Childhood Sweetheart? (TV 1997)

Karen and Greg were childhood sweethearts. Twelve-year-old Karen mysteriously disappears on her way to Greg's house. Seventeen years later, a woman claiming to be Karen shows up outside ... See full summary »

Director:

Marcus Cole

Writer:

Devra Maza

Stars:

Melissa Gilbert, Michael Reilly Burke, Ed Lauter

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Melissa Gilbert	...	Karen Carlson
Michael Reilly Burke	...	Greg Davis
Ed Lauter	...	Sheriff Bowman
Leon Russom	...	Lt. James Walker
Barbara Babcock	...	Rose Carlson
Ronny Cox	...	Warren Carlson
Rutanya Alda	...	Maureen
Stephanie Erb	...	Sandra
Jeanine Jackson	...	Emily
Derek Webster	...	Lowell
Anthony Alexander	...	Deputy
Keith MacKechnie	...	Passport Clerk
Cissy Wellman	...	Guest #1
Janet Wood	...	Guest #2
C'Esca Lawrence	...	Guest #3

Storyline

Karen and Greg were childhood sweethearts. Twelve-year-old Karen mysteriously disappears on her way to Greg's house. Seventeen years later, a woman claiming to be Karen shows up outside Greg's window. She tells Greg that she was abducted by a man who kept her prisoner for years. Greg and Karen's mother are convinced that this woman is Karen. However, Karen's father and the police detective who has been searching for Karen all these years have their doubts. A small-town sheriff contacts the police detective and says the woman claiming to be Karen may be wanted for murder.

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Plot Keywords:

childhood sweetheart | mistaken identity | kidnapping

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Taglines:

After seventeen years, a missing girl returns home. But is she a long-lost friend or a cold-blooded killer?

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Genres:

Drama

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Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

18 March 1997 (USA)

Also Known As:

Rückkehr aus dem Nichts - Tochter was hast du getan?

Company Credits

Production Co:

Daniel H. Blatt Productions, Lakeside Productions, Warner Bros. Television

Technical Specs

Runtime:

120 min 120 min

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

User Reviews

Two thumbs-up from a TV movie skeptic

One of the best TV movies I've seen. I get a kick out of giving movies of this genre the MST3000 treatment, jabbing at the often ho-hum plots and predicting what's going to happen at every turn to anyone unfortunate enough to be watching with me. I often have the mysteries solved, and the plot licked, by about half-way through, and in most cases, I don't feel particularly compelled to sit through the second half. This one, however, captured me-- and although I did have it figured out pretty early on, it had just enough plot twists to keep me interested. The theme was very romantic, and haunting; the characters were realistic, emotional, and nicely developed and portrayed; the cinematography, especially from the haunting flashback scenes, was great; and the story was a teaser-- I caught every hint the writers' dropped, and they left me begging for more-- it was strangely enthralling: I saw it two hours ago, and I still can't get it out of my head. I enjoyed this film very much, and I think I would gladly watch it again. That's a lot coming from me.