Gary Cole has remained an interesting character actor for me. It seems every performance he has given regardless of how big is always of superior quality.
From In the Line of Fire, to the Brady Bunch movies, to Office Space and I am sure many more Cole is one of our most underrated actors who in my opinion doesn't get enough credit.
I also enjoyed Nichole Tom in Beethoven 1&2 growing up as well as The Nanny so I was eager to check this out.
As some of the other reviewers have noted don't expect this to be an Oscar winner. It has the feel of a 90's made for TV movie for a reason.
I was also disappointed in the ending which I will not give away but it made me angry for a reason I will keep anonymous.
Movies on the subject of pedophilia have never been my cup of tea. Although it won five Oscars I hated American Beauty with a passion for this reason.
However this being based on a true story and handled with some intelligence in shining light on an issue that needs some attention didn't bother me.
In a way this is entertainment as both Cole and Tom are very good and elevate the movie highly with their superb performances.
But unlike American Beauty which was meant purely to entertain and express a disgusting form of art this movie has a message and one not to be ignored at that.
I recommend for performances and sensitivity exercises in dealing with a difficult subject matter.
Unlike some made for TV movies this doesn't have a cheesy feel to it and feels very real.
Give this a stream on Amazon Freevee if the subject matter interests you or you like the actors.
Not the most comfortable film to watch but deals on a very important issue in our society and overall handles it well.
It may look like a low budget TV movie but the acting is better than that and the payoff while predictable makes it better than your typical TV movie or after school special.
Frustrating to be sure but that is the point I feel as this is not the most pleasant subject matter out there for a movie.
Has its flaws to be sure but overall I recommend. I respect Cole even more after this and wish he would have had more leading roles and more appreciation as an actor.
He may not be an Oscar winner but he is an excellent character actor who I feel has never gotten his due. This movie along with the aforementioned rates him highly as an excellent actor for me. And while Tom played ordinary teenaged roles in Beethoven and The Nanny she more than holds her own acting in this.
