Dawn Anna Townsend (Debra Winger) is a single mom of four teens struggling to make ends meet. She gets a low paying teaching job and becomes a beloved volleyball coach. Fellow teacher Bink takes a liking to her. She becomes chronically ill and hospitalized. She struggles to recover with the help of her kids, Bink and fellow teachers. Then the massacre at Columbine High School kills her daughter Lulu.
It's great to see Debra Winger again. She's terrific and she is sorely missed. The first hour is functional sick mother movie. It has very little drama and no tension at all. Then the movie reveals a surprise that she's been teaching at Columbine all along. It's a shocking turn. I want to like this for Debra Winger and the subject matter. However the surprise is unnecessary and too distracting. The movie would work even better by showing Columbine from the very beginning. It would keep the tension high as the anticipation of the massacre grows.
It's great to see Debra Winger again. She's terrific and she is sorely missed. The first hour is functional sick mother movie. It has very little drama and no tension at all. Then the movie reveals a surprise that she's been teaching at Columbine all along. It's a shocking turn. I want to like this for Debra Winger and the subject matter. However the surprise is unnecessary and too distracting. The movie would work even better by showing Columbine from the very beginning. It would keep the tension high as the anticipation of the massacre grows.