The Good Mother (2013 TV Movie) User Reviews

Good Mom, Bad Mom

[wes-connors · 5/10 · 26 August 2013]

Caught shoplifting, troubled teenager Camille Cregan (as Jillian Sanders) is bailed out of jail by her best friend's mother, Helen Slater (as Cheryl Jordan). A nurse on leave from her hospital, Ms. Slater asks Ms. Cregan to move in and help care for desperately ill daughter Meaghan Martin (as Melanie). Cregan's estranged mother is in rehab, so she agrees moves in with her sick friend and perfect mom. Cregan quickly becomes suspicious and begins to secretly investigate Martin's mysterious illness...

While not heralded as a biographical story, "The Good Mother" is claimed to be based on a factual condition. It's more like a disease drama than a psycho thriller. As such, it's too bad more wasn't done with the psychological problem because it doesn't ring true, here, and Slater just seems to be shouting about nothing. Cregan is lovely and impressive. There is fine direction and photography by Richard Gabai and Scott Peck, who are especially good shooting scenes in the bed and dining rooms.

***** The Good Mother (6/8/13) Richard Gabai ~ Helen Slater, Camille Cregan, Patrick Fabian, James Eckhouse

Isn't this movie's plot a little familiar?

[jorgechen · 4/10 · 16 December 2016]

I've purposely registered to write something interesting about this movie...Doesn't this movie's plot or idea seem a little familiar?!? If your answer is yes, I don't blame you because even if you haven't seen the movie, read the plot summary on this movie and you'll feel like there's something vaguely familiar. Well, if you've seen the movie The Sixth Sense (1999) you'll know what I'm talking about. One of the subplots of The Sixth Sense was about the family's mom (or stepmom) poisoning her daughter, and at the funeral, the ghost tells the truth through a videotape of the mom adding I think what is Pine Sol to her food.

Again, this is not a novel idea...

Other than that bit of information, the movie is so-so...after all I did watch it on Lifetime...If you haven't seen The Sixth Sense, then this movie will definitely be more watchable for the viewer.

The Not So Good Mother

[jessiehenderson-41294 · 5/10 · 17 February 2023]

Why? Because Munchausen Syndrome by proxy. As far as motive is concerned. It's not a bad film, I would've rated it higher, only thing is at this point it's been done so many times (The Glass House, The Harvest, one of the subplots in the Sixth Sense) to name a few, so it's lacking in the originality department. However, it's a serious subject to shed light on that apparently affects thousands of people every year (case in point, Gypsy Rose and her awful mother). The acting was fine, for the most part (Patrick Fabian was solid, Helen Slater-rip earphone users from her screaming every so often) I thought Camille playing Jillian was fine too. I give it a 5 just because the plot is kind of old and predictable.

Just Don't

[juliemcmillian · 1/10 · 15 May 2022]

I knew the story in about 15 minutes in and yep I was right. This whole movie has been done over and over and not just the 1st time this movie was out ages ago. It's plot and ending are predictable for anyone into watching movies. I only watched until end to see if it was what I thought. Waste of time, if you read reviews read the reviews for this movie.

Lymphangiectasia?

[johnmurphymfp · 7/10 · 13 January 2022]

Primary intestinal lymphangiectasia (PIL) is a rare digestive disorder characterized by abnormally enlarged (dilatated) lymph vessels supplying the lining of the small intestine. The main symptoms are swelling (edema) of the limbs and abdominal discomfort. The disorder is usually diagnosed before three years of age but is sometimes diagnosed later in life.

Nothing about high fever.

Rip Off Of Glass House: The Good Mother

[ryleilove · 2/10 · 24 November 2022]

This movie is a rip off of Glass House: The Good Mother. Even the title, I mean come on what happened to originality?

In Glass House: The Good Mother, the mother fosters little boys and deliberately makes them sick. When they foster one particular young boy, they also take in his older sister. The mother also makes the sister sick but only to basically keep her quiet, make her feel she's crazy and ultimately to kill her. The sister finds out what she's doing and saves her brother in the end.

In this movie, mom deliberately makes her children sick, takes in basically foster kid aka daughters bestie who finds out what she's doing.

I mean very, very similar story. What were the writers thinking? Glass House: the good mother wasn't that good a movie so I guess the writers said, let's do the same exact thing and make it better. Sadly, they too failed.

Screaming!

[skarylarry-93400 · 2/10 · 2 May 2022]

If you wanna hear Helen Slater screaming at people from start to finish, this garbage is for you! Worst tripe ever! A real beaut! RIDICULOUS! TERRIBLE! She needs to move to a nut house and quick...LOL!

But why did she do it?

[NuttyBaby · 2/10 · 26 June 2022]

Helen Slater was good as Supergirl but in this she's a messed up villain. I found the story very sad. A teenage girl died of an illness, and her best friend needs to help the little sister from a similar fate . The "good mother" is just a wolf inside sheep clothing. The mother was so evil.

When Good Isn't That-The Good Mother ***12

[edwagreen · 9/10 · 29 June 2013]

She is a head nurse currently on leave. She has such a sweet tone to her voice. Calming, kind and just the perfect kind of mother that anyone would want to have.

When her daughter falls ill from a rare disease, she goes all out in nursing the girl. While this is occurring, she has taken in the girl's friend, a teenager who has been in trouble with the law twice and who has a drug-addicted mother.

No sooner does the daughter die when the younger daughter becomes ill as well.

The friend remembers the dying words of the girl-protect my younger sister.

We soon begin to realize that the mother is an insane lunatic; she has been poisoning both children.

Things begin to unfold quickly here and the ending scene is exciting and scary to say the least.

We're left with the question: Who is the really good mother here?