R C

Uncomfortable, sometimes deeply, but amazing film. Took my breath away, especially in the first parts. Felt it kind of dropped off a bit tho. The beginning was more promising. Around the half point it started feeling simultaneously pressured to wrap everything up quickly yet unbearably slow too. The weird pace lacking in enough exposition and dialogue didn’t give these complicated relationships & flawed people enough room to really fully develop. I felt there was much more to the story that was simply snipped away for time constraints. Not very satisfying or conclusive. But maybe we aren’t supposed to feel like that after watching this. Regardless, imo the story would’ve been better as a limited series. Movies sometimes aren’t the best medium for such complex stories. Despite its shortcomings in the latter part and lack of resolution, I appreciated the film overall. To approach such a painfully unsettling, often avoided, controversial topic as childhood sexual abuse at all is either a very brave or a very foolish choice. Perhaps both. I don’t think the movie at all condones the actions of Gracie, Julianne Moore (excellent as always). I never felt like my opinion was being led or persuaded to support her actions or to excuse them. Instead, the movie encourages us to critically examine, contemplate, and investigate potential sources and reasons of why these things happen & why individuals make such appallingly reprehensible choices devoid of ethical or moral value. Why do some people eventually shift from CSA survivor or survivor of other childhood trauma/s into the role of predator and abuser? What warps previous victims’ perspectives to the point they choose to follow in the footsteps of the same people who scarred & destroyed them as children? This chain of trauma continues to grow, getting heavier every time it’s passed to another child and generation. Trauma literally changes our DNA, our brain structure & development, leads to physical & mental health issues and has far reaching longterm effects that ripple out across the world. Left unaddressed, without therapy & other interventions, the devastation will not heal properly And will often be passed on yet again in one or more ways. We are only just now getting a grasp on epigenetics. I think it’s important to point out Statistically and anecdotally, the vast majority of CSA survivors do not become perpetrators themselves. So what exactly causes that minor percentage of survivors to deviate so severely? Asking these difficult questions, openly discussing painful topics, admitting where & why trauma originates and how it’s passed on can help us treat & hopefully prevent it. I understand why people don’t prefer the film, but I believe it’s sometimes necessary to experience things we don’t enjoy or like. Getting out of our comfort zones can be revelatory. It makes us question things, including ourselves. If you appreciate engaging with differing perspectives, have an interest in taboo/controversial topics, are driven by simple morbid curiosity, and/or just enjoy watching great acting, definitely give the movie a chance. .

Reading some of these reviews has me wondering if most people just don’t get satires and parodies. This is very obviously meant to be “so bad it’s good”. I guess that’s not everyone’s cup of tea. It’s absolutely mine though. None of it is plausible, but why should it be? And yes, the dialogue is as corny and basic as you can get and the plot is all kinds of wacky. Pretty sure that’s the point. If you’ve ever watched a Lifetime movie, you’ll find the show very familiar. In fact, you might start noticing that the entire show is a strangely hilarious amalgamation of inspirational poster quotes, greeting card messages, and every Lifetime movie ever made. I tried to keep count every time there was a Lifetime cliche or trope, but I quickly lost count. Doing this as a drinking game would definitely lead to rapid alcohol poisoning. All the actors were great, especially the little girl. Kristen Bell’s sparkling cuteness and comedic flair made this so much more enjoyable than it would be with a different lead actor. Don’t watch it if you’re expecting a serious, in-depth drama, don’t appreciate or understand “so-bad-it’s-good” comedy, or if you dislike guilty pleasure types of entertainment. Do watch it if you enjoy spoofs/parodies/satire, you’re a casserole fanatic, and/or if you just love Kristen Bell.