Terror in the Family (1996 TV Movie)
Nothing great
28 December 2000
This movie is an alright TV movie. Nothing spectacular but I could watch it again.

Hilary Swank plays a teen who becomes aggressive and violent with her family. Between the constant bickering at home, and running away to spend time with her boyfriend, her life turns out to be more than she can handle.

Swank acts out the role very well but at times her character becomes a little too annoying to handle. Joanna Kerns plays the alcoholic mother who just can't seem to control her daughter as it seems like she's always the one getting knocked around. Kerns is believable as an alcoholic but tries to be a little too complex for her role. Dan Lauria plays the distant father. He acts a little better than Kerns and his character doesn't involve too many sentimental moments, so it's easier to handle him. Everyone else does a good job.

The plot is good but it tends to drag on a little too long. Half of the film could have been cut and it wouldn't have made a difference. After two or three scenes of seeing Swank become violent with her parents, I wanted to turn it off. But I didn't. The ending was alright but like I said, it dragged on and on.

Overall, this is a good TV movie. If you're in the situation like the family that the story revolves around, you might want to watch this.
5 out of 8 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink

Recently Viewed