Our rating: 3 out of 5

Rated: TV14

reviewed by Rissi C.

His past precedes him, which is exactly what former Boston cop Nate Burns (Eddie Cibrian) wasn’t expecting. Still, with a new placement as sheriff in the small town of Alaska, one must count on gossip -- or so Nate quickly learns. Intrigued by a woman he’s glimpsed twice since his arrival, Nate meets her at the New Year’s Eve party where Mayor Hopp (Jayne Eastwood) fills him in on the sad, bitter story between she and her mother Charlene (Rosanna Arquette). Meg Galligan (LeAnne Rimes) has been distant from her mother ever since her father disappeared fifteen years ago. A feisty bush pilot, Meg along with many townspeople are displeased over newcomer Nate and how differently he deals with trivial community matters than his predecessor. Meg becomes suspicious of Nate’s abilities both in lasting in the terrain of Alaska and the broad differences between his former life and this simpler pace. After a rescue trip for two boys, Nate and Meg discover the body of Meg’s father, all signs indicating he was murdered.

Thrust into a murder investigation shortly after his arrival, Nate is still dealing with demons of his own after a bad drug deal in Boston. Receiving a bad reception after questioning many locals in regards to Pat Galligan’s death, Nate finds himself turning out to be the “bad guy” in his quest for justice. Nate has come to Alaska because he’s running away from pain, responsibility and mostly guilt. Old wounds are rehashed when a nosey newsman uncovers secrets of his past; Meg tries to help him see past his guilt-ridden conscience. His ultimate amends is tied up through him taking a first step at forgiving himself. Meg too has dealt with a similar conscience after her father left her mother. Both wondered where he went and for years dealt with feelings of being inadequate. Charlene and Meg are devastated at their warped memories of him (for different reasons) when they discover he was murdered; they deal with grief each differently. Charlene dealt with Pat’s leaving through drastically shameful ways and has since become the town “whore." Before the film’s end she has made a genuine effort to change and has a promising future in store both with her daughter and a new love.

Whether or not they’re written like this or it’s just the time constraint in a two-hour film, the romance is always rushed, making it seem all the more ridiculous when there’s a proposal without even a first date. To some extent you have to excuse a “rushed” script in those regards when working with such a brief time slot, but some of the material isn’t “excusable." During a call to see how Meg is faring, she suggests she and Nate have “hot sex” on the couch, all before they’ve even had a date (after they begin making out, the frame cuts away to show clothes being thrown around). Another scene suggests they’ve spent the night together (she is fully clothed, he is beneath the sheets). Someone tells Nate a woman is checking him out because she only wants to get into his “pants." It’s mentioned that Meg and Nate are sleeping together. In what has become a “standard” for many films, it’s often suggested that love comes after sex and indeed that was the case with this movie also. The sexual banter and scenes alone make this inappropriate for a “PG” rating whether it’s MPAA or television standards. Two dead bodies are seen (one was shot in the head; this isn’t graphically depicted). A bear threatens two people. Drinking is depicted on different occasions. Profanity (including ba****d) and misuses of God’s name are uttered. In a tense climatic ending about three people are shot, resulting in one death.

There has been lots of controversy surrounding this film, not so much the story or filmmaking but in rumors and magazine covers citing it as the reason for LeAnne Rimes' marital problems. While I won’t go into any great detail about it, I will just say that after hearing the leading lady interviewed on a conservative talk show where she seemed grounded, I was very disappointed in the news stories -- whether true or false, I cannot say. Regardless, the acting is actually decent for a Lifetime Original Movie. Working with a smaller budget than big screen adaptations often receive, these seem to get commendable actors to play in Nora Robert’s book-to-screen adaptations. Rimes and Cibrian have a nice chemistry while Jayne Eastwood is hilarious as the mayor. Many of you may recognize her from numerous roles in similar television productions. The characters are well written and each actor brings them to life with much depth.

A cleverly well-written script doesn’t excuse the negatively unpleasant content, but material notwithstanding I did enjoy this for a variety of reasons. One of which is the beautiful Alaskan scenery. Having family there, it always interests me to find anything connected to that magnificently rugged land for all its snow capped mountains, stunning skies and harsh beauty. If you find a good mystery is what you’re looking for, Northern Lights is as good a story as the next. It has a heroic good guy and while not as well hidden as other films in this collection, it still remains a challenge to discover who the killer is and that in itself is entertaining.