Too Young to Die? (1990 TV Movie) User Reviews

It ain't what you do, it's the age that you do it !

[devinecomic · 7/10 · 14 August 2005]

Due to the seriousness of her crime, Amanda is being tried as an adult, for murder, and faces execution if guilty.

Amanda is 15 years old.

This film is based on a true story. Unfortunately, this means absolutely nothing in the film represents what actually happened to Amanda... except perhaps that she murdered someone and was found guilty.

So, viewing the film in it's own right, I think it does an excellent job of presenting us with information, with a scenario, and asking us many questions about the legal system, and the strange institution that is the death penalty. The subject is a minor, only 15yrs old. Alcohol and drugs are involved, and she is only 15yrs old. Sex, prostitution, and rape by a family member, and she is 15yrs old. Married, legally, at 15yrs old. Up in front of the beak, death penalty, possibly facing the end of her life, at 15yrs old.

In fact, having read my own paragraph above, I find it incredible that this is a true story... I mean, how could all this happen, and then a jury of adults be asked to decide on a death penalty for a child who has been through all this? Madness, to be sure. Perhaps a jury of 15yr olds would be better? After all, are we not supposed to be judged by our peers?

The situations in the film are well presented. The confusion and the strangeness not blindfolding us, and not brainwashing either.

We are allowed to think all the way through this movie... and I guess careful thought about this subject is what was needed. All actors do well, especially Lewis, who develops a very whole, very believable character throughout.

One criticism might be that while the film carries an 18 rating, what we actually see is , well, Disney-fied. The subject is wholly unpleasant, true or not, but the edges are certainly smoothed. It is presented in a Saturday matinée format, when it could quite easily, and maybe more truthfully, be presented in Natural Born Killers reality styley, and thus deserve it's rating.

Well worth watching... thought provoking, well acted, and deserves a "7" from me!

Such A Pathetic Life

[bkoganbing · 7/10 · 7 March 2008]

Too Young To Die is an above average television movie starring Brad Pitt, Juliette Lewis as a pair of young killers and Michael Tucker as the lawyer for Lewis. Tucker is desperately trying to keep her out of the gas chamber and the film is mostly in flashback as she tells her story.

The film really does belong to Juliette Lewis in a stunning portrayal of a pathetic life. She's 14, repeatedly raped by her stepfather, abandoned by her mother and living on the streets until she meets street hustler Brad Pitt.

Later on she develops a relationship with an army sergeant, Michael O'Keefe who has two small children. When their relationship is discovered by the army, Lewis is forced to go back to Pitt. She's full of hate for the world now and acts accordingly.

Michael Tucker who was playing lawyer Stuart Markowitz on L.A. Law at the time gets to play another attorney. He wants to help her, but Lewis is too dumb to get out of her own way.

Brad Pitt and Juliette Lewis got good notices for Too Young To Die and later played the same kind of parts in the theatrical film, Kalifornia.

I'm not a reflexive opponent of the death penalty, but applying to a minor and one like this seemed unjust. I think even some of the most hard hearted proponents of capital punishment would think twice about the state executing Lewis.

Too Young To Die is a fine film showcasing the talents of up and coming stars Brad Pitt and Juliette Lewis. See them in their salad days.

Dead Girl Walking

[JamesHitchcock · 7/10 · 26 December 2009]

This is a TV movie of the type which focuses on a current controversial topic- what I have come to think of as the "Issue of the Month" school of film-making. Films of this sort, often based or partly based upon a true story, frequently end up as rather worthy but dull, but "Too Young to Die?" is rather better than most.

In this case the Issue of the Month is the death penalty, especially the use of the death penalty in cases where the murder was committed by a minor. The central character, Amanda Sue Bradley, is a fifteen-year-old Oklahoma schoolgirl who finds herself on trial for her life after killing her lover Mike Medwicki. We learn of Amanda's troubled past in a series of flashbacks. She is the product of a poor, dysfunctional family from a trailer-park. At the age of thirteen she was sexually molested by her stepfather and entered into a very brief marriage with a boyfriend. (Did Oklahoma really still permit thirteen-year-olds to marry in the early nineties?) She ran away to the nearest big town where she became the lover of a petty crook named Billy Canton, who abused her, introduced her to drugs and forced her to work as a stripper.

Amanda appears to have been rescued from this predicament by the entry into her life of Mike, a divorced sergeant from a nearby army base. He takes Amanda back to live with him; at first he is more like a father-figure than a boyfriend and their relationship is platonic, but eventually she seduces him and ends up in his bed. Mike abandons her when the Army threaten him with a court-martial after discovering that he is in a sexual relationship with an underage girl. Amanda is forced to return to Billy, and together they plot revenge on Mike.

Juliette Lewis, only 17 when she made this film, was regarded as one of the rising young stars of the early nineties. She was to give good performances in later films such as "Cape Fear" and "What's Eating Gilbert Grape", but "Too Young to Die?" must be one of her best. She was also to play a teenage murderer in another film made four years later, Oliver Stone's notorious "Natural Born Killers", but "Too Young to Die?" is a far better film than that nasty, meretricious piece of sledgehammer satire.

The purpose of the film is to force viewers to think about the ethics of the death penalty. The murder of Sergeant Medwicki was certainly both brutal and premeditated, but a system which allows a fifteen-year-old girl to be sentenced to death is itself equally brutal. Amanda is a confused, vulnerable girl, someone who has herself been a victim all her life. She is also lacking in intelligence and seems unable to comprehend what is happening to her; there is a telling scene where her lawyer comes to visit her in jail and all she is interested in is whether he has brought her any chocolates. Lewis is able to bring out all the conflicting elements of Amanda's personality, including a disturbing mixture of innocence and teenage sensuality.

The film also features a young actor who would later go on to become an even bigger star than Lewis. Although Brad Pitt is reasonably good here as the thuggish Canton, he is not in the same league as she is. The actor who shares the acting honours with Lewis is Michael Tucker as her lawyer Buddy. Although Buddy lacks experience in capital cases, he puts up a strong defence, including a moving closing speech, which inexplicably fails to convince the jury, who prefer the bloodthirsty rhetoric of the counsel for the prosecution.

The film ends with Amanda convicted of murder and awaiting execution. We never learn her ultimate fate, although Attina Cannady, the defendant in the trial on which this film was partially based, eventually had her death sentence commuted to life imprisonment. The film has received some criticism on this board for allegedly distorting the facts of the Cannady case, although it never claims to be a factual retelling of that case (which took place in Mississippi rather than Oklahoma). The film is rather a work of fiction, which draws upon the Cannady trial and other real-life cases. Although it was made as a TV movie, I found it a more effective and powerful contribution to the debate on capital punishment than several high-profile feature films on the same topic such as "Dead Man Walking". 7/10

Not a feel good movie

[SALUDES · 28 February 2004]

Brad Pitt and Juliette Lewis both turn in good performances in `Too Young To Die'. Together, the two really make the audience believe the roles are real; unfortunately, the roles are real as the movie is based on a true story. The movie has not one upbeat moment in it, then again, it's not suppose to, as the subject matter-the true story-can be described as nothing other than a depressing tragedy. Can our society condone the killing of children in the name of justice, even for crimes like the one described in this story? Or, should children be held to a different, lesser, standard than an adult? `Too Young To Die' does not answer this question, but it makes one think about it. So, if you want a good, thought provoking movie, this is the one, but if you're looking for a laugh, get a different film, because this one will bring you only tears.

A Movie Overall Better Than Most.

[Brakathor · 7/10 · 14 March 2008]

While it is not perfect, it is overall a good movie that comes pretty close to perfection by a director that seems to have a "made for TV movie" calling in life. The film is about a teen girl convicted of murder and awaiting her sentence which may result in her execution, which clearly will end up bringing forth quite a few questions of morality, and what I personally like most about that, is the aspect that almost none of the characters in the film are fully GOOD or BAD or RIGHT or WRONG, though I know that will alienate some viewers, failing to find a "hero". Each character seems very human, with human frailties that are hard to avoid in difficult situations, and being that there IS no true "hero" or "villain" in this movie, this seems like a great method to provoke true moral contemplation for anyone willing to partake. As it is quite accurately phrased in the film during the very convincing closing arguments of the court case which is otherwise not shown, thus giving courtroom drama lovers something to enjoy, and sparing courtroom drama haters: "There is no villain, all involved are victims of our troubled times."

The acting is quite decent, with Juliette Lewis delivering I would say without exaggeration, an Oscar worthy performance with so much passion, seeming to prompt the other actors who you might not expect to do as well, to give it their all. I couldn't imagine any actor seeming so authentically depressed and sorrowful throughout an entire movie without yelling things in the mirror every morning like. "you're fat! you're stupid! you're a waste of life!" as preparation.

In terms of flaws I found that the whole arrest near the end seemed a little too much of a forced wrap up to the movie, with tons of police cars seeming to come out of nowhere, the police having no apparent leads on the case aside from two cartoonishly awful perpetrator sketches, and in this scene it didn't show the reaction between Brad Pitt, and the other actor inside the van, who would likely be yelling at him for trying to outrun the police. Also, though I have little first hand knowledge of this, it seems a bit implausible that a strip bar owner would hire an underage dancer without even asking proof of age, especially given that this particular strip club was being frequented by many army personnel. Indeed there have been famous cases where 14 year olds have worked in strip bars, but all the ones I know of needed fake I.D's and big tits to do so, neither of which Juliette Lewis had. Perhaps in small towns they just don't take the law seriously??? Another reviewer said this was a bad movie, because on a website listing underage perpetrators convicted to death for murder, none were as young as 15 at the time, which I think is a moot point, because who is to say there won't ever be, which is perhaps one of the moral questions this film tries to invoke.

In the end, if you're interested in moral questions in general, if you're like me and you enjoy seeing movies about teenagers played by ACTUAL teens who end up giving a good and raw performance unlike a lot of school trained "25 year old teenagers" we see going to high school in movies these days, it is definitely worth checking out, and especially if you have any appeal for brad Pitt or Juliette lewis, as it is the strong performance of those actors that carry this film, which is led by adequate yet underwhelming directing.

Worth watching...

[rosecalifornia · 7/10 · 30 July 2015]

The striking thing is, this is based on a true story. If you google this you can find further information. The film does a really good job of not leaning to one side or the other. It shows every angle, the non-existent childhood played be Lewis and the predatory nature of Pitt. It also has a hazy line when it involves other characters in the story. Lewis is a very good actress, one of those believable people that easily slips into the role.

This is one of those films that make you question a few things. You are able to see her abuse and wonder how she slipped through the cracks. You wonder about her "mother" and that entire back story. All in all a very gripping and gritty film.

A poor telling of a socially significant story

[=G= · 5/10 · 25 July 2001]

"Too Young to Die" tells of an attractive young woman of low intelligence who's raised by a degenerate mother in a low class environment and sexually abused by men resulting in tragedy. This unfortunate flick has a story of some social significance but fails to bring it to the screen with the bitter reality, heart and compassion is deserves. Lewis and Pitt offer good performances but the film suffers from melodrama, stereotypical clichés, poor directing, and a mediocre screen play with an obvious made-for-tv presentation. Recommended only for those interested in the early work of Lewis and Pitt.

Puppet gullibly used

[UniqueParticle · 7/10 · 13 April 2020]

Amanda Sue Bradley (Juliette Lewis) goes through so much struggles as a mid teen that gets taken advantage of and deals with some depressing misfortunes. Brad Pitt in this is unlike most his roles, which is intriguing. The soundtrack is so much excellence! Crazy the things someone like Amanda's character has to do when she has no where else to turn!

Made for TV and better off that way

[Ickis248 · 3/10 · 23 May 2009]

I remember seeing this movie on the shelves at my local video store 15 years ago. I never watched it until now (May 09) and I wish I had just not watched it at all.

The story is unimaginative and unremarkable. Completely cut and dry. I would have rather brought this news clipping up on one of those old timey news paper viewers and used my own imagination to fill in the gaps.

Juliette Lewis overdid the angry teen and was mostly annoying. Brad Pitt did the best he could with the material he was given but considering how limited he was by the role, he performed it well.

It was made for TV on a Sunday afternoon when everyone was out and they needed some crap to fill the gaps between paid programming, and it should have stayed that way.

I watched it for Brad & stayed for Juliette.

[SamJamie · 6/10 · 11 December 2020]

An abused 15-year-old is charged with a murder that carries the death penalty in this fact-based story. "Too Young to Die?" is a 1990 television movie starring Brad Pitt and Juliette Lewis. It touches on the debate concerning the death penalty. It is based on a true story. Three years later, Pitt and Lewis would reunite, portraying somewhat similar characters, in Kalifornia.

This film is one I watched strictly to see Brad Pitt in one of his first performances, I didn't expect a great deal considering it's a TV movie but it's surprisingly solid. The hard-hitting subject-matter is what makes the movie such an emotional journey, Juliette Lewis carries the movie fantastically well with her multi-layered portrayal of a girl on the wrong side of the tracks. An interesting and well-developed character. Whilst Brad plays an unlikable sleaze-ball that ultimately exploits her innocence. The film flows well and is nicely put together but doesn't stray too far from TV-movie farce. Sadly, the last act turns into a courtroom drama for its final, and weakest, act, which feels more like an education video on the filmmakers' message that troubled minors are victims of society and should not be held accountable for capital offences. Besides a few issues, it's a decent film and worth a watch.

Don't be deceived by the cast, this movie is crap

[Six-245 · 4/10 · 18 January 2007]

I understand the intentions of the producers, they wanted to show to the viewers, that there was a few kids that have been charged with murder and put to death penalty... but that is only theoretical truth, deathpenaltyinfo.org on this page you can see all the people punished with death sentence, for the crime they've committed, when they were under aged... as you can see all the defendants were 17, not 14, when they committed the crime... And by the time they were killed, years have past. 4ex, Joseph Cannon had waited 21 years for the crime he committed, when he was 17, and i'm sure he made a lot more terrible things by the time he was 38. So i think that it is bullshit, trying to soften the viewer, by showing this 14 year old putted to death, cause it will never happen in a normal country.

Moving performance by Juliette Lewis

[rebecca-76 · 9/10 · 10 February 2005]

When I first saw this film in 1990, I as deeply disturbed but also incredibly impressed by the convincingly believable and powerful portrayal of Amanda Sue Bradley by Juliette Lewis. She was virtually unknown at the time, and I was impressed; I remember noting her name in the credits and expecting her to become a celebrity based solely on the talent she conveyed in that role. I recently saw this film again (2005), and I was even more impressed by her ability to tap into the mentality of the character and portray such desperation.

Other than her performance, the movie is nothing to rave about; in fact, I'd call it cheesy, and I would expect better of Brad Pitt. If you are a Juliette Lewis fan, however, it is a MUST SEE! Your respect for her will only grow greater. She is the only thing making the film memorable.

Good early acting showcase of Brad Pitt & Juliette Lewis

[Rodrigo_Amaro · 6/10 · 18 February 2023]

Nothing new under the sun when it comes to storyline, here's another typical TV movie based on a real life story where a teen girl is accused of murdering a man and now she faces such charge with the possibility of getting the death penalty. Yet if the movie has some appeal and a following base is thanks to the fresh presences of future major stars Juliette Lewis and Brad Pitt. It's always fascinating to see and follow actors before their stardom and usually they deliver good performances which only evidences that they had a great deal of talent way before time - some actors appear in clunkers or cheesy movies, it's hard to escape and people need to eat, pay their bills and do what they love which is to act so most folks accept anything they can get. "Too Young to Die?" luckily is a fine moment for both young actors.

Juliette is the innocent teen whose major problem in life was having to deal with a problematic family with an abusive stepdad and a mother who refuses to believe in the girl's accusations against the drunk man. From there her life is all downhill after a brief, failed marriage with an irresponsible 18-year-old, she wanders from place to place starving to death without knowing what to do with her life since she can't come back home (and that lousy couple end up moving after all), until she finds the unwanted company of the low-life character played by Pitt, who arranges her a job as an exotic dancer. Their involvement plays the use of drugs mess things up and when she finally finds some solace in the company of a more mature man (Michael O'Keefe) things get pretty heavy.

The story is told through flashbacks, so she's already caught by authorities and we hear her version of events as she tells it to a dedicated lawyer (Michael Tucker), who'll try his best efforts to convince the jury and everyone that she's innocent. Their scenes are some of the best in the whole movie as he tries to uncover the truth and protect her from harm.

It's heavily cliched but then again so does life also happens to be a strange cliche, specially when it comes to lost characters and acts of murder. It's a painful experience to watch since almost nothing good happens to this naive girl, she doesn't stand a chance at anything, and we see that she could have turn things around for good in the company of a waitress who offers her a place to stay or a friend of which they became roommates for a while, she always makes the worst decision ever and it all revolves around men. But wasn't a man who ruined her life early on and made her an unwanted presence by his mother? It makes one angry that she fails to see the signs or understand things. Sure, teenagers are easily impressed most of the time but there's a part of me that kept wondering from what people did she came from? The brief presentation of her family life doesn't indicate someone as being living in a complete state of alienation yet she seems to not know anything about life. It's infurating.

On a higher level, the movie does have a positive meaning specially to youngsters. Watch it and you'll never forget the lessons to be learned from it. There's plenty of good things to show despite its downer storyline and outcome. On a more superficial level, just enjoy the show by the cast with everyone providing their best acting with the best of what's available. 6/10.

Bad Acting

[nneprevilo · 3/10 · 30 December 2005]

Sorry, dim-witted or not, Lewis' character knew right from wrong. She knew that she had been treated wrongly, yet she murdered in cold blood. I had no sympathy for anybody in the story. Michael O'Keefe had sex with a minor, even though he had children himself. If anyone had touched HIS kids in a sexual way, he would have wanted to kill them, yet he allowed his personal sexual needs to take advantage of a teen girl.

I don't believe in the death penalty, so the Brad Pitt character and the Lewis' Amanda deserve to rot in jail for the rest of their lives. People know right from wrong and both of these idiots are no exception.

All this nonsense about "she's just a teenager and she was abused by her mother" crap is just an excuse. I was inappropriately approached by grown men when I was a teen, but I knew NOT to do what they wanted me to do.

As played, Lewis didn't always seem so dim-witted. She made a lot of sense and didn't seem retarded. Pitt was just a user -- a complete looser -- we've seen his type in lots of other films. It always amazes me how stupid girls and women can be. So desperate for the love and approval of men, they'll do ANYTHING, sometimes even helping a lover to murder their own parents or relatives.

Too bad they are raised from the beginning to depend on males, instead of being self-reliant. When women sit back and allow men to pay for everything, they loose their EQUALITY and give all power to men. Big mistake.

Depressing, but Lewis is good

[vchimpanzee · 13 January 2005]

At the beginning of the movie, Amanda is being arrested for murder. Through flashbacks we learn of the circumstances, and the movie goes back and forth between the present and the past. Amanda tells her lawyer she didn't do it, but she is not very helpful in keeping herself out of prison--or possibly death row.

Amanda was only 14 when her stepfather asked her to do something she didn't want to do, and when her mother blamed her, she soon felt her only option was to run away. Once she ended up broke and alone in another town, Billy came to her rescue with a job no 14-year-old should have. Soon Amanda needed rescuing again, and Mark, divorced with children, proved to be her knight in shining armor. But things did not improve for Amanda, and we know something terrible eventually happened.

Juliette Lewis did a better than average job, showing a range of emotions and dimensions to the troubled Amanda character. I don't know that I saw the potential for the respected actor Brad Pitt became, but maybe there was something there.

It's a real shame this was based on a true story. No teen should have to go through what Amanda did. Still, maybe showing the circumstances of her life will help others in her situation.

Partial facts with dramatization for the purpose of the scripting

[phuckracistgop · 7/10 · 14 February 2024]

Classification: Homicide Characteristics: Juvenile (16) - Kidnapping - Rape Number of victims: 1 Date of murder: June 3, 1982 Date of birth: September 8, 1965 Victim profile: U. S. Air Force Sergeant Ronald Wojcik, 26 Method of murder: Stabbing with knife Location: Harrison County, Mississippi, USA Status: Sentenced to death in 1983. Sentence reversed in 1984. Resentenced to one life sentence and two 25-year sentences. Released on March 9, 2008.

I can understand to a point both sides of the fence here when it comes to the sympathy given to the accused due to the writing of the script and I also can relate to the families of the victim. Because they lost a loved one regardless of the circumstances.

What should be noted as I see it, would be the age at which certain Americans will allow vengeance to justify their blood lust for the execution of minors.

On June 16, 1944, George Stinney Jr., a 90 pound African-American 14 year old teenager was executed in the electric chair for the murders of two Caucasian girls to which evidence after the fact proved his innocence.

Ugh

[cleartrampoline · 1/10 · 27 November 2005]

I saw the other user comment on this movie and just had to add my own. This movie was terrible. Seeing that Juliette Lewis and Brad Pitt were both in it I took a chance and watched the film that my sister purchased in a one dollar movie bin, and let me tell you, not worth one dollar. Maybe it's because of the fact it is a made-for-TV movie, although I have found many other made-for-TV movies much more enjoyable. The story and dialog are poorly written, and the plot is unbelievable and mediocre at best. The performances were not so bad, but were not enough to carry this film. Lewis plays a girl who gets caught up in these crazy circumstances and never seems to get things right, while Pitt plays this mean nasty character who takes advantage of this poor girl. The only good thing about this film is Lewis' t-shirts which are pretty cool. Do your self a favor and skip it.

Something wooden and unprofessional!

[Lori_ruelo · 2/10 · 25 November 2018]

On the whole, it is a sufferer story that unfortunately occurs on a daily basis, and no matter what social strata and countries. A teenager is abandoned by parents or not taken seriously. Worst of all, it is still emotionally tormented. Has problems making good friends and is unlucky in love, whereby it is constantly getting the wrong people. One is still naïve about both ears. But what Juliette Lewis and Brad Pitt deliver here is absolute nonsense! The emotional torments of Lewis, even when drugged, just don't come across from her. Pitt, too, makes complete on overacting here. Certainly both were at this film, at the beginning of their careers and haven't had much experience yet. Watching those two play, you wouldn't have thought at the time that they would succeed once. On top of that, the two of those at that was a couple. In this TV movie, unfortunately, there is no tension and chemistry among each other. Verdict: A tragic story that can happen to anyone. Just boring played and told!

With just 45 minutes watched, this one sticks!

[marinuzz · 8/10 · 14 June 2006]

I was surprised by this movie. I only saw the last 45 minutes of it, but it really grabbed me. Not only because of the very disturbing story, but also because of the, at some stages, incredible acting by Juliette Lewis.

Amanda and Billy/Juliette and Brad in this movie must have been the model for the trailer park couple in "Kalifornia". I found Kalifornia much less disturbing despite the in-your-face violence displayed by Brad's character there. I guess this is because "Too young to die?" was produced before the era of quick camera action. The slow pace of the film reminded me of "Badlands", with the same emptiness and destructive path, except that in "Too young to die" there's absolutely no romance involved. In a merciless way, it is outlining the destructive path that Amanda is on, with no one to help.

This is one of those films that stick, even with 45 minutes captured of it. And that's what movie experience is about.

Nice to see both Brad and Juliette at an early stage of their careers, clearly lying the foundation for their later roles (Brad as cowboy with Gena Davis in ..., Juliette with De Niro in Cape Fear and with Woody in Natural Born Killers).

Thorouglly depressing

[alliesmom97 · 15 April 2004]

This has to be one of the most depressing movies I have ever seen in my life. I can honestly say that there is maybe five minutes of happiness in it.

Juliette Lewis is cast as Amanda Sue Bradley, a sexually abused and somewhat dim teenager who runs away from home and eventually finds herself involved in murder and on trial for her life.

What the movie does make you do is analyze how you feel about the death penalty and when it is or is not appropriate and how much should the previous circumstances in someone's life be considered when pronouncing a sentence.

One thing that truly bothered me about the movie was the fact that the character was REALLY portrayed as seriously lacking in intelligence. I mean that in a very serious way--if Amanda Sue Bradley was ANYTHING like she was portrayed here, then I have doubts she could possibly understand what she was faced with. When her lawyer came to see her in jail, her main concern was whether or not he had brought her any "candy covered chocolates." I really wonder if this girl was all there.

I've done some internet searcher and not had any lucky finding out how this all came out in the end. Anybody know?

This is a made for TV Movie and a decent one at that.

[lambiepie-2 · 8/10 · 5 July 2003]

(Spoilers Included!!)

This is not a "feature film", its one of those "movie of the week" that was done on a small budget to tell a compelling story.

The story is a bad one that ends up worse. A very pretty young teen female, with a washed up middle aged mother who lives in a trailer environment, gets sexually abused by her "almost married for a year" husband. When the daughter tells her about the abuse and asks her mother to have this man leave, the mother makes the daughter feel at fault and does not ask the man to leave, but for HER to. Her life gets worse, no one -- and I strongly repeat -- no one cares to morally assist this girl. She then deals with more awful men and a bottom of the barrel life just trying to survive on what little sense she's got, until she is involved in murder.

Now a personal note: I feel that when you kill someone, you have to pay the consequences. It DOES NOT matter what age you are. While it is sad that this teen, her life, and how she makes decisions fell the wrong way, she participated in murder.

That being said, should she have gotten a death penalty in my view? In this case, no. Should she have gotten life in prison with out the possibility of parole? In this case..no. But that is the point, for us to search inside ourselves and understand what WAS best for this teen --in this case. There is no one ideal/one fit for everybody and everything. Jail and death are not the "end all beat all" of all crimes committed. A life was taken -- never lose sight on that, but why that life was taken is of importance and justice for that life being taken is also just as important.

But this person's life was taken too. Although not physically dead..she was being killed for a long time which led her to believe that committing death on another was her only 'rational' option led on by another irrational human being. So what do you do? How do you handle this kind of criminal offense? What is best for her, society, justice to the dead? That is the question that we are still trying to answer.

This film is as good as it gets for "TV". Don't expect more out of it. It does what it needs to do, provoke thought and conversation. Juliette Lewis and Brad Pitt do a fine job, it's worth a peek.

a real beaming ray of sunshine

[miss_j_bean · 19 September 2004]

I saw this movie on TV when it was originally released (i was 11 i think) and I never saw it again, but I fairly certain that it scarred me for life. Some of the visuals were so... disturbing. I think one sign of a well-done movie is when it's viewers can recall the images over a decade later when they are busy doing something else. I'm not sure what it was about it that stuck with me so, the hopelessness or futility? This movie really showcases Juliette Lewis's impressive acting ability, it was the first time I had ever seen her, the next time I saw her was "Natural Born Killers." I was surprised to learn that This movie was based on a true story, that's even more disturbing. I was also surprised to see that Brad Pitt was in it, I guess it's back when he was a bit less famous :). To make a long opinion about a made-for-TV movie short, not everything has a happy silver lining, and sometimes you have to be smacked in the face by cold harsh reality to appreciate the good things.

This movie made you feel empathy!

[janetrharper · 10/10 · 29 May 2006]

This was an excellent movie. It was really depressing but you know it is reality too. There are a lot of Amanda's out there. I don't think she deserved the death penalty at all. I did not catch or either they didn't tell, what happened to Billy Cantor? Was he convicted? I think the movie wanted people to focus more on the situation about teenagers being charged with the death penalty. They should have followed up at the end, please somebody give me an update about what happened to Billy Cantor. I think Amanda Sue was too dim witted or too mentally abused to even realize the seriousness of her crime. She was just looking to be loved, probably feels secure in prison.

She was a Puppet on a string

[w-heilig · 23 October 2004]

If this movie was true to fact, Well then the people who were on the jury was very blind. This poor girl was a puppet on a string, Form the way I got it is the dead beat she was with influenced her with drugs,fear, and a misguided sense of the word Love. Pumping her up with drugs then pumping her up with words to do something that with out the drugs she wouldn't even think of doing. full grown adults can be influenced with the help of drugs, and we're talking about a 15 year old child with a want to be needed and a place too call home. They had a chance too help this little girl, But instead they influenced one another too kill her. Did this happen during an election year? I don't know but it's very wrong when WE stop helping kids when they get into trouble, Ain't that what kids do?

Love the honest brutality of life

[hildebrandt_e · 9/10 · 6 April 2022]

Love this film. It does a great job of showing how brutal and unforgiving life and humans are.

It's a tragic story based on real events that changed the death penalty allowance for the better. Horrific she had to be killed for that obvious Change to be made.

Sad.