Natalee Holloway (2009 TV Movie) User Reviews

Ripped from the headlines and unsolved

[juneebuggy · 5/10 · 28 January 2015]

The true story of Alabama teenager Natalie Halloway, who went missing while on a class trip in Aruba in 2005 and the subsequent desperate search by her mother (Tracy Pollen) for the truth behind her disappearance.

This is another one of those ripped from the headlines, made for TV dramatizations, that I tend to watch when I don't feel like thinking too hard. This one was just okay. I found Tracy Pollen's character to be very annoying and then I realized that was how she was supposed to be as the mother.

An interesting story that is made even more so because at the end you are left with more questions than answers. The mystery remains unsolved even with a video confession. I did find myself annoyed by the constant "if this was America" preaching. You're not in America and things are done differently in other countries. 08.13

Good message movie...

[MarieGabrielle · 7/10 · 8 May 2009]

While the performances are predictable and the story, well, we can see the same theme on "Nancy Grace"/HLN News every evening, it is important for teens and people traveling to small countries to be aware of the facts presented in this film.

Tracy Pollan is believable as Natalee Holloway's mother, a woman who is enraged and galvanized into action when she realizes the death of her daughter was covered up, the perpetrators protected. While certainly this is an upsetting situation, the victim herself was caught in a situation, not realizing the possible outcome.

I would suggest that schools promoting such trips be required to provide more guidelines, partying and having fun is all well and good, but when you are in a foreign country, especially if a female,and alone, you need to know how to protect yourself. Teens who have never traveled can scarcely be expected to safeguard against things they have never been made aware of.

The reality is that there is no such thing as international law. I was told this in Acapulco, after being injured in a hotel, the hotel paid the medical expenses, but the fact is that, if you are traveling to other countries you need to be aware of their laws. You must be aware of how to protect yourself, and please don't expect the American Embassy to help (See the films "Red Corner" with Richard Gere, and "Midnight Express" with Brad Davis).

Worth seeing for the message. Recommended. 7/10.

A mothers-and fathers-anguish.

[sol-kay · 6/10 · 12 September 2009]

**SPOILERS** Still making headlines over four years after it happened the disappearance of pretty 18 year-old Alabama high-school graduate Natalee Holloway has become one of biggest missing person mysteries since the disappearance of New York's State Supreme Court Justice Judge Crater back in the summer of 1930.

It all happening on the evening of May 29-30, 2005 when Natalee was partying with her fellow high-school graduates at the Carlos'n Charlie's Bar in Orangetown on the island of Aruba where they were spending the Memorial Day Holiday weekend. Getting very friendly with one of the local homeboys Joran Van Der Shoot Natalee had him buy her a drink that Joran, without her knowledge, slipped a Mickey-Finn into that zonked her out and put Natalee on queer street. Together with his two Surinomese friends Deepack & Staish Kalpoe Joran supposedly took a very out of it Natalee in his car for a ride back to her hotel. That was the last time that anyone ever saw Natalee alive again.

With Natalee not making her flight back home to Alabama her parents step-dad Jug Twitty and mom Beth flew down to Aruba to find their missing daughter. it's then that the real nightmare began for the Twitty's in not just that their daughter disappeared but may have possibly been kidnapped, and sold into a white slavery ring, but even murdered and deep sixth in the Caribbean Sea in order to hide the body by her killer or killers!

As soon as both Beth and Jug arrived on the island they were met with very little cooperation from the island officials that included top cop Det. Frank Sneider. Sneider besides stuffing his face with corn flakes was also a good friend of Natalee's suspected kidnapper or murderer Joran's dad Paul Van Der Shoot. Paul at the time was in line of being appointed a top judge on the island of Aruba. That in fact would not only have him be Sneider's good friend but boss as well! As the frustrated parents got nowhere with the local police, headed by Det. Sneider, in finding their missing daughter Natalee they went public causing a carnival atmosphere of reporters, from MSNBC CNN and FOX, who instead of helping find Natalee were only there to help their own slumping ratting! In them exploiting to the fullest a heart-breaking human interest story more then helping find the victim, Natalee Holloway, of it. It was Natalee's mom Beth who did all she could to find whatever happened to her daughter by going public and demanding the Aruban authorities find her daughter by embarrassing them in how incompetent they were. Still after all this time, four years and counting, there's never been a trace of evidence if Natalee is either alive or dead!

At the end of the movie were given an explanation to what really happened to Natalee by non other then her accused kidnapper or murderer Joran Van Der Shoot himself! Not to give away what Joran said, while under the influence of pot, it made about as much as sense, or nonsense, as anything else he said about the incident all throughout the film. The guy-Joran- himself said that even he doesn't believe anything that he says so why should we, the viewers, believe him!

As of today Natalee is still considered to be, by the FBI and the Aruban Police, a missing person. Still her concerned parents Jug & Beth Twitty have given up all hope in finding their daughter alive and just want closure so that they can go on with their lives and finally put their daughter Natalee behind them as well as to her eternal rest!

Fair TV Drama

[Michael_Elliott · 13 May 2009]

Natalee Holloway (2009)

** (out of 4)

Lifetime Movie Network produced TV movie tells the story of Beth Twitty (Tracy Pollan) who headed to Aruba after her 18-year-old daughter Natalee went there for a trip and turned up missing. The prime suspect was a local named Joran Van Der Sloot but his changing stories and possible cover ups by the police leaves this case unsolved. I admit to being one of those who heard about this case early on and followed most of it so I really didn't learn anything new by this movie. If you're familiar with the case then this movie isn't going to teach you anything and if you haven't heard of the case then I doubt the movie is going to tell you enough to get a full view of the case. There were many different stories told by the suspects and a couple of them are looked at here but in the end the movie just isn't strong enough to work. I found Pollan to go over the top way too many times and at points in the film she'd become quite annoying. The big prayer sequence was so over acted that I wanted to look away. Some could call this TV acting, which to me is unfair to say but I wasn't impressed. The direction is decent but the screenplay could have used some work. The film tries to tell a big message of being careful when you're overseas but I think it overlooks the biggest flaw in the real story and that's 18-year-old girls shouldn't be given the keys to run wild in a foreign place and getting drunk. The drinking issue is the real message that should have been given off because sadly, this isn't the first girl to get drunk and have something bad happen to her by the hands of a guy.

Typical pro American movie

[clndgd · 1/10 · 6 January 2010]

What an ironic movie. This Natalee Holloway story is just another girl disappearing on a holiday. I never got why everybody was making such a big deal out of it. Why is this case so special? Because really girls disappear everyday and i'm also horrified by it but making a movie about this case is just fishing for money over the heads of unfortunate people.

The thing i'm most discussed about is that this movie gives a wrong image about Aruba. Stereotyping the Aruban people in this movie is just unfair. They are portrayed as wrong and bad people and that no one should ever go to the island. The police is being called corrupt and imaged as bandits. Its often said in the movie that ''they'' just don't care and are not trying there best to find Natalee. Quite ironic though, i wonder how many little girls get abused and murdered in the states everyday. Not to talk about teenagers from the states going to Mexico. I'd like to see some movies of those cases.

Really this movie doesn't even deserve one star, because the acting and writing are also horrible. Its just a cheap flick made by gold-diggers that try to get more money over the death of an innocent girl, well personally i think it's sick. There's not a lesson to be learned from this movie so i suggest not to even bother.

1/10

exactly what you would expect

[HandsomeBen · 4/10 · 3 January 2021]

A mother looks for her missing daughter. the movie loses steam quickly and becomes repetitive. it's a lifetime movie so the acting isn't going to be very good. i can't help but think what makes this girl special, if it's not her race. this story is a good example of white privilege butting their ugly heads. white privilege because natalee was able to get her story out there and have mass media attention, but also white privilege because the guy was able to get away with what he did.

Well made

[phd_travel · 8/10 · 17 September 2010]

This is engrossing. So many twists and turns happened in the Natalee case with arrests and releases etc that it's hard to remember what happened. But this TV movie does a good job in showing what happened in fact and then a few alternate scenarios for her disappearance.

Of course now that Joran has been arrested for another murder we may finally know what happened but for the story till then - this is a good introduction.

Tracy is good as Beth. She could be annoyingly over dramatic but she isn't. The guy who plays Joran is good too.

It's a good warning for teens venturing abroad - Europe / Mexico etc just to make sure they don't trust strangers and have a plan to go home. Get your teen to watch this. Even the most sensible girl can make a mistake.

Natalee Holloway Warning

[abz638 · 9/10 · 5 May 2011]

I thought the movie about Natalee Holloway's disappearance was very well constructed. I believe that her story should be told in order to raise awareness for teens traveling abroad reminding them to never separate from their friends or family or leave their drink unattended. This movie serves as a very good lesson for teenage girls. The disappearance of Natalee was very accurately portrayed. I read several news articles regarding her disappearance and I think the movie adheres to the facts found in newspapers and magazines.

I don't think the movie attacked Aruba in any way. The police and investigators in Aruba were seen working with van der Sloot suggesting that their police may be somewhat corrupt. Van der Sloot comes from a wealthy family (as portrayed in the film) and many times money drives investigations and news, thus I believe this portrayal is accurate. I don't think the movie was biased in any way. The movie showed how Beth Twitty was frustrated with the lack of concern for her missing daughter so she took the investigation into her own hands. I do not blame Twitty for doing so. I am not a mother but if my brother or someone close to me went missing I would do anything in my power even if the Aruba government and people did not agree with me.

Overall I think the movie was excellent and every girl should see this film in order to enhance their awareness while traveling abroad as well as going out with friends close to home.

Riveting mystery drama taken from real events

[rbrb · 8/10 · 1 June 2010]

This film is engrossing. The acting, direction and screenplay is superb, and it deserves to be seen and it gets a high vote from me.

Natalee Holloway disappeared on May 30, 2005, during a high school graduation trip to Aruba, a Caribbean country within the Kingdom of the Netherlands.Apparently the last time any of her high school graduates saw her, was after leaving a club in Aruba in the company of 3 local males. All the actors give convincing and compelling performances especially the actress playing Natalee's mother.

The Aruba police investigated the case and that investigation was poor and likely corrupt and poisoned by local cronyism if not worse. It is a fact that the aforementioned males in the case lied about what happened, but none ever confessed in an admissable way outright criminality sufficient for a trial to take place.

The case attracted an international media frenzy, and in my view the media are responsible for hindering rather then helping the investigation with misplaced under cover attempts at detective work etc.

The actual mother of Natalee wrote the book from which this story comes, but whilst that gave me some concern about the reliability and authenticity of this movie, the basic facts as to what happened are portrayed properly in my opinion. Natalee was a first class person and had a bright future. OK so what that whilst on holiday Natalee was perhaps drunk a lot, and misbehaving as only teenagers can, and I am not surprised that the effect of her disappearance caused the mother to behave in the way she did.

The fact remains that the last people to see Natalee alive were the 3 males, who gave conflicting accounts of what happened. In that situation what inference do you draw? Whatever these males said about what happened has to be totally discounted unless corroborated by independent evidence. Therefore it begs the question: What reliable 'evidence' is there to say what truly happened?

Top notch drama, hence:

8/10