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THE
RUSSELL GIRL
REVIEWED
BY CHARITY BISHOP
Our
rating: 5 out of 5
Rated:
There
is one thing I have learned about Hallmark Hall of Fame dramas over the
years -- it is rare that you will not need a Kleenex before the
conclusion. The Russell Girl is the emotional journey of one young
woman's search for redemption from a tragic mistake, and the healing that
goes on in the lives of the people around her through being forced to
confront the past.
It
is something no one ever wants to hear: leukemia. And yet it is exactly
what the doctor diagnoses for Sarah Russell (Amber Tamblyn), to explain
away her recent bought of weariness and difficulty keeping food down. She
hangs up the phone, stares dismally across the room, cleans a few dishes,
and then goes home to the small town where she grew up, without a word of
explanation to her parents and nothing but a haunted expression. While
Sarah tries to figure out how to tell her parents the truth, she wrestles
with her grief and guilt over what happened seven years earlier across the
street. The instant she pulls into the driveway, her neighbor Lorainne
(Jennifer Ehle) looks as if she has seen a ghost, and escapes into the
house. Having "The Russell Girl" home for the summer wrecks
havoc on her nerves, and Lorainne withdraws further into her shell.
Even
though her family and friends encourage her to forget what happened so
long ago and forgive herself, Sarah cannot get over the desire to make
things right with the Morriseys if she can. What she brings to the surface
are wounded feelings, general resentment, and self-loathing for an
unpreventable accident that threatens to destroy one family and put her
into an early grave. The story is ultimately one of redemption and
forgiveness, wrapped up in a surprisingly moving and sad package that
forces audiences to wonder what they might have done in similar
circumstances. I don't think there is a parent alive who has not feared
something like this.
It
has been twelve years since Jennifer Ehle made a dramatic appearance on
American television, when A&E first broadcasted its magnificent six
hour production of Pride & Prejudice, but Ehle's character here
is as far from Elizabeth Bennett as anyone could ever get -- an angry,
embittered woman striving to forgive herself and everyone involved, mainly
Sarah. She is such a complicated woman that we struggle to understand her,
for one moment she is fine, compassionate, caring, and the next the wall
closes in around her heart and isolates her from her husband again.
Tamblyn, better known for the similarly moving Joan of Arcadia, is
wonderful as a girl torn between guilt and an eerie sense of poetic
justice, since she believes she is being punished for her mistakes. True,
the story is in some ways predictable but we crave redemption and hope so
much that we don't mind its lesser moments of originality.
It is not all
broken memories, either, as Sarah's return to town has also sparked the
interest of her high school sweetheart, Evan (Paul Wesley). Ben Lewis also
puts in a memorable performance as Lorainne's long-suffering but
ever-loving husband, Jon. Most of the content is thematic -- dealing with leukemia
causes Sarah to be physically sick on several occasions, and there is the
grief of parents who have lost a child. Sarah is almost in a car accident;
it's implied someone has fallen down the stairs. There is no language or
sexual content; Evan and Sarah share a very tender and innocent
relationship.
There is no specific mention of Christianity
(both families do apparently attend church) but its messages are Christian
in their themes, ranging from Jon's determination to love and protect his
wife to Sarah learning that she must trust and confide in her family. It
is not something you would want to watch every weekend, because there are
beautifully poignant moments that should not be overly indulged in at the
risk of bringing on melancholy, but The Russell Girl is a suitable
addition to Hallmark's generous collection of family-oriented material,
and can and should be enjoyed by anyone old enough to appreciate its
themes of redemption.
additional
thoughts by Rissi C.
Hallmark
Hall of Fame has produced over two hundred films. There have been
comedies, dramas and even some period films among them. Most have been
really good and some could even be called superb, but there have been a
fair share of distasteful additions. The
Russell Girl falls among the better films.
She
had almost lost hope. Hope for the future… hope for reconciliation….
Hope for forgiveness…until she came home. Sarah Russell (Amber Tamblyn)
is a small town girl who left after high school and now lives in the city
of Chicago working as a buyer for mega retail store Macy’s. After
experiencing some health problems she sees a doctor and learns she has a
quickly progressing form of Leukemia. Shocked and alone, she decides to go
home in order to break the news to her family. Once there she meets up
again with her neighbor Lorraine Morrissey (Jennifer Ehle) with whom she
has a tragic past. A past that Lorraine can’t and won’t forgive Sarah for, therefore Sarah blames herself for what
happened.
As
Sarah eases back into her old life, she learns that she has been accepted
into medical school, something that makes her parents exceedingly proud of
her. Because of their constant delight, Sarah finds it hard to tell them
what she is really home for and lets them believe it’s just to take a
vacation. The two-hour story that unfolds is heart wrenching and we
ultimately see our characters aspiring to look their future in the eye and
accept it rather than living in their painful past.
For
several years, my family has watched these productions and believe me, we
have seen our fair share of off films among the ones we’ve watched.
Whether it is Brush with Fate, Riding the
Bus with my Sister or Old Man,
there has been a certain percentage not worthy of being included in this
Hall of Fame collection compared to some of the classic stories Hallmark
has brought to life. While this may not go down as a classic, it has
become one of my favorites in this series. Perhaps it’s the story of
forgiveness when Sarah felt all hope was gone, the characters or the
unique perspective behind the camera in telling the story that connects
with us the audience, whatever it is this newest addition deserves a look.
Amber
Tamblyn is probably best known for her teen roles that are considered more
family friendly such as Joan of
Arcadia. I must confess though my first (and only) introduction to her
was in the 2005 comedy/drama Sisterhood
of the Traveling Pants. After reading an article on this film, Amber
remarked on being ready to move to some more mature roles and that this
was a start. She does well in the role of Sarah and manages an “adult”
role well; she pulls off the scenes of illness well and really seems to
embody her character. Another big attention grabber of this movie for me
was Jennifer Ehle in a leading role from the miniseries Pride
and Prejudice. Her emotional performance as a mother and wife who
seemed to forget what she did still
have was excellent. Hopefully we’ll see Ehle and Tamblyn in future
roles that are just as enjoyable.
The
main thrust of this film is the story of a woman who felt she caused a
tragic event in her past that seemingly broke her neighbor’s ability to
“live” and consequently ruined whatever relationship she had with
them. Because of that, Sarah couldn’t forgive herself and wanted to make
it on her own; she pushed the people that care about her the most away.
She remarks that since the accident of six years ago she’s just been
waiting for the other shoe to drop and wonders if things happen to “bad
people” as a punishment. Surprisingly my favorite scenes come between
Sarah and her high school boyfriend as well as Lorraine and Sarah rather than with her family.
Most of the scenes are touching and the performances are very good; when
Lorraine tells Sarah to tell her family what’s really wrong with her and
what follows and when Sarah tells her boyfriend of her illness.
For
those of you wondering if this has anything content wise in it, the most
disturbing is some mature thematic elements. The whole issue of Sarah’s
illness being possibly fatal may not be comprehended very well by younger
viewers and likewise what happened in Sarah’s past may be potentially
distressing. Sarah holds back the truth from her family about her
condition and attempts to hide it from everyone. She tells some lies about
her life back in the city; saying she has a boyfriend, etc. We
see an accident on a freeway, ambulances, medical workers and injured
people are shown, but never graphically depicted. Another time emergency
workers show up at a house and are shown wheeling a stretcher in. Aside
from the elements involved that may be considered adult this really
doesn’t have anything “bad” in it. In the end it is emotionally
enlightening as to what occurs, it was unexpected to see how Sarah’s
illness comes out, but it is really well done.
Despite
all the sad moments, this isn’t without some lighter moments, which we
need in order to balance out the more overwrought moments. While this
isn’t Christian at all and no one ever references turning to God for
forgiveness some of the lines are still profound and deserve some thought.
We deal with a woman wondering what has kept her husband staying with her,
a young woman’s journey to a new life where she finally realizes she is
blessed with the people she is surrounded by and the hope that comes with
the simple words “I forgive you." Jesus came and died on the cross
for all our sins and it is truly an amazing thing when one ponders what
forgiveness can do and already has done. If you’re looking for something
new that actually has a story and a nice message, plus good performances,
check out The Russell Girl, just
be ready to shed a few tears; this is one emotional story.
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