Girl Fight (2011 TV Movie) User Reviews

Moving story results in a good movie!

[roth81 · 7/10 · 3 October 2013]

The film was inspired by a 2008 beating in Florida.

The movie looks at the life of 16 year old Haley Macklin (Jodelle Ferland) who wants to get in to the cool girl group but things go horribly wrong in her effort to fit in with them. She posts a negative message on a social networking site about the cool girls and the rush is on for payback on her comments. They beat her up with the goal of putting that whipping online but her parents and the law get involved.

Very good movie considering it was made for TV.

The performances in this movie were great. Jodelle Ferland doing a good job as Haley. James Tupper is not a great actor but in this movie he is believable as a dad. Anne Heche is outstanding as The mother. (Should be awarded for this role!)

This movie was really well done. It may be the best Lifetime movie ever made.

A brutal story told in a good way...

[paul_haakonsen · 6/10 · 14 October 2012]

"Girl Fight" turned out to be a good and compelling movie, despite it dealing with a heavy issue as it does. And the fact that the movie is based on true events just adds to the depths of the story. The story is cruel and may not be just suitable for anyone, but I think that it deals with something that should be brought to public notice.

The storyline in "Girl Fight" is about Haley (played by Jodelle Ferland) whom is a fairly invisible girl at school, she is viewed as brainy nerd because she was skipped ahead in classes, and she desperately wants to be in with the "cool" girls in school. The chance to become part of the popular circle shows itself and Haley grabs the chance. However, what seemed to be a life in the glamorous track turns out to become a nightmare as Alexa Simmons (played by Tess Atkins) find out that Haley had badmouthed her and her group of girlfriends online before becoming a member in their group. To get back at this, Alexa have the group gang up on Haley and beat her to a bloody pulp. They video this with their camera phones to have it uploaded to a public social video site. Battered and bruised, Hailey end up in the hospital. Haley's mom, Melissa (played by Anne Heche) wants to see the girls who beat up her daughter in prison and does whatever she can to see it done.

Storywise, the movie does tell a good story. Good in the sense that it is captivating and well-told, not good in the sense that violence or videos of violence should be condoned. The story does root itself in the psyche and stays with you, especially because the movie is based on something that actually happened. And it just goes to prove the stupidity and absurdity of some people, and also the extremes some people go to when cornered.

I am not a man of violence myself, but do enjoy the fictional violence in movies. But this movie sort of had me shocked, because it was appalling to see what some people would stoop to doing to another person just because of some indifference or intolerance. And the whole thing about videoing it to put it on the Internet, well that is just sickening beyond belief.

"Girl Fight" does build up a good amount of sympathy for Haley and her family, but at the same time it also does a good job at dealing with guilt, blame and forgiveness. The movie just works out well on many different levels and at many different aspects of the story.

The people they had cast for the movie were doing a good job. And do remember that this is a fictional movie, actors and actresses portraying fictional characters here, as it is easy to grow to dislike or loathe the ones portraying the 'bad girls' in the movie. I will say that they did good jobs portraying the viciousness of their characters and portraying the cruelty some people possess in their hearts. And of course Jodelle Ferland and Anne Heche were doing good jobs as well. As was James Tupper.

"Girl Fight" is a brutal movie in a way, but at the same time it is a good movie because it deals with such a heavy issue in a good way. "Girl Fight" is a movie well worth watching, and it does leave you with something to think about. Personally, I didn't find the ending of the movie to be all that satisfying, but then again it is because my own morals didn't go along the leniency and compassion that the family decided to show to those who had so brutally beaten up the daughter. But that is, of course, a matter of preference and moral issues, as we are all different individuals with different morals and values.

And on that moral note, I will encourage you to watch "Girl Fight" if you haven't already, because it is a movie that should be brought out to the public.

disturbing message at the end

[petersjoelen · 6/10 · 2 October 2019]

The movie is well done and the acting is good , but the message this film gives is very disturbing . i am convinced that if the purputraders were boys the message would be much different but because they were girls now the message is suddenly : well let's forgive them they have suffererd enough . For me yet another example that we as a society do not know how to deal with female violence , discusting

Good Movie...but very disappointing ending

[jhoaddfdsfsfsfsd · 21 May 2013]

I was appalled at the ending when the girls received only probation for what they did to that poor young lady....even at the end they showed no remorse, sickening! If it were boys beating that girl up they would have received life in prison, why should girls be treated any different? This movie sends a horrible message to today's youth. Kids need to know that bullying will never be tolerated and, in some cases, like this one, will be punished to the fullest extent of the law. I truly hope this movie sparks more awareness to the bullying going on in this country today.

That being said, the acting was well done, Anne did a wonderful job portraying the girls mother.

a violent production...

[ops-52535 · 7/10 · 25 April 2022]

From lifetime, made for the tv-format, gruesome acts done by young scallop brains against their own friend, to become superstars on the web. Its got the classic set up for a violent family film, dredged out and dull at moments, but the violentia you wont forget, and the rage and revenge feelings films like this makes is awfully dangerous, even today 2022 its highly actual business...

for once the grumpy old man recommends a lifetime production, and its not how its made, its the core message that hits the mark, its should have been curicullumized in every middle and highschools around the world.

Tragic Reality *Anne Heche such a loss *

[stacypetty-84248 · 6/10 · 20 August 2023]

I have seen this film several times before but I never really gave the subject matter any real deep thought until now. Anne Heche plays the mother of the victim in this movie. She does a remarkable job navigating through the different emotions that a mother would be experiencing if their child went through this ordeal. Her talents are so diverse and profound that I realize how much of a loss her death truly is.

The fact that this film is based on a true story is sickening. It's a stone cold reminder of how hard it is to be a teenager and how much teens want to be liked and accepted. They always want to be what they aren't and are never really content with who they are. That's exactly what happens in this movie and a post on the Internet causes Hailey to get jumped by her so called new popular friends. For more than 30 minutes this girl was beaten as they took turns whaling on her and to make it worse they taped the beating and posted it on the Internet. The film really tries to hone in on the physical and emotional damage that Hailey and her family face.

I found it pretty disturbing that these girls that did this faced very little punishment getting off with 15 days in jail up to 3 years probation. They should've received much harsher sentences for the beating they inflicted on this girl. This is where our justice system completely fails victims & their families. Its pretty sad that someone can beat a dog and get only 2 years but you beat someone up you get a little slap on the wrist.

I have to wonder where these girls parents were and what kind of children were they raising? It blows my mind how incredibly cruel and nasty kids can be to each other or in this case to Hailey. I hope that parents can take something away from this film and talk to their children about bullying and not following along with people that are going to only get them into trouble.

Well Acted Film -- Unsatisfying Ending

[Yvaughn · 4/10 · 12 October 2014]

At the risk of being redundant, I have to join the other reviewers here who hated the ending of this film. At least our dismay shows how fully we bought into this story and hated what the 5 Popular Girls did to poor Haley.

Kudos to the actors playing the popular girls, who think that "disrespect" means someone "deserves" a beating and who long so much for their flash of Internet fame, the majority of them never do seem to regret making the video that will condemn them. I was especially impressed by the realistic unevenness of them helping Haley into a car after the beating, and one of them giving her a cola. It was a touch that cemented their inability to understand the full gravity of what they'd done.

I didn't mind Haley not fighting back when her supposed "friends" turned on her. She was clearly outnumbered, and her bewilderment and helplessness made her all the more sympathetic as a victim (both to the viewer and to the prosecution). She was never a character who would strike out in anger. I even understood her accepting a plea deal, rather than go through the horror of a trial and risk the girls getting life in prison (while I would not have minded seeing them get life, I understand that crimes committed by stupid teenagers perhaps shouldn't ruin their entire lives). When her mother stands up and tells the judge that the family is willing to accept a plea, I was fine with that -- but when she adds that the family is requesting the most lenient possible sentence, I found myself shouting at the television in a Not-So-Good way.

There ARE a lot of choices between "life in prison" and "probation with time served," after all.

It's one thing to not strike out at people in anger, or to refuse to escalate a violent situation further by fighting back. But the film confuses this often-laudable principle with not demanding justice. Only one of the five attackers ever shows regret or shame for what they did. The others delight in it, and in the fame it brings them. They don't want to go to jail, but to the bitter end they seem to blame Haley for what is happening to them, rather than blaming themselves. We are given no indication that other girls will be safe in the future... and I find that especially dissatisfying.

Disturbing film! But hated the ending!

[vengeance20 · 8/10 · 18 March 2013]

After seeing this film I thought it was a great concept in showing how nasty the internet can be & how nasty & viscous people can be, especially girls! I found the fighting scene was extremely upsetting, incredibly disturbing & physically sickening! The idea how the parents thought eh girls were just "Playing Around" annoyed me as it clearly wasn't not to mention the whole "All girls fight" petty excuses to make them more innocent than what they were! It served them right! Although I hated the ending! They got lightest punishments because Haley didn't want to think it was vengeance like what they did to her! Although what they did to her was beyond sickening &, in my opinion, would not have been an act of vengeance to give them life! Which is what they damn well deserved & what I certainly would've gave them!

Overall, a great film! But an extremely crappy, terrible, obnoxious ending! 8/10

Concerning message

[tkell31 · 1/10 · 3 January 2014]

Clearly religious propaganda which is odd because religion is never mentioned, but the whole "forgiveness and don't fight back" themes obviously have strong religious undertones. In essence the message is forgive people no matter what they do to you regardless if they are sorry and turn the other cheek. Somehow, the idea goes, this makes you a better, stronger person.

Applying that to the movie at hand we get a disturbing video of five teenage girls beating up another teenage girl to the point she has some hearing and vision loss. Of course they video it so the evidence is clear. Rather than show remorse they bask in their new found fame. The traumatized victim goes through various stages, but ultimately feels that holding the girls accountable for their actions would be "fighting back" and make her no different than them. Uh, yeah it's that wacky.

So in the end all is forgiven. The girls get various slaps on the wrist and the victim walks out triumphantly because "now she can handle the media." This might have played a tad better if only a couple scenes before this one of the girls and the victim wind up in a public restroom together and it's clear the victim is still terrified of her. So there is that.

Anywho so if you or someone you know is the victim of a violent crime like assault, rape or murder just forgive your attackers (if you are still alive) and go on about your life like it never happened. For that matter I'm guessing the makers of the movie would say don't even bother reporting it to the police because that is too much like fighting back.

The movie is actually pretty well made and is fairly entertaining but the message is so nauseating one star it is.

Very good movie

[tiffanyfxo · 9/10 · 6 October 2022]

For people saying they didn't like the ending or how the girls had no remorse and so mad they only got probation.... well it's based on a true story so they can't change the story line. That's what actually happened. Very good movie though but made my blood boil. I'm glad Kristen got jail time though because she was doing most of the beating. It made me sick to my stomach watching them beat her up like that though. It makes me sad that this actually happened. They could've killed her smh I wouldn't have been nice enough to say go easy on them like huh?? Nah life sentence because they almost killed her.

Review of Girl Fight

[contactcharlee · 3/10 · 17 July 2017]

It was a great storyline about an issue that has gotten worse. Yet, the girl who was a victim didn't speak to her parents and then expected them to not react or have a say so. Really. Teaching kids that it is okay to be abused/beaten whatever for which NOW today even horrific what they do.

True Story With Only Half The Truth

[Kay2019 · 4/10 · 25 February 2019]

This movie is based on the REAL LIFE case of Victoria Lindsay who was sixteen years old at the time of the incident. This movie definitely strayed from the truth on many occasions in many areas of the case. The "Hollywood Touch" can often be as toxic as it is deceptive.

What disturbed me MOST about watching this HALF truthful account of what took place on that tragic day was that one of the "Mulberry Eight" from the real life case was left out. In the movie we see 5 girls confronting the victim and partaking in the physical attack in various ways. Yet in reality there were 6 girls involved. I'm not sure if the 6th member of the group was left out of the story INTENTIONALLY because she was bi-racial(part African-American) or if it was done for legal reasons.

Regardless, a story such as this one should NEVER veer away from real life to the point that it almost doesn't match the real case. To this day I forget it is fact based every time I watch it. I understand changing NAMES, but changing DETAILS is in a different ballpark altogether. Attention to detail is THE MOST important element in telling ANY story. Especially true ones.

No Laughs This Time

[uncatema · 8/10 · 9 August 2019]

Lifetime Movies are usually hysterical. Kitchen knives are always a hoot. This one is different. It was easy to not find anything funny about "Girl Fight."

Though the ending seemed unfair, the viewer can appreciate what the victim and her family wanted to happen to the perpetrators. Ann Heche's character pointed out that those girls lives were forever defined by their actions regardless of what court deemed as punishment.

Taking the High Road

[lavatch · 8/10 · 9 January 2022]

Hailey Macklin was an exemplary student who was severely beaten by a group of high school girls she considered her friends. As portrayed in the film, the girls who attacked her are portrayed as some of the most unpleasant young people imaginable. The film focuses on how Hailey's assailants should be treated in the eyes of the law

There was an unusual psychological sophistication in the treatment of Hailey by the filmmakers. The young woman underwent a brutal ordeal in which she first blamed herself for becoming involved in the toxic environment that led to her beating. Slowly, she comes to realize that she must decide how she may become whole again.

The film addresses Hailey's ultimate decision to take the high road and ask for leniency in the judicial process. Hailey even won her mother over to her side, and the mom delivers a moving testimonial to the court about forgiveness.

"Girl Fight" is really a film about human values. The assailants of Hailey really never demonstrated a sense of conscience. They never seemed to feel remorse at the battering administered to Hailey. It was a shocking realization to consider how low the bar has become in the internet age when it comes to human decency.