Lies of the Heart: The Story of Laurie Kellogg (1994)

Self-important, over-dramatic, uninspired.

a film so unique, intoxicating and bizarre that it not only demands another viewing, but is also forgivable as a satirical comedy where the jokes eventually take the back seat.

The movie's not perfect, but it sticks the landing of its message. It was engaging - thrilling at times - and I personally thought it was a great time.

Close shines in drama with strong language, adult themes.

Jennie Garth's Lifetime movie was scandalizing me more and more with every campy, trailer-trashy minute (she's only 16, the age for statutory rape in Pennsylvania in 1981 was 14, and the Ted Bundy-looking love interest paid her step-father $500 for her!), but, as is usually the case, the naïve, teen, falling in love stuff was my favorite part (her rebellious makeover consisted solely of taking off her headband), and then it became increasingly un-fun as Jennie's 44-year-old boyfriend becomes less humorously abusive (shoving her nose in her messes, and telling her to diet so he doesn't have to trade her in for a younger model, which would make the new girl about 8), and more and more of an intolerable monster. It was only hurt by the fact that Jennie can act. It delved into an even darker place as Alexis Arquette (not in drag) confessed to a teen friend that while he was in jail he was passed around and raped every day! Then, my 8-year-old theory comes true when Ted Bundy starts molesting the young girls that Jennie baby-sits! Then, Jennie gets pregnant and doesn't want an abortion, so Ted Bundy threatens "to take a coat hanger to it"! Once Ted is murdered, Alexis takes the stand to tell about the game they played called 101 Ways to Kill Bruce Kellogg, and Jennie gets 25 years in prison. Woman-hating-judge.The only positive thing I can say for this movie is that I have never seen people go to the skating rink so much, and since skating rinks represent complete and total bliss to me, skate Jennie, skate! This was not the laughing at other people's misery and stupidity fest that I hoped it would be, and I think Cinnamon Toast Crunch is thinking the same thing, because listening to a detailed description of a husband threatening to beat his children (one of whom happened to be Haley Joel Osment) to death then fading to a commercial that declares, "This program is brought to you by Cinnamon Toast Crunch," doesn't make me crave cinnamon and sugar. My theory is CTC's company General Mills thought this was the story of a member of the Kellogg's Cereal family, and they were trying to be subversive by advertising during it. Boy, did that backfire.Musical montages: none, a sure sign that a "film" means to be taken seriously. Boooooo

I survived one of those (murder trial) in l997 and understand more than the "average bear" about the our justice system.The film shows how fast things can go horribly wrong and 'out of control' for todays youth.This should be shown in High Schools across the country,

Lies of the Heart; The story of Laurie Kellogg is a great movie And Jennie Garth did a great job as Laurie Kellogg.All in all,I'll give this movie 5 stars.

I hate movies like this! It's not difficult to play with someone's emotions... All you have to do is throw in a few characters that are either abusing someone, or being abused, and (hopefully) human nature causes a feeling of wanting to do something about it. But being able to touch an emotion in a viewer's mind does not make a good movie, and this movie is a perfect example of that.To be truthful, I only watched the first half, and then turned off the TV because it was so bad. And although I don't know the ending, I can't imagine how it could be anything other than the obvious. And even if there was some incredible twist at the end that made the ending the best movie ending ever made, I would still give it a low rating, just because of the first half alone.I give it a few points for not being technically ridiculous -- the actors and photography were ok (although nothing remarkable) -- but the story was so thin, and seemed to be completely related to twisting our emotions around in knots just to cause a reaction in us, that I give it overall very low marks. Touching our emotions is great, but give us a story too!