A Child Lost Forever: The Jerry Sherwood Story

I am not the audience for Lifetime Channel movies but just happened to see Beverly D'Angelo (always beautiful and here looking gorgeously plump) in this, so stayed to watch. When I saw Dana Ivey appear, I was sure I was in for something wonderful - but I wasn't.

I am not that familiar with Lifetime Channel sorts of movies - and as a conservative middle aged man, don't think I'm the intended audience. This is a social issue, soapy victim succeeds against the odds movie. I'm not a fan of such movies.

The movie is very strange. I kept awaiting a twist or series of twists because: a) the direct evidence against the stepmother is very slight (she's presented as a nightmare mother but there's no eyewitness at the time of death, no instrument of death, etc.), b) an actress of the caliber and eminence of Dana Ivey had thus far been given hardly any lines (and allowed only a sort of Hammer Films wicked stepmother look), and c) the "victim" (biological mom) repeatedly asked about how much punishment the wicked stepmother would receive - and how soon it could be inflicted.

Amazingly, there's no twist at all! The victim was simply eager! The disappointment is strong! The dialogue is truly terrible - the judge actually says "why if I could, I would throw away the key" when passing sentence! (Yes, this was first heard in a drama in 1908 - B.C.).

So, except for the (quite real) pleasure in seeing the over-ripe curves of Beverly D'Angelo in skirts and dresses made with more slender women in mind, this movie's a bust.