Dying to Belong (1997)

A Major Disappointment

There are moments that feel comical, some horrific, and some downright inspiring but the tonal shifts hardly matter as the end results come to a film that's perfect for this time.

Close shines in drama with strong language, adult themes.

Yes, absolutely, there is fun to be had, as well as many, many things to go boom, all amid an atmospheric urban jungle.

Oh my gosh, all I have to say about this film, even though it had a suprisingly good and thrilling plot for a tv movie, is how gorgeous does Mark-Paul Gosselaar (a.k.a. Zack Morris from the teen tv show 'Saved By The Bell'-the original and best!) look?????!!!!! Phwoar!!!! I'd watch this again and again just to see him wearing those glasses even if it had been a bad film. He looks much better with dark hair (although I did still have a crush on him years ago as the blonde 'Tom Cruise' Zack Morris!!). But honestly, it's actually quite good and definitely worth watching even if you don't want to gaze at the lovely Mark-Paul!!!!!!!!!!Don't be put off and leave it too long; you'll regret it if you don't watch 'Dying To Belong'!!!!!!! (sorry I know that's really cheesy but I couldn't resist!!!) jill-70 :-)

Spoilers Dying to Belong is about a girl in her freshman year of college whose best friend is killed during hazing. She investigates whether it was really an accident or if there is something more sinister going on. This is an OK film, not as good as some of the comment on here say ("Best TV movie ever" is a gross exaggeration), but decent all the same. The acting is good, for the most part, the girl playing Kim over acted her way through every scene, making her part in the ending too obvious. Speaking of the ending, it was a little too predictable, not because of the writing but because of the direction. The way we see it, a girl is on the roof of a church or something being told that she'll win "Best Pledge" if she hangs a banner. We then see her friend on the ground realising she's disappeared, then the girl falling. This means the audience already knows she was forced onto the roof, which means the next 45 minutes of what's supposed to be tense is actually less exciting than the start of the film. Still, its worth watching, 7/10

This movie is ridiculous. The writing is horrible and the story is completely unbelievable. I especially love when the cops just happen to waiting for the girl that has the pot planted in her car. Then, I love how her mother and her are leaving the police station, and the mother says 'good thing they let you off with a warning this time." Oh, yes...I forgot, they always do that when you're arrested for possession. Get real. The girls in this story are fake as well. I mean, the girl that played Becky in the later years of Roseanne, she couldn't act if her life depended on it. Same goes for saved by the bell boy...Mark Paul whatever his name is. He should definitely stick to comedy and nothing else. The worst thing about this movie, besides all the acting, is the fact that it's so terribly fake. Things don't happen the way they did in the movie, and the plot holes were big enough to drive an army of mac trucks thru. 1/10

I absolutely loved this movie. It has an all-star cast. The multi-faceted story of a girl entering a college, joining a sorority, and jumping into a relationship is so typical of what happens to many girls around that age. I found it helpful as I was on my way to college when I first viewed this film.10/10