Sharing the Secret

Last updated
Sharing the Secret
Sharing the Secret DVD cover.jpg
DVD cover (UK)
Written byLauren Currier
Directed by Katt Shea
Starring Alison Lohman
Mare Winningham
Tim Matheson
Diane Ladd
Music by Danny B. Harvey
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
Production
ProducersPhilip Kleinbart
Robert Greenwald
Cinematography Wally Pfister
EditorDeborah Zeitman
Running time90 minutes
Production companiesNightstar Productions
Robert Greenwald Productions
Original release
Network CBS
ReleaseMay 10, 2000 (2000-05-10)

Sharing the Secret is a 2000 American television drama film about a teenage girl's struggle with bulimia and its effect on her parents and friends. Originally airing on CBS television networks in the United States, the film has also aired on cable television's Lifetime Network. [1] In 2001, the film received a Peabody Award for "an impressive, moving, and candid portrait of a teenager in crisis." [2]

Contents

Plot

By all outward appearances, teenager Beth Moss (Alison Lohman) has a good life. She is attractive, popular, and excels academically and at ballet. Beth, however, feels that she is not living up to expectations and is not in control of her life. Adjusting to her parents' divorce and trying to live up to their opposing compliments, Beth is afraid to grow up and at the same time struggles to fit in with her maturing friends. She turns to binging and purging as a means to gain control over at least one aspect of her life.

The first sign of any problem comes with a dizzy misstep during a ballet class. Beth begs her instructor (Irina Gasanova) not to tell her mother (Mare Winningham). In a later scene, Beth first hides a severe symptom (bleeding gums) from her friends, but then teaches one friend (Kady Cole) how to purge by inducing vomiting.

When playing a game with another friend, Sophia (Brighton Hertford), Beth cites her mother's complaints about the patients she sees in her child psychology practice as the cause of her greatest fear, which is to "not fit in ... in some way." She tells her friend that she does not want to be "like those people." [3]

Throughout the film, Beth becomes adept at hiding her symptoms. After she passes out in her school hallway, she calls her step-mother (Mary Crosby) to pick her up from school to avoid telling her mother. At her father's (Tim Matheson) insistence, she sees a physician who diagnoses her as anemic. When the doctor asks if she has been eating, she says that she usually eats properly, but has not lately because she was sick. She then hides her scarred knuckles. When Beth's mother notices these Russell's signs later, Beth passes them off as old cat-scratches.

Upon Beth's return to school, her school counselor (Khadijah Karriem) confronts the girl with the observation that she may be bulimic. The school counselor is very sympathetic and attempts to get Beth to discuss her problems. Beth is forced to tell her mother, but insists that she no longer has a problem. This sets off a major conflict between the mother and daughter. Dr. Moss decides Beth must enter counseling. This conflict is paralleled in the film as Beth's grandmother (Diane Ladd) tries to console her daughter without really understanding her situation.

Another parallel is seen in one of Dr. Moss's patients, a little girl named Rachel (Camryn Grimes) who; like Beth, is feeling squeezed out by her father (Lawrence Monoson) and stepfamily. Beth hints at her resentment towards her stepmother, referring to her as a trophy wife. Beth begins counseling and is, at first, defiant, but begins to open up when her therapist (Roxana Brusso) explains her own history with anorexia.

Later, Beth is seen coming to terms with her disorder. A friend tries to cheer her up by telling her she is "skinny enough." Beth snaps at the girl saying she doesn't throw up to lose weight. She says, "I do it because I'm screwed up."

The conflict between Beth and her mother peaks when Beth comes home to find her mother in her bathroom, cleaning out her medicine cabinet in an effort to remove anything potentially useful to induce vomiting. Beth orders her mother out of the bathroom.

When her mother refuses, Beth proceeds to vomit into the toilet in plain view of her mother. Beth breaks down in tears, telling her mother that her hair is falling out and that her heart is beating rapidly. She asks to be checked into an inpatient facility. The film ends with Beth still in the hospital but telling her mother of signs of improvement such as after-meal supervision time being "down to two hours."

Cast

Release

Sharing the Secret first aired on American CBS networks on May 10, 2000, [4] and was released on Region 2 DVD in United Kingdom and Europe, [5] distributed by Odyssey Video in 2003 [6] and by Infinity Media from 2006 to present. [7] [8]

Reception

The eating-disorder blog Disordered Times ranked the movie at five out of five, calling it "one of the best-made films on eating disorders ever," and saying that it "does not exaggerate for 'shock value,' nor does it portray eating disorders in a glamorous light..." [9]

Related Research Articles

<i>Fatal Attraction</i> 1987 film by Adrian Lyne

Fatal Attraction is a 1987 American psychological thriller film directed by Adrian Lyne and written by James Dearden, based on his 1980 short film Diversion. Starring Michael Douglas, Glenn Close, and Anne Archer, the film follows Dan Gallagher (Douglas), an attorney who cheats on his wife Beth (Archer) with editor Alex Forrest (Close) following a chance encounter at a work function. When Dan decides to end the affair, Alex grows increasingly unstable and begins stalking him and his family.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Carrie-Anne Moss</span> Canadian actress (born 1967)

Carrie-Anne Moss is a Canadian actress. After early roles on television, she rose to international prominence for her role of Trinity in The Matrix series (1999–present). She has starred in Memento (2000), for which she won the Independent Spirit Award for Best Supporting Female, Red Planet (2000), Chocolat (2000), Fido (2006), Snow Cake (2006), for which she won the Genie Award for Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role, Disturbia (2007), Unthinkable (2010), Silent Hill: Revelation (2012), and Pompeii (2014). She also portrayed Jeri Hogarth in several television series produced by Marvel Television for Netflix, most notably Jessica Jones (2015–2019).

Promotion of anorexia is the promotion of behaviors related to the eating disorder anorexia nervosa. It is often referred to simply as pro-ana or ana. The lesser-used term pro-mia refers likewise to bulimia nervosa and is sometimes used interchangeably with pro-ana. Pro-ana groups differ widely in their stances. Most claim that they exist mainly as a non-judgmental environment for anorexics; a place to turn to, to discuss their illness, and to support those who choose to enter recovery. Others deny anorexia nervosa is a mental illness and claim instead that it is a lifestyle choice that should be respected by doctors and family.

<i>The Skydivers</i> 1963 film by Coleman Francis

The Skydivers is a 1963 American crime film produced by Anthony Cardoza, and written and directed by Coleman Francis. It stars actors Kevin Casey, Eric Tomlin, Cardoza and Marcia Knight, with a performance by influential guitarist Jimmy Bryant.

<i>Georgia</i> (1995 film) 1995 film by Ulu Grosbard

Georgia is a 1995 American independent film directed by Ulu Grosbard. It follows a barroom punk singer who has a complicated relationship with her older sister.

<i>White Oleander</i> (film) 2002 American film

White Oleander is a 2002 American drama film directed by Peter Kosminsky. The film stars Alison Lohman in the central role of Astrid Magnussen and Michelle Pfeiffer as her manipulative mother, Ingrid, with Robin Wright, Noah Wyle, and Renée Zellweger in supporting roles. The screenplay was adapted from Janet Fitch's 1999 novel White Oleander, which was selected for Oprah's Book Club in May 1999.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pamela Voorhees</span> Fictional character in the Friday the 13th series

Pamela Voorhees is a fictional character and the overarching antagonist of the Friday the 13th series of horror films. She was created by Victor Miller, and first appeared in Sean S. Cunningham's Friday the 13th (1980), played by Betsy Palmer. Pamela is the main antagonist of the first film, in which she is known only as Mrs. Voorhees, and remains an antagonistic presence in its sequels, in which she is seen mostly as a severed head or a figment of her son's imagination. In Friday the 13th Part III (1982), the character appears as a reanimated corpse in a hallucination, played by Marilyn Poucher. Paula Shaw played Pamela in the crossover Freddy vs. Jason (2003); according to Palmer in Friday The 13th Reunion, she was asked to reprise her role in the film, but turned it down after reading the script. Nana Visitor played Pamela in the 2009 reboot.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mare Winningham</span> American actress and singer-songwriter (born 1959)

Mary Megan Winningham, known professionally as Mare Winningham, is an American actress and singer-songwriter. She is the recipient of two Primetime Emmy Awards and has been nominated for an Academy Award, two Golden Globe Awards, and two Tony Awards.

<i>Twitches</i> (film) 2005 television film by Stuart Gillard

Twitches is a 2005 American fantasy comedy-drama film released as a Disney Channel original movie and based on the Twitches book series published by Scholastic Press. Produced by Broomsticks Productions Limited, the film stars Tia Mowry and Tamera Mowry as Alexandra Fielding and Camryn Barnes, respectively. A sequel, Twitches Too, aired on October 12, 2007, as a part of Disney Channel's Hauntober Fest.

Weight cutting is the practice of fast weight loss prior to a sporting competition. It most frequently happens in order to qualify for a lower weight class or to meet the maximum weight limit in their weight class if one exists or in sports where it is advantageous to weigh as little as possible. There are two types of weight cutting: one method is to lose weight in the form of fat and muscle in the weeks prior to an event; the other is to lose weight in the form of water in the final days before competition. Common methods to cut weight include restricting food intake, water-loading, and perspiration through exercise, wearing a sweatsuit, and/or sitting in a sauna.

Imprint (<i>Masters of Horror</i>) 13th episode of the 1st season of Masters of Horror

"Imprint" is the thirteenth episode of the first season of Masters of Horror. Directed by Takashi Miike, the episode was scheduled to premiere on January 27, 2006, but was shelved by Showtime over concerns about its graphic and disturbing content. It was later released to DVD on September 26, 2006.

<i>Flicka</i> 2006 American family adventure drama film

Flicka is a 2006 American family adventure drama film loosely based on the 1941 children's novel My Friend Flicka by Mary O'Hara. The film is directed by Michael Mayer and written by Mark Rosenthal and Lawrence Konner. The novel had previously been made into a film by 20th Century Fox in 1943, and served as the inspiration for My Friend Flicka, a 39-episode TV series in 1956–1957. In this version, set in the 21st century, the protagonist is a girl, played by Alison Lohman. The film also features Maria Bello, Ryan Kwanten and country singer Tim McGraw, who also served as executive producer of the soundtrack album. This USD15 million-budgeted film grossed $21 million in the United States theaters, and then it went on to become a surprise hit in DVD market in the United States; it made more than $48 million on DVD sales and more than $19 million on DVD/Home Video rental.

<i>The Attic</i> (2007 film) 2007 American film

The Attic is a 2007 American horror film directed by Mary Lambert and starring Elisabeth Moss, Jason Lewis, Tom Malloy, and Catherine Mary Stewart.

<i>Gold Diggers: The Secret of Bear Mountain</i> 1995 American film

Gold Diggers: The Secret of Bear Mountain is a 1995 American adventure film directed by Kevin James Dobson, and starring Christina Ricci, Anna Chlumsky, Polly Draper, Brian Kerwin, Diana Scarwid, and David Keith. Set in 1980 in the Pacific Northwest, it follows two teenage girls who, inspired by a local legend, attempt to recover a fortune of gold inside a mountain.

Perfect Body is a 1997 American drama television film about a young gymnast who develops an eating disorder. It originally aired on NBC on September 8, 1997. It has since aired on Lifetime and ABC Family and been released on DVD. The film stars former Power Rangers and Felicity actress Amy Jo Johnson and gymnast/actress Cathy Rigby who suffered from an eating disorder in her youth.

<i>This Is My Life</i> (1992 film) 1992 film by Nora Ephron

This Is My Life is a 1992 American comedy-drama film. It stars Julie Kavner as a working class single mother trying to break into stand-up comedy who struggles to juggle her newfound fame with her existing responsibilities as a parent.

<i>Mothers Day</i> (2010 film) 2010 film by Darren Lynn Bousman

Mother's Day is a 2010 American psychological horror film directed by Darren Lynn Bousman. It is a loose remake of Charles Kaufman's Mother's Day and was written by Scott Milam and produced by Brett Ratner. The film stars Rebecca De Mornay, Jaime King, Briana Evigan, Patrick Flueger, Deborah Ann Woll, Matt O'Leary, Jessie Rusu and Shawn Ashmore.

"Señor Macho Solo" is the seventh episode of the third season of the American television comedy series 30 Rock, and the 43rd overall episode of the series. It was written by co-executive producer Ron Weiner and directed by Beth McCarthy. The episode originally aired on NBC in the United States on January 8, 2009. Peter Dinklage, Salma Hayek, and Sherri Shepherd guest star in "Señor Macho Solo", and there are cameo appearances by Billy Bush and Nancy O'Dell.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Matilda Hunter</span> Soap opera character

Matilda Hunter is a fictional character from the Australian soap opera Home and Away, played by Indiana Evans. She made her first on-screen appearance on 21 January 2004. Matilda is the daughter of Beth and Jack Hunter and sister to Scott, Kit, Robbie and Henry. Matilda departed on 24 July 2008 to go to university.

<i>Temptation: Confessions of a Marriage Counselor</i> 2013 US romance drama film by Tyler Perry

Temptation: Confessions of a Marriage Counselor is a 2013 American romantic drama film produced, written, and directed by Tyler Perry. The film is adapted from Perry's play The Marriage Counselor, with several changes. It was released on March 29, 2013.

References

  1. ↑ "Sharing the Secret - Official Show Site". myLifetime.com. Lifetime Entertainment Services. Archived from the original on 2011-11-03. Retrieved 2011-01-07.
  2. ↑ "Sharing the Secret". GEORGE FOSTER PEABODY AWARDS. University of Georgia's Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication. Retrieved 2011-01-07.
  3. ↑ Allison Lohman (2000). Sharing the Secret. Nightstar Productions.
  4. ↑ Hal Erickson. "Sharing the Secret – Synopsis". Fandango. Comcast, Inc. Retrieved 2011-01-07.
  5. ↑ "Sharing the Secret [ NON-USA FORMAT, PAL, Reg.2 Import - Great Britain ]". Amazon.com. Retrieved 2011-01-07.
  6. ↑ "Sharing The Secret [DVD][2000] DVD". Amazon UK. Retrieved 2011-01-07.
  7. ↑ "Search Results". Infinity DVD. Infinity Media. Retrieved 2011-01-07.
  8. ↑ "Sharing The Secret [2000][DVD] DVD - Production Details". Amazon UK. 26 June 2006. Retrieved 2011-01-07.
  9. ↑ Charlynn (August 2008). "Movie review: Sharing the Secret". The Disordered Times Archive. Retrieved 2011-01-07.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.