence, I've honestly seen much more in several movies. SPOILER ALERT: What absolutely irked me with this movie was the number of just plain stupid choices the "heroine" makes throughout the entire film, beginning with not setting her alarm so she could for once get her son to school on time. She obviously also came home the day before with an empty tank of gas and ended up having to stop for gas. She stayed on the phone a very long time talking to this maniac while he was in the restaurant, killing her friend by the way. Later, when she was made to choose a contact from her phone, which she foolishly left in an unlocked car, she decided to call 911 and report her ex boss was in danger instead of mentioning her son, mother and home FIRST! To be honest, mentioning Deborah would have actually been an afterthought! But no, she directs them to Deborah's home first, leaving her brother and his fiance in mortal danger. Then she goes to the school, grabs her son, and breaks the ONLY contact to law enforcement, his cell phone! AND, she knows he must be tracking her somehow and thinks its through his flip phone, which she has because he switched the phones out while she was in the gas station. Later, instead of turning the tablet off when she realized he was driving her neighbor's van, and staying BEHIND him, she decides to pass him! What did she think would happen? Later, when they lost him in the "maze" instead of going in to hide with her son, and wait on the police, she decides to hide outside and then ram him with a car. She then proceeds to get knocked out. Her stupidity irked my nerves to no end!!