Lake Effects (2012)

After the loss of their father, two estranged sisters reunite with their mother at their enchanting family lake house and find that the secret to overcoming tragedy and rebuilding hope lies in their ability to look deeper at themselves.

Director:

Michael McKay

Writers:

Scott Winters, Michael McKay (additional material)

Stars:

Scottie Thompson, Jane Seymour, Madeline Zima

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Scottie Thompson	...	Sara
Jane Seymour	...	Vivian
Madeline Zima	...	Lily
Jeff Fahey	...	Ray
Casper Van Dien	...	Ash Henson
Sean Patrick Flanery	...	Mark Futterman
Ben Savage	...	Carl
Eyal Podell	...	Tyler
Richard Moll	...	Old Vic
Ron Canada	...	Winchester
Mary Beth McDonough	...	Elizabeth
Richard Riehle	...	Chairman McCarren
Liberty the Dog	...	Dobie
Jennifer Massey	...	Jeanne
Scott Winters	...	Dave Boyers

Storyline

Sara and Lily grew up at Smith Mountain Lake. Sara became estranged from the family and without explanation moved to Los Angeles to study law. Her sister Lily, an artist, teaches locally and lives with their parents, Ray and Vivian, until Dad dies in an accident. Sara returns to help settle his estate, and all our ladies cross paths with an eclectic group of local oddballs, as they search for a Loch Ness-style monster they believe lurks in the lake's depths. A few real Smith Mountain Lake characters make appearances. The next week at the lake is filled with adventure, tears, and laughter as Vivian and her two daughters finally understand, through the guidance of Dad's spirit, if they still belong on the lake, even though Ray is gone. All paths converge at the Smith Mountain Lake Wine Festival, on course for a heart-warming and hilarious collision.

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Plot Keywords:

lake | skinny dipping | houseboat | motor boat | wakeboarding | 

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Taglines:

Look Deeper

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Genres:

Comedy | Family | Romance

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Certificate:

Not Rated

Did You Know?

Trivia

Smith Mountain Lake was formed in 1966 when the Appalachian Power Company built the dam at the convergence of the Roanoke River and Blackwater.

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Quotes

Vivian: I thought you'd never get here.
Sara: I had to fly into Greensboro, its a two hour drive.
Vivian: I wish you'd come over the summer when I invited you. But I guess you won.
Sara: Won?
Vivian: Whatever cruel game you had going with your father. Now you don't have to see him after all.
Lily: Mom! She didn't mean that...

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Crazy Credits

There are two scenes during the first part of the end credits. The first one has the TV show guy asking women about the lake monster, and the second has the girl getting asked for directions as she is stopped on the side of the road.

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Soundtracks

The Perfect Storm
by Barefoot West

User Reviews

Thanks, Hallmark

Sara and Lily grew up at Smith Mountain Lake. Sara became estranged from the family and without explanation moved to Los Angeles to study law. Her sister Lily, an artist, teaches locally and lives with their parents, Ray and Vivian, until Dad dies in an accident.

The best hing about this film is the cast. Every great character actor is here, plus Jane Seymour and the nearly-forgotten Ben Savage. Unfortunately, it seems most of them gave the bare minimum level of performance, or the director simply did not attempt to get better out of them. The whole thing comes off as an amateur affair with no budget and actors eager to collect their (meager) paychecks and move on to the next project.

I am sorry to disparage something with the legendary Jeff Fahey, but Hallmark (much like Lifetime) is not known for its quality. If anything, they are known for trying to pull the heart strings of easily-affected house wives.

Details

Official Sites:

Official Facebook

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

6 May 2012 (USA)

Also Known As:

Au coeur de la famille

Filming Locations:

Smith Mountain Lake, Moneta, Virginia, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Life Out Loud Films (LOL)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

90 min

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.78 : 1