An Exercise In Nonsense

How wonderful it is to see this fine actress carry a film and carry it so beautifully.

Watch something else. There are very few redeeming qualities to this film.

It’s fine. It's literally the definition of a fine movie. You’ve seen it before, you know every beat and outcome before the characters even do. Only question is how much escapism you’re looking for.

The book is almost a a creepy nightmare and this movie is a pink soap opera. There's a lot of elements that are missing here, first of all Audrina hair color , eyes color, her cousins hair color, Audrina has a little sister in this movie there's no sister. And there's lots of facts that are missing as well.

Audrina Adare (Farryn VanHumbeck) lived in isolation with with her father Damian (James Tupper), mother Lucietta, aunt Ellsbeth and cousin Vera (Kacey Rohl) in a mansion. She lived in the shadow of her dead sister namesake. She is confused with time and lost memories. Vera constantly taunts her. Her father pushes a connection with the original Audrina. Arden Lowe is a local boy in love with Audrina. Lucietta dies in childbirth and baby Sylvia is autistic. Years later, Audrina (India Eisley) takes piano lessons from Lamar Rensdale while Vera (Tess Atkins) flirts.This starts off like a moody horror movie. In the end, it's only a spooky mystery. Kacey Rohl should have stayed as Vera. The change in Audrina actresses is acceptable and Arden is inevitable. Rohl could easily play all the different ages. India Eisley has the innocent fragility and beauty for the part. Her speaking voice does mumble her lines sometimes which isn't the greatest for a lead. The middle is a lot of slow rambling sexual melodrama. It's somewhat aimless. It needs a direction and the simplest is Audrina researching her namesake predecessor. By the end, the reveal doesn't satisfy as much as releases the movie from its expectations.

Audrina Adare (India Eisley) lives a secluded life in her family's mansion of Whitefern. Audrina is not allowed out of her house to attend school or socialize with other children her age. She has no idea of how much time has passed in her life because her father Damian Jonathan Adare (James Tupper) doesn't allow her to have a calendar and a watch. The clocks in the family home are all set at different hours and this contributes to poor Audrina's confusion! Damian and his wife Lucietta aka Lucky (Kirsten Robek) had a daughter before Audrina who was also named Audrina. When this perfect, beautiful Audrina was 9 years old, she was assaulted and killed by a group of boys in the woods near the family home. Every Sunday the family that also includes Lucky's sister, Ellsbeth (Jennifer Copping) and her vile daughter, Vera (Kacey Rohl) visit the first Audrina's grave. Damian is determined to make the second Audrina as perfect and as beautiful as the first Audrina. He makes Audrina sit in her sister's rocking chair so she can absorb the essence of her perfect sister. This is traumatic for poor Audrina. She sees her sister's rape and murder while she rocks and she screams in fright. There is no relief for Audrina in this house. Vera always bullies her and calls her dumb because Audrina has no concept of time. Lucky gets pregnant but loses her life and the child so Audrina has no younger sibling who will love her. The only things that give Audrina any kind of happiness are the crush she has on the ground keeper's son Arden Lowe (Seth Isaac Johnson) and the piano lessons from the handsome pianist Lamar (Matthew Kevin Anderson). The horrid Vera spoils this for Audrina when she seduces Lamar. Audrina and Arden get married with her father's reluctant blessing. However, the marriage is doomed because Audrina is still traumatized by what happened to the first Audrina and she won't let Arden touch her. Arden confronts Damian who reveals a big spoiler for Audrina. The first Audrina was invented by the family and the second Audrina is the one and only Audrina there is! Damian says Audrina came home after the rape in the woods and Lucky scrubbed the crime off of her body. Audrina went through electro-shock therapy to wipe the memory away but Damian didn't want her to suffer through that. He invented the fictional Audrina and told Audrina the rape happened to the non-existent Audrina. Later on, another big reveal comes up when Vera pushes Audrina down the stairs and send her into a coma. Audrina sees in the past when she is 9 and Vera is 11. Vera helps her dress up in her birthday dress and tells Audrina there is a big surprise for her after school. The "surprise" is the rape in the woods by the boys. Arden was there, but he tried to help Audrina and not hurt her. Vera had the boys rape Audrina because she was jealous of Damian's affection for Audrina and his dislike for her (Vera). Vera was also Damian's child with Ellsbeth. When Vera is confronted in the present by Audrina, she falls down the stairs and dies. In the end, Audrina knows she has a life with Arden to look forward to and is no longer haunted by the perfect sister who never existed. This movie was quite gripping in its portrayal of a dysfunctional family and the aftermath of PTSD due to a rape. India Eisley was wonderful as the confused Audrina with special mention due to Kacey Rohl, Tess Atkins, and Hannah Cheramy as the villainous Vera. Imogen Tear and Farryn VanHumbeck were also great as the younger Audrinas as well! This story is recommended for any VC Andrews fan!

When she was nine-years-old, something awful happened to Audrina. This character is referred to as "the first Audrina." The tragedy has caused everyone to go crazy. The parents have another Audrina and try to protect her from the same awfulness by secluding her in the family mansion. This "second Audrina" is home-schooled. Also, she is forbidden to associate with the surrounding community. However, when a sexy piano teacher offers lessons, brooding papa James Tupper (as Damian Adare) lets the alluring young India Eisley (as Audrina) share the handsome man's piano seat. Strange. Modestly costumed, but in sultry make-up, Ms. Eisley's only friend is sisterly sexpot Tess Atkins (as Vera). Finally, although he supposedly only knows her as the village freak, muscular blond William Moseley (as Arden Lowe) has fallen madly in love with Eisley...The above set-up really doesn't make much sense. However, the situations do become clear, by the end of the story. It's not a bad story, but what this TV movie does is show us the highlights in long family mystery. Unfortunately, events just happen. There is little attempt to build a mystery or piece them together. We are shown, not guided or told. The emphasis is clearly on sex fantasies. Apparently, this is the main thrust (sorry) of the assignment given director Mike Rohl and his crew. The performances are all highly sexualized. You don't see much sex, by the way, since this movie is geared toward foreplay and fantasy. The problem is... the story really wasn't about sex. The violent incident triggering the drama, and its repercussions, are lost in the mix. The best you can say that is everyone looks sexy and the photography, by James Liston, is outstanding.**** My Sweet Audrina (2016-01-09) Mike Rohl ~ India Eisley, William Moseley, James Tupper, Tess Atkins