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Reviews
Amber's Story (2006)
Performances of Elizabeth Rohm and Teryl Rothery
This movie aired on the Lifetime Channel 9/4/06.
Elizabeth Rohm is known to most as ADA Serena Southerland on Law & Order. A stunning green-eyed blonde. However, in this movie she take on the role of Donna Whitson - the mother of Amber.
Amber's abduction was the precipitating event that drove the institution of the nationwide AMBER ALERT system.
Elizabeth was practically unrecognizable as the Law & Order beauty with Donna's dark hair and southern accent. There will probably be some who will say the accent was exaggerated or over the top. However, as a resident of Texas (Donna is from Arlington) it is my opinion Elizabeth delivered a realistic performance.
In her performance she displayed the grief, fear, and ultimately the strength that a parent needs to go on in the face of their worst nightmare. Not only did Donna Whitson go on, she became instrumental in forwarding the cause of the AMBER ALERT.
Also delivering an outstanding performance is the lovely Teryl Rothery. Teryl portrays Shannon Timmons, a mother whose daughter, Nichole Timmons, was abducted from their home a few years after Amber's abduction.
Fans of Teryl will be pleased to see her in this role. This actress is seen far to infrequently since her character (Dr. Janet Fraiser) was killed off on the TV series Stargate SG-1. And her performance in this movie is flawless. Teryl always bring that 'something more' to her craft.
Nichole's story is one of abduction by someone known to Shannon for 10 years. A 62 year-old neighbor who babysat Nichole after school. Shannon sensed there's a problem with neighbor Glen Park and his actions concerning Nichole.
Her concerns were confirmed one day when she picked up Nichole at his place. She saw evidence of his obsession with her daughter and immediately took steps to eliminate him from their lives.
However, Shannon's worst nightmare is made a reality when Glen breaks into her home and abducts Nichole out of her own bed in the middle of the night.
Nichole Timmons' story fortunately ends with a better outcome for Nichole than Amber's. Due to the AMBER ALERT system, Nichole was found and returned to her mother. And Glen Park is serving 5 years in prison.
This movie is unfortunately the telling of a true tale. One that is timely, relevant and a must see for every parent who thinks it could never happen to them.
I for one hope LIFETIME releases this movie on DVD, so that parents everywhere can have the opportunity to watch it. I highly recommend this movie to everyone who ever loved a child.
The Closer (2005)
gritty and unafraid
I really enjoyed the first season of this series. Despite the animosity faced by the lead character, she perseveres and proves herself by simply being herself. I love the fact that this series doesn't avoid real life issues and alternate lifestyles, making this a gritty and enjoyable experience. There are enough twists and unexpected turns, to keep most people from guessing the outcome very often. I'm really looking forward to the second season! Hopefully the second season will reveal more about our heroine's past and what events in her life have made her into the complicated character we see. And now that she's earned the respect of her unit, it will be interesting to watch the interdepartmental dynamics that were such a integral part of the first season.