Between Truth and Lies (2006 TV Movie) User Reviews (5)

The Shrink and the Psycho

[sol1218 · 5/10 · 26 July 2013]

***SPOILERS*** Cincinnati head shrinker or psychiatrist Dr. Claire Parker, Mariel Hemingway,has been having trouble with her rambunctious and out of control teenage daughter Emily, Maggie Castle, who hasn't been keeping up with her school work or grades. It turns out that Emily has been hanging out with suspended from school pot head Tony Roth, Morgan Kelly, who not only turned her on to the happy feeling weeds but is also supplying her with them. That's nothing compared to when escaped from a mental hospital John Walter, Jonathan Watton, came on the scene. John has had the hots for Emily for years even since that cold Christmas morning when he spotted her from afar in a tight and sexy green sweater during the Christmas gift opening ceremony. Since then like a bloodhound he's been following Emily all over the state of Ohio and parts of Kentucky just to get a chance to open up a friendly conversation with the girl.

Finally deciding to use the excuse about his need for psychiatric help about his being shy with girls John gets an appointment with Emily's mother Dr. Parker in hoping she's formerly introduce him to her daughter Emily and take it from there! The first time that John gets to see Emily at a meeting of Cincinnati shrinks he makes a complete a** of himself which really hurts his already low self confidence. It's then that John in an effort to win Emily back that he decides to be her night in shinning armor by watching her, again from afar, every movement to see that nothing bad happens to her. During all this time Dr. Parker who's treating John has no idea that she's in fact emboldening him in his actions against her daughter by unconsciously urging him to break out of his shyness and go for it: Her daughter Emily Parker!

****SPOILERS**** Well John does go for it but goes a bit too far in murdering Emily's pot head boyfriend Tony and then goes after her mom Dr. Parker for not getting her daughter Emily, who by then was on the outs with her, to be together and in love with him. By then John besides having murdered Tony and his aunt, earlier and off screen, for sexually molesting him when he was a little boy has completely gone full fledged psycho with him determined to murdered both mother and daughter, Dr. Parker & Emily, and cover up his crime by burning the house down that their in together along with them. We do get the typical indestructible psycho act by John who seems to be immune to bullets. He keeps getting up every time he's gunned down by Dr. Parker who earlier tried to help him. But the end finally did come when instead of blasting John one bullet at a time Dr. Parker unloaded her entire payload of shells into him putting him out of commission for good.

Crap

[clearlyashley · 1/10 · 27 March 2006]

As a big fan of television movies (yes, I know) I have to say I was actually surprised that this one made it to air. Very easily one of the most contrived and ridiculous plots ever. I couldn't even believe that I was expected to take any piece of the story seriously. And believe me, I am not saying that a film has to be perfect and a brilliant masterpiece to be enjoyed but there was absolutely nothing by way of entertainment to be taken from this film. The characters were not likable, most especially Muriel's. The lead character. Thank goodness she's not a real shrink. The acting was not spectacular by any means although I will admit that the young girl (Maggie Castle) did not do a bad job at all with the limited material she was given. I guess she justifies the one star I gave it. It's dreck, though. Avoid it.

Super Stinker TV Movie

[dancinqueen47 · 1/10 · 12 March 2006]

This is one of the worst I've ever seen, on TV, on DVD or on the big screen. The story is completely implausible. Mariel Hemingway plays a psychotherapist. She badly overacts, especially toward the end. She also looks more than ever like a man in drag. The story has Mariel confiding in a psychopath patient about her problems with her teen-aged daughter. This just would never happen, unless the therapist was totally incompetent. The whole thing was just poorly done. Poorly written, poorly directed and the performances were just awful. Even the make-up and hairstyles left much to be desired. If I had paid money to see this one I would have demanded a refund after sitting through the first 30 minutes.

I really don't know if it contains a spoiler, but I wanted to be safe! I really enjoyed the movie...

[JaimieLynn4788 · 8/10 · 9 July 2006]

I loved the movie... if I want to be entertained than I honestly do not really think about the plausibility of it all. Nevertheless, I found Mrs Parker's vulnerability understanding... she is human... the daughter did a good job, especially at the end... I personally believe the writers were to quick to cast her so hateful... I thought her character should too much anger directed at too many people; I think the mother's acting was a little dry in the beginning, but "John Walters" was always on the ball. The ending was pretty intense and I adore flicks on obsession! I am Lifetime movie freak and would love to see more of these actors and this subject!!

Yeah, Not That Great

[Bexxter · 15 January 2011]

Review Contains Spoilers Mariel Hemingway- wow I was surprised to see her in this movie, I haven't seen her in anything for ages. I didn't like her acting in this movie, but to be fair, maybe it was because the script was so weak. I don't recommend anyone watch this movie, but for those of us who have here are the good points and the inane points of the movie.

Good Points - John Watton as the creepy stalker. He played his character to the hilt. If I ever saw a dude who looked and acted like this, I would immediately think stalker, child pornographer- something bad. The laughable part is when Hemingway's secretary tells Hemingway, 'you've got a new patient and he's kinda cute. Yeah, not so much...

• Maggie Castle as the teenage daughter. Young actresses need to get experience from somewhere, even if it is in bad TV movies. She played a good authentic confused teenager.

Inane Points - Psychiatrist confiding personal matters to a patient. I am definitely no expert in this field, but really, isn't it the first thing and last thing they tell you in psychiatry school to never confide personal information to your patients about yourself- Good Will Hunting stuff aside. C'mon, these are people with serious emotional issues- especially someone with a clear obesessive disorder? I think this 'doctor' would be better off joining another profession.

• Okay, the police are no help with a runaway daughter. What is a worried financially well-to-do mother to do? Hire a private investigator? No that would be too easy. Just sit by the phone and hope and pray your daughter hasn't been run over by a bus and calls you. After she confides in her psycho patient through that conversation happens to recall a boy she smoked pot with, the psycho is able to track down the boyfriend in one day after threatening one of the daughter's friends.

• John Walter's criminal past. Two points here. How it all comes together for Marial Hemingway. She is listening to a recording of John speaking vaguely about things in his sessions, she looks at a picture of her daughter in a blue sweater. Why, he must be trying to kidnap her! I didn't get it. Secondly, she calls and finds out two months ago her mentor was murdered through his wife. She then googles the murder and there is a police photo of John. If he was the murderer, wouldn't it be more than two months for a court trial, sentencing and prison time? If he is a public suspect- shouldn't the police be holding him or something. If he isn't, why in the heck is his picture posted via a google search? - First most ludicrous moment. I dig the Fatal Attraction ending to a movie. You think the psycho is dead, but they're not. But c'mon, John was shot in the freaking back with what appeared to be a pretty potent handgun. You would be thinking significant blood loss, maybe some paralysis from being shot in the spine. But no. Apparently the gun was loaded with fusili because a minute later he comes strolling in the room looking perfectly find- has the strength to hold and threaten the daughter, converse with Hemingway kiss the daughter etc.

• Second most ludicrous moment. What in the world was the daughter hiding- a box cutter? And why does John look down at it in horror- did she stab him with it? Was he horrified by the sudden betrayal after the kiss? I didn't see any blood or tear in his sweater when Hemingway shot him, so doesn't look like the daughter stabbed him. But how was that going to hurt him if a gunshot in the back didn't? Better than nothing I guess.

Okay, that's it.