Alicia Morton
The tyranny, cruelty, and sheer hell of high-school peer pressure and teen bullying has seldom been so vividly realized as in this made-for-cable drama, which some critics have likened to the theatrical feature Mean Girls. Alexa Vega heads the cast as Vanessa, a popular straight-A student who enjoys the friendship of campus queen Stacey (Leah Pipes). But when a quarrel fomented by a couple of Stacey's envious hangers-on results in a rift between Stacey and Vanessa, the latter girl suddenly finds herself persona non grata. Treated as a leper by her schoolmates, Stacey is not only exiled from the "cool" lunch table and subjected to vicious insults and accusations in the hallway, but she is also victimized by a "Hate Stacey" website -- but when her mom, Barbara (Lisa Vidal), complains to the principal, she is bluntly told that the school has no authority over any non-school activities, no matter how odious they may be. Driven to desperation by this onslaught of hostility, Vanessa becomes dangerously self-destructive, and it takes the combined efforts of her mother and her fellow "outcast" Emily (Shari Dyon Perry) to restore our heroine's pride and self-esteem...and, ultimately, to get her real priorities back on track. Director Tom McLoughlin, hitherto a specialist in horror films, invests this adaptation of Rachel Simmons' novel with just the right amount of foreboding and subliminal evil. First telecast by the Lifetime channel on April 4, 2005, Odd Girl Out obviously struck a nerve with viewers, if the incredible outpouring of audience response in both print and on the Internet is any indication. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Alexa Vega, Lisa Vidal, (more)
- 2004
According to the Lifetime channel publicity, the made for cable Miracle Run was "inspired by the true story of the winner in all of us." The life of single mother Corinne Morgan (Mary-Louise Parker) is forever changed when she learns that both of her twin sons are autistic. The medical experts advice Corinne either to have the boys institutionalized or farm them out for adoption: The educational establishment writes off both kids as "unteachable" virtually before they ever set foot in a school. But Corinne is determined to the point of bullying that the twins will have as a normal a life as possible--and with the help of sympathetic handyman Douglas Thomas (Aidan Quinn), her hopes are fulfilled beyond her wildest dreams. Despite its optimistic outlook, the film stresses the fact that the lives of young Steven and Phillip Morgan will forever remain a steep and often treacherous uphill climb. Miracle Run debuted August 9, 2004. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Gregg Champion's heartwarming drama Dodson's Journey stars David James Elliott as James Dodson, a man attempting to salvage his relationship with his young daughter (Alicia Morton). James has been thrown off kilter when in quick succession his father dies and his marriage ends. He goes on a fishing trip with his daughter, attempting to bridge the substantial gap that has grown between them. The supporting cast includes Ellen Burstyn and Penelope Ann Miller. ~ Perry Seibert, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- David James Elliott, Brenda James, (more)
This made-for-TV adaptation of the hit Broadway musical (which was, in turn, based on the popular comic strip by Harold Gray) stars Alicia Morton as Annie, who lives in an orphanage run by the ill-tempered Miss Hannigan (Kathy Bates). Like the rest of the children, Annie doesn't like the orphanage and hates Miss Hannigan, so she's excited when famous and eccentric billionaire Daddy Warbucks (Victor Garber) picks Annie as the lucky orphan who gets to spend Christmas at his mansion. Warbucks is charmed by Annie's spunk and good spirits and is eager to adopt her, but Annie is convinced that one day her real parents will come back to claim her. Eager to make her happy, Warbucks offers a sizable cash reward to whomever can find Annie's mother and father; Miss Hannigan, seeing the possibility of an easy payday, concocts a scheme by which her brother Rooster (Alan Cumming) and his floozy girlfriend Lily (Kristin Chenoweth) will pose as Annie's long-lost folks. Andrea McArdle, who originated the role of Annie on Broadway, has a supporting role as the Star-to-Be. The musical was previously filmed in 1982, with John Huston in the director's chair. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Alicia Morton, Victor Garber, (more)
