This was a good movie with a great story! I liked Danielle Panabaker's character in this one. She plays a mom who is still in High School and has her divorced mom takes care of her son while she's in school. In the middle of the two of them is Jacy's sister Macy who is felling the abuse of the mother/daughter relationship. The father of the baby is nowhere to be found. That is, until the middle of the movie where we see Jacy going to see him and tell him that he has a kid! He doesn't believe her and rejects her! Jane Krakowski plays a teacher that talks about teen sex and having babies. The catch is, she can't have any kids. So she goes to a Dr. that tells her she has to adopt! It's definitely a good one to watch!!
26 Reviews
Surprisingly good!
natasha_travel25 October 2006
You see so many telemovies on the same subject and most of them follow the same script lines. Mom At 16 started, and I had no intention of watching, leaving it on for background noise. But a few minutes in, and I was glued to the screen. The acting was convincing and the dialogue natural. The storyline didn't follow the usual pattern, and the casting was well chosen. Mercedes Ruehl (Jacey's mum) has had several roles like this, and I thought at first that I'd find that off-putting. But she played it so convincingly and I felt her love for her daughter and her fierce determination to protect her family. I loved seeing Jane Krakowski in something after Ally McBeal, showing her definite talents as a dramatic actress. Overall, this telemovie had me so involved I felt Jacey's emotions with her, and at the end I couldn't even read the credits through my tears. Well acted, well scripted and well made. Surprisingly good for a midday movie and one that I'd happily (in tears!) watch again.
a very, very sneaky movie
the_butch22 February 2016
i came into this movie thinking it was just another same ole, bad acting lifetime movie that i caught on TV the other day so thought i'd sit through it. i sensed the kind of vibe the movie was trying to set within the first 10 mins and thought it'd head the way movies of a similar nature would go. but the movie got me hooked the more i watched and in the end, it caught me off guard in the most unexpected way.
i won't spoil it, but will just say that i was real surprised by this movie, being that it was a movie made for TV. powerful performances by danielle panabaker, jane krakowski and mercedes ruehl, and just, in general, a good, emotional story about the journey of a young mother.
now, THIS is what a made-for-TV movie should be like
i won't spoil it, but will just say that i was real surprised by this movie, being that it was a movie made for TV. powerful performances by danielle panabaker, jane krakowski and mercedes ruehl, and just, in general, a good, emotional story about the journey of a young mother.
now, THIS is what a made-for-TV movie should be like
Cried , and Cried some more...
mixed_tape_Recorder24 March 2005
This movie turned out to be one of my top favorite Lifetime movies. The emotion that was carried out in the movie was well done. I liked how they show what happens next once they have given birth because it's not like other movies that shows what's happening from when she finds out she is pregnant till she has the baby and then it just ends leaving the audience in mystery. I must say this film has made me cry so much , i haven't cried like that since "A walk to remember". This movie is definitely worth watching and it shows how teens are acting these days and gives a lesson in life. Danielle who had played Jaycee was an excellent actress and i don't think anyone else could have played such a part, i felt the emotions going through her as if i was with her through out her journey. This is a movie that almost anyone can relate to if you knew someone or were a young mother that had a dilemma.
Extremely cheesy, but fun
rosswilcock19 July 2019
This was one of those random finds on my On demand service apps. It was appealing as a fan of Daniele Panabaker.
This really does cater to the TV movie genre, which is not a bad thing in fact it's likely a good thing because you can forgive a lot more.
Even though it was filled with so much mellow drama and over or under acting from actors I still had a lot of fun with this film and also got a wee bit emotional. The story does become increasingly far fetched and a bit like oh wow they went there... ok but it was ok for what it was.
Daniele Panabaker who would move into The Flash and who was on Friday the 13th (2009) was very good in this film and one of my highlights.
A fun watch for on demons views who want a rainy day film to pass the time,
This really does cater to the TV movie genre, which is not a bad thing in fact it's likely a good thing because you can forgive a lot more.
Even though it was filled with so much mellow drama and over or under acting from actors I still had a lot of fun with this film and also got a wee bit emotional. The story does become increasingly far fetched and a bit like oh wow they went there... ok but it was ok for what it was.
Daniele Panabaker who would move into The Flash and who was on Friday the 13th (2009) was very good in this film and one of my highlights.
A fun watch for on demons views who want a rainy day film to pass the time,
Exceptional!!!
jaywriter22 March 2005
The way they portrayed this movie was absolutely exceptional. It was well filmed and well pieced together. In some ways it almost represented a documentary in the filming of discussions in class. Danielle Panabaker played the part of Jacey well. I could believe she was really the character she portrayed. The other characters were well written, but I saw a depth of understanding in Danielle that I didn't see in the rest, although they did a marvelous job as well. For once it wasn't a film of being pregnant, it portrayed what came next and I think that was a smart move. It was something new and different. The emotions running from this film, gave characters that people could relate too.
Pass the Tissues
night_godess_the_lonely_unicorn21 March 2005
Warning: Spoilers
When I first heard about this movie, I wasn't sure what I would think about it, but since I watch lifetime movies like they are a religion, I decided to. All I can say is that it was well worth it..I loved the cast and I loved the story line..I am a fan of Jane Krakowski, and I think that this was one of her better roles..I liked her character, a emotional, yet determined woman to become a mother..I can't imagine a better woman for the part..But of course, what made this movie, was Danielle Panabaker..She played an extraordinary part, and I think she played it wonderfully..She played a confused, scared single mother..It actually seemed like this was coming from a real 16 year old single mom..Most stories seem like they were written by a 35 year old male..This one was so well written, that you would think it came straight from a 16 year old girl's mind..It was definitely a great movie, that I would watch again in a heartbeat
A know-it-all look at what everyone think happens in HS, but doesn't
bkboo3173 April 2005
Warning: Spoilers
If your a fan of lifetime, you will probably find this movie "touching", "inspirational", and "realistic". If you are a teenager like myself who once and awhile stumbles across a movie such as this one, you will find it utterly phony and predictable.
The part that really annoyed me about this movie was the fact that when they would talk about girls doing slutty things in high school, or dress code violations, the girls would stand up and show themselves off while the guys whistle. Excuse me???? At least from my personal experience, that has never been the case. Yes the girls want to express themselves through clothes, but every time someone said "You look slutty in that outfit.", the girl who it was being directed to would blush or try to shrug it off.
The whole film was predictable, and I found myself saying "How much longer till she gives the baby to the blonde teacher and her husband?" The only part remotely enjoyable about it was the actress who played Jacey (awful name by the way). For some reason, I could not stop staring at her. Perhaps its because of her deep performance or perhaps the striking resemblance to Lindsay Lohan ala Freaky Friday. Those were the good IL' days...
The part that really annoyed me about this movie was the fact that when they would talk about girls doing slutty things in high school, or dress code violations, the girls would stand up and show themselves off while the guys whistle. Excuse me???? At least from my personal experience, that has never been the case. Yes the girls want to express themselves through clothes, but every time someone said "You look slutty in that outfit.", the girl who it was being directed to would blush or try to shrug it off.
The whole film was predictable, and I found myself saying "How much longer till she gives the baby to the blonde teacher and her husband?" The only part remotely enjoyable about it was the actress who played Jacey (awful name by the way). For some reason, I could not stop staring at her. Perhaps its because of her deep performance or perhaps the striking resemblance to Lindsay Lohan ala Freaky Friday. Those were the good IL' days...
loved it
kitty16118813 September 2006
I've seen this movie on lifetime and i think it was great. we actually got to see how hard it is to have and raise a child and what it takes to give it up for adaption. I loved the end where Jasey gave her son to the teacher to raise and then they showed the child saying that the teacher is his mother but that he came out "of my Jasey's stomach". The part where Jasey brought her son to school along with her friends who have or will have kids. It showed that even though those girls have kids they are still just like us. It was very inspirational, especially for those mothers, when the whole room stood up to applaud the girls for their courage.
This movie was stupid and unrealistic
ngrimme2 January 2006
Warning: Spoilers
The movie is about a sixteen year old whose mother takes care of her baby. This sixteen year old had sex and gave birth but assumes no responsibility for the child. Jacey the sixteen year old lives at home with her mom and sister. Doesn't every teen mother wish they could have their parents raise their child. NOT!! I was angry, its not a good idea to have a movie that praises a sixteen year old to have a baby and just let MOM take care of it.. It is all MOMS idea also to move the family and not tell the father of the child that he made a baby. How nice!! And yes predictable..This movie is so predictable about the couple that can't have a baby, which oddly enough is Jaceys sex education teacher..I am like okay how long till we see Jaceys baby in the crib of this teacher. Just give her the baby already. This teacher is being portrayed as very jealous woman. A woman who is jealous of young sixteen year olds that can get pregnant. YEAH thats something to be jealous over being pregnant and sixteen. This movie is just not realistic!!
An extremely moving movie.
ratbird-227 September 2006
Warning: Spoilers
Danielle Panabaker gives an amazing performance as Jacey, an obviously unhappy and depressed high schooler who lives with her younger sister, her over-bearing mother, and a young baby, who's night time cries have a bad effect on her. Her face shows all her emotions. You can see how she is torn between wanting to go to the baby, and angry that her mother isn't. As you see later on in the movie, from her younger sister's home-video's, Jacey, in her hospital bed after giving birth, just can't part with her baby boy. It is the most heart-wrenching scene in the whole movie, and watching her, you can just about feel her raw pain and anguish yourself. It is at this moment that her mother, dead-set against her daughter becoming a teen-age mother and not having a normal life, basically makes a deal with her daughter. A deal that leaves her in the depressed state that she is in. The baby will not be put up for adoption, but will be raised by her mother. As her baby. She is to make all decisions, she will be the one to take care of him, and no one can ever know the truth, ever. Jacey is to go along with her life as if nothing had ever happened. It is painfully obvious right from the start that this deal is just not working out for Jacey. She is suffering emotionally. You see flashbacks and photos of the love she had, and lost, when her mother packed-up Jacey and her sister and moved them when she found out about her daughter's pregnancy to a place where no one would know them. Jane Krakowski's character, the teacher who comes to realize that Jacey's brother is really her baby, seems to bring hope to Jacey. Even though she is dying to have a baby herself, she supports Jacey, directs her to a support group for teen-age mothers, and you see Jacey becoming stronger, even bringing the support group to her school to talk about the consequences of teen-age pregnancy and motherhood, and admitting to her classmates that little Charlie is really her son. When she reconnects with her love, Charlie's father, you really start rooting for her to take back her son, and make her own life and future, however hard it may be. Sadly, watching the video her sister made at the hospital, which makes it look as though she was forced into this arrangement by her mother, has the opposite effect on her. Instead of being angry at how her mother manipulated her, she is reminded of the promise she made....the promise that she would not be his mother. Other people say they saw the ending coming all along, but I was blown away. She ends up giving her baby to the teacher who tried to help her see that she did have a choice, and that she could be a teen-age mother. Great performances from everyone in this movie, but Danielle Panabaker's stands out. Her face alone, so sad and vulnerable, shows the emotions she's feeling all through the movie. She doesn't even need to speak and you just see the range of emotions she's going through. I can't wait to see this amazing young actress in future roles. A wonderful movie. If you cry at sad movies, make sure you have a box of tissues for this one.
Totally awesome movie, storyline and actors both amazing!
TearfulBreeze2 September 2005
Warning: Spoilers
This movie is completely amazing! I'll start with the storyline. The storyline in itself is awesome, never mind the actors. Jacey is a 16 year old girl who has had a beautiful baby boy, in secret. Her mother thought that it would be best that they kept it a secret and not to tell the father, so they did. Jacey was supposed to put the baby up for adoption but when push came to shove she just couldn't give her Son away, so her mum decides that she will raise the baby and Jacey will just go back to High School and lead a normal life, like it never happened. They move away but nothing changes, Jacey still wants her baby, she wants to be a mother. Throughout the movie it shows you the lives of two of her teachers, coach bob and Mrs cooper her councillor who are married. They have been trying for a baby for a year and cannot conceive, they were going to adopt a baby but the birth mother changed her mind at the last minute. Jacey becomes close to this family, although at the start she doesn't seem to want to know them. At the end of the movie, Jacey realises what is best for her son and lets the Coopers adopt him but she is a strong part of his life.
Danielle Parabaker plays Jacey so well, you can definitely connect with the character. Now, I next to never cry but at the end when Jacey decides to let the Coopers adopt her son,Charley, is so sad but yet happy. It made me cry because I felt like I could relate to her, like I was giving away my son, thats where Danielle really shows her true talent. I totally lost it at the very end when they were making the home video of Charley's first day at Kindergarden, I was in tears the whole scene!! Defiently recommend this movie!
Danielle Parabaker plays Jacey so well, you can definitely connect with the character. Now, I next to never cry but at the end when Jacey decides to let the Coopers adopt her son,Charley, is so sad but yet happy. It made me cry because I felt like I could relate to her, like I was giving away my son, thats where Danielle really shows her true talent. I totally lost it at the very end when they were making the home video of Charley's first day at Kindergarden, I was in tears the whole scene!! Defiently recommend this movie!
Amazing movie!
bananalee27 March 2005
This movie was awesome, and not just "awesome for a Lifetime movie", I would buy this DVD. They did a wonderful job and I was really pleased to see Danielle again since I remembered her from Sex and the Single Mom and a Disney channel movie.
I've been waiting for a new young mom movie since "Fifteen and Pregnant" with Kirsten Dunst was getting pretty old. Mom at Sixteen took a completely different path though. I don't know if they were aiming to make the viewer care more about Jacey than the baby, but I sure did! In most movies involving babies (since I have one myself) I find myself wondering what will happen to the baby, etc. Not this movie though, I was too focused on Danielle's character and what she was going to decide.
I honestly didn't care very much for Jane's character though, or Mercedes'! Maybe it's just me, but I didn't find anything extremely likable about them.
Bottom line, this is a great movie! All the good Lifetime movies seem to JUST be ending when I find out they're on, so now I use my TV search and program my TV so I don't miss it, I suggest you do the same!
I've been waiting for a new young mom movie since "Fifteen and Pregnant" with Kirsten Dunst was getting pretty old. Mom at Sixteen took a completely different path though. I don't know if they were aiming to make the viewer care more about Jacey than the baby, but I sure did! In most movies involving babies (since I have one myself) I find myself wondering what will happen to the baby, etc. Not this movie though, I was too focused on Danielle's character and what she was going to decide.
I honestly didn't care very much for Jane's character though, or Mercedes'! Maybe it's just me, but I didn't find anything extremely likable about them.
Bottom line, this is a great movie! All the good Lifetime movies seem to JUST be ending when I find out they're on, so now I use my TV search and program my TV so I don't miss it, I suggest you do the same!
16-year-old Jacey Jeffries is a teen mother of a 5-month old baby, who has to go through her life holding a secret. she pretends that her son, Charley, is her mother's child.
nickandalex3 April 2005
i love how this movie shows what can happen if you are a teen mother, and if people find out. i think it was heartwarming and some points honestly brought tears to my eyes. Danielle Panabaker gives a great performance in this movie. this movie, to me, is an excellent thing for teens and their parents to watch. even people who aren't teenagers yet may like this movie. this can really show you that having sex as a teen, or even preteen, has it's consequences. all in all, i really like this movie a lot.lifetime is doing a great job by using such hot, young actors/actresses in their movies. i most definitely give this movie two thumbs up and five gold stars.
Hate it
Wes479 June 2016
Warning: Spoilers
Agree with another reviewer who posted that this movie was made by people who have no idea what being a single parent or a high school student is like.
The characters we're supposed to relate to are completely unrealistic and extremely unlikable. They start taking drugs for no reason and get mad when they don't get their own way. One of the teachers injects herself with a fertility drug right there at school, and holds discussions about casual sex.
And I couldn't help but notice that the camera often aimed at their chests. They're supposed to be underage, so making a movie about girls taking drugs and talking about sex while zooming in on their breasts is way beyond creepy. But hating the parents for trying to be responsible while their kids take drugs and talk about sex is just cruel.
The characters we're supposed to relate to are completely unrealistic and extremely unlikable. They start taking drugs for no reason and get mad when they don't get their own way. One of the teachers injects herself with a fertility drug right there at school, and holds discussions about casual sex.
And I couldn't help but notice that the camera often aimed at their chests. They're supposed to be underage, so making a movie about girls taking drugs and talking about sex while zooming in on their breasts is way beyond creepy. But hating the parents for trying to be responsible while their kids take drugs and talk about sex is just cruel.
Amazing, was very emotional..
michaeleaton2 December 2005
Absolutely amazing.. What else can i say? I'm a 22 Year old male, and i do have a daughter of my own, this movie was great, from the start i was glued to the screen and i was still there at the end, and i didn't even move to grab a drink, or go the loo.
I found this movie very emotional, and near the end i was almost in tears, and had a lump in my throat.. i'm not ashamed to admit that.
What Jacey did was amazing and was a very tough decision for her, and i feel i can relate to how she felt, as i have been in this situation myself. I will certainly buy the DVD for this once its out.
10/10. Well done.
I found this movie very emotional, and near the end i was almost in tears, and had a lump in my throat.. i'm not ashamed to admit that.
What Jacey did was amazing and was a very tough decision for her, and i feel i can relate to how she felt, as i have been in this situation myself. I will certainly buy the DVD for this once its out.
10/10. Well done.
Done to death?
jenfromengland20 May 2007
When I sat down to watch this it was purely because I had nothing else to do; this subject area's been done to death. Unlike anything else I've seen, this film showed the young mother's perspective and I could actually feel Jacey's pain as she didn't know whether she'd rather have her baby or keep her secret. I also think it showed the incredible sacrifices mothers will make; most other films and programmes about this subject show cold mothers who either kick their daughters out or resent them if they stay, which is not always the case. I would recommend this film to anyone and I hope to see Danielle Panabaker in something else soon as her acting is second-to-none.
AMAZING and touching story
xoxovrmyhadxox13 January 2007
This was the most amazing and touching movie I ever saw. I'm a teenager who's mom got pregnant at a young age and she tells me nothing about her troubles as a pregnant teen so I think that this movie was very helpful and inspirational. When this girl got pregnant, she was faced with humiliation and the fact of raising a child but through it all she got to see what was right and I was just touched by this movie. If I ever got pregnant and gave the child up, I couldn't forgive myself but it was good to see that she could be a role model to all teenagers who want or have a baby. The fact that there are people who are trying to have a baby and can't and people who have a baby that don't want it is a fact that everybody should know.
Jealous of a Pregnant Sixteen-Year-Old?
Emily-65-Roses5 April 2006
Warning: Spoilers
From another comment...
"This teacher is being portrayed as very jealous woman. A woman who is jealous of young sixteen-year-olds that can get pregnant. YEAH thats something to be jealous over being pregnant and sixteen. This movie is just not realistic!!"
She's jealous because she and her husband are infertile. Not because she wants to be 16 and pregnant. Not being able to conceive and have children when you want to is very traumatic. Especially as a woman. It makes you feel like you're broken or faulty. Women are "supposed" to be able to get pregnant. Her jealousy is reasonable, whether or not it may seem like it on the surface. I see people getting pregnant all the time. By mistake. Or even purposeful pregnancies, where they're terrible parents. And it always makes me angry. Because people who actually want to have kids who physically can't have to jump through hoops and pay out the *ss to do it. While you can be 14, poor as dirt, and have a kid just because you have a uterus. It's ridiculous.
"This teacher is being portrayed as very jealous woman. A woman who is jealous of young sixteen-year-olds that can get pregnant. YEAH thats something to be jealous over being pregnant and sixteen. This movie is just not realistic!!"
She's jealous because she and her husband are infertile. Not because she wants to be 16 and pregnant. Not being able to conceive and have children when you want to is very traumatic. Especially as a woman. It makes you feel like you're broken or faulty. Women are "supposed" to be able to get pregnant. Her jealousy is reasonable, whether or not it may seem like it on the surface. I see people getting pregnant all the time. By mistake. Or even purposeful pregnancies, where they're terrible parents. And it always makes me angry. Because people who actually want to have kids who physically can't have to jump through hoops and pay out the *ss to do it. While you can be 14, poor as dirt, and have a kid just because you have a uterus. It's ridiculous.
Pretty impressive for a TV movie...
sweetpea1820914 July 2009
Finally, a realistic TV movie that does not irresponsibly trivialize the serious issue of teen parenting. Jacey is 16 and the mother of a 5-month-old little boy, Charlie. Her bitterly divorced mother is raising Charley as if he was her own, in an attempt to give Jacey her "life back". But Jacey can't stand living a lie. The living situation causes constant tension in the household, and Jacey's younger sister Macey is suffering from being in the middle of all of it. In the meantime, they are all adjusting to living in a new community, and the girls are adjusting to attending a new high school, one where teenagers have sexual relations on school grounds during classes. The promiscuity and casual sex is so overexposed in the school, Jacey finds it hard to concentrate. But the main idea, to this story, in my opinion, is that mothers will do anything for their kids. The relationship between Jacey and her mother is rocky, but remains the centerpiece.
Acting is first-rate, especially by Mercedes Rheul as the mom, and Danielle Panabaker, as Jacey. Also very emotional and positive.
Never before as a TV movie ever actually brought tears to my eyes. This is an enjoyable movie with a deep message.
Acting is first-rate, especially by Mercedes Rheul as the mom, and Danielle Panabaker, as Jacey. Also very emotional and positive.
Never before as a TV movie ever actually brought tears to my eyes. This is an enjoyable movie with a deep message.
Heart-felt with a great cast, engaging style
IMDB-User-480125 February 2010
Warning: Spoilers
I had some issues with what I felt were this movie's attempts at achieving emotional extremes through completely unrealistic portrayals of high school students, but overall I felt that the movie's many engaging elements outweigh those negatives. There were also some questionable elements which I think are positive but can't really decide. I'll start with the positive.
The film generally employs a hand-held style of cinematography, which I think was a good idea; however, if you are watching it online as I was, this can blend with occasional choppiness to make it look like your whole computer screen is jerking back and forth. You can do hand-held without going the full Blair Witch!
Danielle Panabaker, who plays the lead character Jacey, is exceptional. She really gets into the character, and her performance is compelling throughout. I like the way that Jacey wears glasses at home and contacts when going out -- I don't think I've seen a movie take that much attention to detail. And I don't think I've ever seen actors in her age range sell sex as well as she does in Jacey's brief romantic encounter with Brad. Also, I liked the scene in which she just kind of confusedly visits her teacher. We've all had days like that, where we wind up at the house of a trusted acquaintance, don't really know what we're doing there, and maybe wind up falling asleep on their couch. Clearly a lot of thought went into this screenplay.
The film employs kind of a gradual-reveal style of exposition, in which we don't definitively learn that Charley is Jacey's baby until about a quarter of the way in. It was perhaps hinted at, but it came across as a genuine surprise--somewhat rare today in movies--that we start 5 months into the baby's life.
The slow reveal also applies to the introduction of Brad to the film, which occurs maybe halfway through. What I found interesting was that the film had, up until this point, portrayed Jacey as intelligent and mature for her age. She hadn't really done anything to bother the viewer. But from Brad, we learn that she 1) hadn't spoken to him in several months, 2) nor had she told him about her pregnancy. It serves as a reminder that Jacey, though precocious, is only 16 and capable of erring.
The idea of Jayce's atypical loss of infallibility is emphasized too in the story, by Macey. Moving now into semi-negative territory, I found Macey's going-wild subplot to be more than a little strange, but I guess that the purpose was to show the influence that Jayce's irresponsible behavior had on her younger sister. Anyone with younger siblings may appreciate that subplot, even if its depiction was a little over-the- top.
It was refreshing to see Jane Krakowski in a role outside of 30 Rock. I generally liked her performance, except for her outburst in the first scene at her home, which seemed so overly dramatic that I could easily imagine it being a 30 Rock soap parody with Jenna Maroney cast as a character.
But then there was the high school. Now, things got off to a good start, and I do have to give the movie credit for showing rather than telling: as Jayce first walks the halls of her new school, the camera pans to show the very revealing clothing worn by many girls. After this, however, they dispensed with realism and went a very generically unrealistic route. You can't walk into the restrooms at this school without seeing people either smoking or having sex, making no effort to conceal either act. A dress code is often mentioned but never adhered to. In real life, a dress code violation means that you get into trouble; repeated violations lead to serious disciplinary action. Finger-length shorts, for example, isn't just a recommended guideline: it's a rule, the breaking of which can result in being kicked out of school. For this reason, students generally avoid breaking dress code; when occasional violations occur, they try to be inconspicuous about it, so as to avoid getting in trouble. Paradoxically, it seemed as if the screenwriters could accurately write individual high schoolers (Jacey) but not groups of high schoolers. (A standing ovation? Really??)
Most egregiously unrealistic, there was the the student body's reaction to news that Jayce is a teenage mother. At first, I thought that I was watching either a dream sequence or a Jayce's exaggerated internal paranoia, where everyone was conspicuously and audibly talking about her and, later, THROWING FOOD AT HER. Where did that come from? At what high school do kids start throwing food at someone just because she is a teenage mother? Answer: none. Even less believable considering that Jayce is beautiful and intelligent. I would think that her main problem would be receiving too much positive attention, being courted by lots of guys and worked into women's cliques and power struggles, a la Twilight or Mean Girls. Juno was a bit similar in this regard, as we had to believe that someone as smart, funny, and hot as Ellen Page's character would have only one close friend. Anyway, this was one extreme that I felt was contrived. but like I said, overall a great movie. 8/10 on a general scale, but 9.5/10 as far as made-for-TV movies go.
The film generally employs a hand-held style of cinematography, which I think was a good idea; however, if you are watching it online as I was, this can blend with occasional choppiness to make it look like your whole computer screen is jerking back and forth. You can do hand-held without going the full Blair Witch!
Danielle Panabaker, who plays the lead character Jacey, is exceptional. She really gets into the character, and her performance is compelling throughout. I like the way that Jacey wears glasses at home and contacts when going out -- I don't think I've seen a movie take that much attention to detail. And I don't think I've ever seen actors in her age range sell sex as well as she does in Jacey's brief romantic encounter with Brad. Also, I liked the scene in which she just kind of confusedly visits her teacher. We've all had days like that, where we wind up at the house of a trusted acquaintance, don't really know what we're doing there, and maybe wind up falling asleep on their couch. Clearly a lot of thought went into this screenplay.
The film employs kind of a gradual-reveal style of exposition, in which we don't definitively learn that Charley is Jacey's baby until about a quarter of the way in. It was perhaps hinted at, but it came across as a genuine surprise--somewhat rare today in movies--that we start 5 months into the baby's life.
The slow reveal also applies to the introduction of Brad to the film, which occurs maybe halfway through. What I found interesting was that the film had, up until this point, portrayed Jacey as intelligent and mature for her age. She hadn't really done anything to bother the viewer. But from Brad, we learn that she 1) hadn't spoken to him in several months, 2) nor had she told him about her pregnancy. It serves as a reminder that Jacey, though precocious, is only 16 and capable of erring.
The idea of Jayce's atypical loss of infallibility is emphasized too in the story, by Macey. Moving now into semi-negative territory, I found Macey's going-wild subplot to be more than a little strange, but I guess that the purpose was to show the influence that Jayce's irresponsible behavior had on her younger sister. Anyone with younger siblings may appreciate that subplot, even if its depiction was a little over-the- top.
It was refreshing to see Jane Krakowski in a role outside of 30 Rock. I generally liked her performance, except for her outburst in the first scene at her home, which seemed so overly dramatic that I could easily imagine it being a 30 Rock soap parody with Jenna Maroney cast as a character.
But then there was the high school. Now, things got off to a good start, and I do have to give the movie credit for showing rather than telling: as Jayce first walks the halls of her new school, the camera pans to show the very revealing clothing worn by many girls. After this, however, they dispensed with realism and went a very generically unrealistic route. You can't walk into the restrooms at this school without seeing people either smoking or having sex, making no effort to conceal either act. A dress code is often mentioned but never adhered to. In real life, a dress code violation means that you get into trouble; repeated violations lead to serious disciplinary action. Finger-length shorts, for example, isn't just a recommended guideline: it's a rule, the breaking of which can result in being kicked out of school. For this reason, students generally avoid breaking dress code; when occasional violations occur, they try to be inconspicuous about it, so as to avoid getting in trouble. Paradoxically, it seemed as if the screenwriters could accurately write individual high schoolers (Jacey) but not groups of high schoolers. (A standing ovation? Really??)
Most egregiously unrealistic, there was the the student body's reaction to news that Jayce is a teenage mother. At first, I thought that I was watching either a dream sequence or a Jayce's exaggerated internal paranoia, where everyone was conspicuously and audibly talking about her and, later, THROWING FOOD AT HER. Where did that come from? At what high school do kids start throwing food at someone just because she is a teenage mother? Answer: none. Even less believable considering that Jayce is beautiful and intelligent. I would think that her main problem would be receiving too much positive attention, being courted by lots of guys and worked into women's cliques and power struggles, a la Twilight or Mean Girls. Juno was a bit similar in this regard, as we had to believe that someone as smart, funny, and hot as Ellen Page's character would have only one close friend. Anyway, this was one extreme that I felt was contrived. but like I said, overall a great movie. 8/10 on a general scale, but 9.5/10 as far as made-for-TV movies go.
Very predictable
francoischristana8 August 2021
A 16 year old girl name Jacey had a baby at 16, but her mother is raising the child to let jacey have a normal life. Jacey starts to rebel against her mother wanting to raise the baby on her own until she see how hard it is and decides to let a teacher couple who been trying to get pregnant adopt the child with an open adoption agreement. This is most young girls life right now and they should know there are options if they feel like they are not ready to be a mother.
Accurate and still has lifetime flair
annie42126 March 2005
The one thing I usually hate about lifetime movies is that it seems that its main goal is to see how much a person can cry after watching the movie. This one was no exception on the fact that it does make you cry but it stands different in the fact that the tearjerker factor comes from the fact of how accurate it tries to be. In fact the accuracy of the movie kind of makes it hard to watch at times. Maybe its because of the shaky documentary feel... But you could argue that adds to the realism of it so.. Nevertheless it was a movie well worth the two hours. 4.5 out of 5.
it loses a point for commercials that kind of spoil the ending and a few points for a few lose ends.
it loses a point for commercials that kind of spoil the ending and a few points for a few lose ends.
better than i thought
carolyn-4427 March 2005
this movie was actually pretty interesting. unlike most teen-mom movies, the entire thing takes place AFTER the baby is born. instead of the rebelling teen who ends up pregnant and makes her decision by the end of the movie, this movie starts with a girl whose mom has decided to raise the baby for her. expectedly, it is not quite as fairy-tale as the ends of those other movies assume it to be. danielle panabaker does a great job, you can see how much she wants to be a mom to the baby, yet can't quite handle it. the little sister video tapes everything, which allows the viewers to see the past, thus building up the characters a bit more. i would definitely recommend the movie, and a box of tissues to go with.
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