Whew!! I don't know what the other viewers actually saw, but what I saw was a Hot Mess!! -Middle School level script -horrible acting -dark overdone background music -The Most Implausible Plot Ever!! Really?!?!-a pregnant woman is willing to stay alone in a strange town when it is obvious (even to the Middle School student that wrote this) that she is endangering her baby?!?! A review of the votes was unbelievable as well. The only thing that I can imagine is that half of the people voting are lying about their ages and they are also Middle School students!! It was nice to see Yannick Bisson. His face was the only saving grace. It is odd to see that even though he had a 'major' role he was all the way at the bottom of the cast list. I personally think that he asked for this so that he would not have to be associated with This Real DOG!!
7 Reviews
I only watched this for Yannick Bisson
juneebuggy24 May 2015
Well this was pretty bad; cheesy, stilled dialogue, overdone background music, bad decisions and just all-round kinda dull.
Truthfully I only turned this on because I saw Yannick Bisson's name attached and well...Murdock Mysteries. He plays a secondary character here, the nice guy (as per) DA husband of the main character. In the opening scenes we learn his wife is pregnant and then discovers she was adopted. 'Lori' spends about 2 minutes searching for her birth mother and once reunited begins to uncover a mystery surrounding why her mom gave her up for adoption, why her father is in jail for murder and who killed her grandfather.
The story itself was okay I guess, there is some mystery here especially in the beginning as you also follow some bearded dude in jail. The birth mother was a weird character; weak frightened, she just seemed crazy, as was everyone else in the small town Lori travels to.
I will say that the bad guy gave me some (unintentional) laughs. Completely over-the-top and clichéd as he covers his tracks and threatens people. For the most part this was just a waste of time. 5/17/15
Truthfully I only turned this on because I saw Yannick Bisson's name attached and well...Murdock Mysteries. He plays a secondary character here, the nice guy (as per) DA husband of the main character. In the opening scenes we learn his wife is pregnant and then discovers she was adopted. 'Lori' spends about 2 minutes searching for her birth mother and once reunited begins to uncover a mystery surrounding why her mom gave her up for adoption, why her father is in jail for murder and who killed her grandfather.
The story itself was okay I guess, there is some mystery here especially in the beginning as you also follow some bearded dude in jail. The birth mother was a weird character; weak frightened, she just seemed crazy, as was everyone else in the small town Lori travels to.
I will say that the bad guy gave me some (unintentional) laughs. Completely over-the-top and clichéd as he covers his tracks and threatens people. For the most part this was just a waste of time. 5/17/15
My Mother's Secret ***1/2
edwagreen10 July 2012
Warning: Spoilers
A teacher married to a lawyer announces that she is pregnant and is then told by her mother that she is adopted!
In discovering her birth mother, she and the rest of us are in for quite a ride dealing with blackmail, murder, framing someone else for murder for 35 years and just pure excitement in this nicely paced thriller.
How nice that our teacher is married to an Assistant D.A. and that she can take time off for some sleuthing on her own.
What a mess she uncovers when her real father was jailed for life for murdering her real grandfather. Her real mother, named Evelyn Wells, has been drugged for years by her brother. You should be able to ascertain who the real killer is here.
In discovering her birth mother, she and the rest of us are in for quite a ride dealing with blackmail, murder, framing someone else for murder for 35 years and just pure excitement in this nicely paced thriller.
How nice that our teacher is married to an Assistant D.A. and that she can take time off for some sleuthing on her own.
What a mess she uncovers when her real father was jailed for life for murdering her real grandfather. Her real mother, named Evelyn Wells, has been drugged for years by her brother. You should be able to ascertain who the real killer is here.
An imperfect, but pleasantly watchable, film noir
Eric_M_Blake30 March 2013
Warning: Spoilers
The protagonist investigates a crime that hits all too close to home-- and in so doing, becomes all too aware of her newfound isolation amid the world she now enters. Those who can help are either separated from her from a distance, or are in over their head, themselves--being threatened, manipulated, or worse.
Such are ingredients of many a good film noir. And such are the ingredients of "My Mother's Secret".
Nicole deBoer is brilliant, as always, as the heroine of the story--a mother-to-be turned amateur detective, who seeks to answer the question, "Who am I--really?" Is she the daughter of a murder/rapist--the product of a twisted, tragic act? Or...has her father been framed for a crime he didn't commit--by what seems like the entire town?
Let me address the first issue I have: The first twenty minutes or so feel pretty rushed--to put it mildly. BANG--she reveals to her husband she's pregnant. BANG--her "mother" reveals she was adopted. BANG--she goes to the town where her real mother lives.
After a bit, though, the storyline "settles", and we have a good, tense, well-plotted woman's thriller. The characterization is good--the cast is well put together, with (as I said) an excellent lead in Miss deBoer. Her character's husband is good, too, passable as a smart and caring, yet reasonably tough, assistant DA. The tension builds, as her character uncovers layer after layer of corruption and cover-up. Still, she has yet to realize the depths of the danger she has put herself--and her child--into....
Still, aside from the beginning, the film is not without its faults. As typical for many TV-movies, the music is a little TOO pervasive, at times. The "nightmare" sequence is frankly clichéd, and cringe-worthy. Also, the climax doesn't feel as satisfying as it could have been. The problem, to be honest, is that Nicole's character basically takes a back seat, standing back and watching as events come to their conclusion. In a good plot, the protagonist MUST have an active roll in the climax, not just watch and act shocked.
Aside from that--and what I feel is a bit of a "rushed" epilogue--it is a very enjoyable film. It may sound redundant to praise Miss deBoer's acting again--but I must, as she carries the film beautifully, in spite of its flaws. Watching this makes me more than a little regretful that she hasn't been cast in anything major since Deep Space Nine or The Dead Zone.
Such are ingredients of many a good film noir. And such are the ingredients of "My Mother's Secret".
Nicole deBoer is brilliant, as always, as the heroine of the story--a mother-to-be turned amateur detective, who seeks to answer the question, "Who am I--really?" Is she the daughter of a murder/rapist--the product of a twisted, tragic act? Or...has her father been framed for a crime he didn't commit--by what seems like the entire town?
Let me address the first issue I have: The first twenty minutes or so feel pretty rushed--to put it mildly. BANG--she reveals to her husband she's pregnant. BANG--her "mother" reveals she was adopted. BANG--she goes to the town where her real mother lives.
After a bit, though, the storyline "settles", and we have a good, tense, well-plotted woman's thriller. The characterization is good--the cast is well put together, with (as I said) an excellent lead in Miss deBoer. Her character's husband is good, too, passable as a smart and caring, yet reasonably tough, assistant DA. The tension builds, as her character uncovers layer after layer of corruption and cover-up. Still, she has yet to realize the depths of the danger she has put herself--and her child--into....
Still, aside from the beginning, the film is not without its faults. As typical for many TV-movies, the music is a little TOO pervasive, at times. The "nightmare" sequence is frankly clichéd, and cringe-worthy. Also, the climax doesn't feel as satisfying as it could have been. The problem, to be honest, is that Nicole's character basically takes a back seat, standing back and watching as events come to their conclusion. In a good plot, the protagonist MUST have an active roll in the climax, not just watch and act shocked.
Aside from that--and what I feel is a bit of a "rushed" epilogue--it is a very enjoyable film. It may sound redundant to praise Miss deBoer's acting again--but I must, as she carries the film beautifully, in spite of its flaws. Watching this makes me more than a little regretful that she hasn't been cast in anything major since Deep Space Nine or The Dead Zone.
My Mother's Secret
marsnook200716 July 2012
Warning: Spoilers
I thought this movie was fantastic and it kept you on your toes wondering how the Sheriff had such a hold on Evelyn and Jonas.
It showed just how the Sheriff brainwashed them in thinking that Jonas could go to jail for something he did in defending his Sister from being killed by their Father.
The Sheriff was greedy and just was thinking of his pocketbook and couldn't care less about anybody and didn't care who he killed to keep it.
When Jonas was told by the Sheriff to take care of Lauren, he really didn't want to do it and was thinking about what to do.
The only problem I had at the end of this movie was they didn't show what happened to Jonas after everything was cleared.
It showed just how the Sheriff brainwashed them in thinking that Jonas could go to jail for something he did in defending his Sister from being killed by their Father.
The Sheriff was greedy and just was thinking of his pocketbook and couldn't care less about anybody and didn't care who he killed to keep it.
When Jonas was told by the Sheriff to take care of Lauren, he really didn't want to do it and was thinking about what to do.
The only problem I had at the end of this movie was they didn't show what happened to Jonas after everything was cleared.
Removing Skeletons From the Closet
lavatch25 June 2020
Warning: Spoilers
In "My Mother's Secret," the protagonist Lori Coulson's primary trait is her tenacity. Pregnant at age 34, Lori learns for the first time from her mom that she was adopted. Thus begins the quest of Lori to discover the identity of her birth parents.
Lori's odyssey takes her from New York to a small, upstate town, a sleepy community with deep, dark secrets. Lori's birth father is Garrett Fowler, who is serving a life sentence in prison for the murder of Lori's grandfather, a powerful and unscrupulous businessman.
Lori's mom, Evelyn, is a recluse and a pill popper. When Lori first meets Evelyn, it is clear that the mom is withholding information about her past. After Lori visits her dad in prison, she comes to the conclusion that he was framed for the killing. The major question is who killed the patriarch and what was the motive.
The key figures that Lori encounters are her shady uncle Jonas and the corrupt town sheriff, John Greely. It is due to the bonding of Lori with the honest female deputy Kane that she is able to peel away the layers and get the truth about her sordid family legacy.
The cast was great and led by the actress playing Lori in an understated manner. Another excellent performance was that of the actor playing Lori's husband Dennis, who worked at the New York District Attorney's office and used his connections to learn more about Evelyn and her brother Jonas. Above all, the connection of two strong women, Lori Coulson and Deputy Kane, forced the skeletons out of the closet, bringing order out of chaos, and culminating in peace of mind for an expectant mom and her long-suffering mother.
Lori's odyssey takes her from New York to a small, upstate town, a sleepy community with deep, dark secrets. Lori's birth father is Garrett Fowler, who is serving a life sentence in prison for the murder of Lori's grandfather, a powerful and unscrupulous businessman.
Lori's mom, Evelyn, is a recluse and a pill popper. When Lori first meets Evelyn, it is clear that the mom is withholding information about her past. After Lori visits her dad in prison, she comes to the conclusion that he was framed for the killing. The major question is who killed the patriarch and what was the motive.
The key figures that Lori encounters are her shady uncle Jonas and the corrupt town sheriff, John Greely. It is due to the bonding of Lori with the honest female deputy Kane that she is able to peel away the layers and get the truth about her sordid family legacy.
The cast was great and led by the actress playing Lori in an understated manner. Another excellent performance was that of the actor playing Lori's husband Dennis, who worked at the New York District Attorney's office and used his connections to learn more about Evelyn and her brother Jonas. Above all, the connection of two strong women, Lori Coulson and Deputy Kane, forced the skeletons out of the closet, bringing order out of chaos, and culminating in peace of mind for an expectant mom and her long-suffering mother.
bad crafted
Kirpianuscus13 October 2022
I saw the film only for Yannick Bisson. Unfortunatelly, at the end of it, the motif was exactly the same. Because , it is just a bad crafted film. All seems only improvised, the acting is less decent and the dialogue is awfull and the mistery/ secret is unrealistic to absurd. Sure, a lot of good intentions but nothing works .
It is only a film about way to define yourself , knowing yours roots. Nice premise , terrible used.
And this is the real problem because the pieces of story are random used. Because my business of sheriff is expression of real bad inspiration.
But, sure, maybe, for Yannick Bisson and for inn , it deserves a slice of loisir to see it.
It is only a film about way to define yourself , knowing yours roots. Nice premise , terrible used.
And this is the real problem because the pieces of story are random used. Because my business of sheriff is expression of real bad inspiration.
But, sure, maybe, for Yannick Bisson and for inn , it deserves a slice of loisir to see it.
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