No One Would Tell (2018 film)
No One Would Tell is a 2018 film that aired on Lifetime and is a true-story remake of the 1996 film of the same name. The film features Shannen Doherty, Matreya Scarrwener, Callan Potter, Chanelle Peloso, Louriza Tronco, Trezzo Mahoro, Ricky He, Sarah Grey, Avery Konrad, Ona Grauer, and Mira Sorvino.
| No One Would Tell | |
|---|---|
| Written by | Caitlin D. Fryers |
| Directed by | Gail Harvey |
| Starring |
|
| Country of origin | United States |
| Original language(s) | English |
| Production | |
| Executive producer(s) |
|
| Producer(s) |
|
| Running time | 90 minutes |
| Distributor | Lifetime Entertainment Services |
| Release | |
| Original network | Lifetime |
| Original release |
|
The plot differs from the original film, but both are based on the true story of Jamie Fuller, a 16-year-old high school student who murdered his 14-year-old girlfriend, Amy Carnevale, on August 23, 1991, in Beverly, Massachusetts.[1]
On September 22, 2018, a "special edition" of the film was aired, featuring a behind-the-scenes interview with Shannen Doherty.
Plot
Sarah Collins (Matreya Scarrwener) and her best friend Nikki Farrow (Chanelle Peloso) attend a wrestling match at their high school. There, Sarah unexpectedly catches the attention of a wrestler and fellow student, Rob Tennison (Callan Potter). Rob is a charismatic, newer student at school, and a star wrestler. Sarah is pleasantly surprised to find out that Rob shows romantic interest in her as well, and they start dating.
Before long, Rob starts becoming jealous and controlling of Sarah. At one point during a get-together at Rob's family lake house, Sarah's friends pressure her into reading a poem that Rob had texted her, which angers Rob. Rob takes Sarah's cell phone outside, and when she follows him, he throws it at her in anger, breaking it. Rob apologizes, reminds Sarah of how much he loves her, offers to buy her a new cell phone, and they make up. Nikki comes outside and from a distance, sees a girl living next door. They wave at each other, but the other girl appears to get scared after seeing Rob behind Nikki. This leaves Nikki confused.
Rob buys Sarah a new cell phone as promised, setting up a photo of him as the lock-screen. After school, Rob calls Sarah as she is studying for a test in her bedroom. For that reason, she tells him she can't talk at the moment. However, after they hang up, Nikki calls Sarah, needing a place to get away from her alcoholic mother. Rob finds out and gets angry at Sarah, accusing her of lying to him and that Nikki was more important than he was. Nikki overhears the fight and calls Rob's friend, Gus (Ricky He), to ask about the girl she saw next door to Rob's lake house. Gus tells her that the two had dated the previous summer, then asks Nikki why she wants to know. Nikki asks Gus to trust her for a while, and tells him that she'll talk to him about it later.
Sarah talks with her mother, Laura (Shannen Doherty), about her relationship with Rob. Laura, who has her own history of rocky relationships, thinks Rob is jealous but speculates that maybe he just doesn't want to lose Sarah. Later that night, Rob arrives at the Collins' house with an expensive dress he bought for Sarah for the upcoming school dance. When Laura tells him of her talk with Sarah, Rob insists that there is nothing Sarah could do that would change how he feels about her. In Sarah's room, Rob convinces her to try the dress on and then, when the zipper won't zip, he suggests to her that she can "lose the weight" before the dance.
At school in the girl's bathroom with Alexa (Louriza Tronco), Sarah is trying on an off-the-shoulder sweater and tight miniskirt. Sarah is pleased and surprised that it fits, and likes how pretty she looks. Alexa notices bruising on Sarah's shoulder, but then instead of asking her about it, only helps Sarah cover it with makeup and hide it with her hair. Sarah takes a selfie in the outfit and posts it online. This angers Rob, who loudly and publicly shames her in the school hallway, telling her she looks like a "cheap slut".
Later, thinking Rob's parents are away, Sarah goes to his house to apologize. She is surprised to be greeted by Rob's mother (Ona Grauer), whom she's never met. Rob turns the situation around on Sarah, claiming she intentionally planned her visit as a way of meeting his mother. Rob angrily declares it "wasn't the right time," and when Sarah leaves, Rob follows her outside. The situation escalates as Rob accuses her of always nagging him, after which he punches her so hard she falls to the ground, injured. Stunned and upset, Sarah breaks up with him and runs away, telling him not to contact her.
When she arrives home, Sarah finds Laura silent on their couch. Sarah hides her injuries as Laura informs her that her own boyfriend just broke up with her. Just as it looks like Sarah might open up to her mother, Laura takes a phone call from work and Sarah storms off to her room. When Laura enters Sarah's room, she notices Sarah's injuries. Sarah lies, saying she fell and "Rob wasn't even there", then verbally takes her frustration out on her mother. Later that day, Rob promises to stop abusing her, and Sarah and Rob get back together. Rob gives Sarah a ring, making her promise that they will be together forever.
When Sarah tells Nikki that she and Rob broke up and got back together, Nikki says that he's not going to change. Sarah accuses Nikki of betrayal, and walks off to be with Rob. Upset and confused, Nikki seeks out the ex-girlfriend she'd seen earlier at Rob's lake house, hoping to get information and advice. When they meet, the girl describes to Nikki the abuse she suffered at Rob's hands. The girl tells Nikki she stopped talking to Rob altogether, but never reported it because she didn't want to be "that girl" and that "it's not a good look" to stay with a guy who was abusing her. Nikki asks her how she can help Sarah, and the girl advises her just to be there for Sarah, no matter who she dates.
At the school dance, Nikki sees Sarah for the first time since their fight and apologizes to her. Sarah gladly accepts and says she's sorry, too. On the dance floor, when Rob notices Sarah speaking and laughing with a male friend, Rob punches the boy and then drags Sarah outside. Nikki and Gus follow them to the parking lot and intervene, so that Rob can't hurt Sarah again. With Nikki's support, Sarah finally decides she has had enough of Rob's abuse, and breaks up with him.
In the days that follow, Sarah ignores Rob's attempts to contact her. Rob finally tricks Sarah into talking to him by having Jacqueline (Sarah Grey) convince her to do so. Sarah reluctantly agrees to let Rob give her a ride home, and only to tell him it's really over and that she is done. Sarah gets into Rob's car to discover a drunken, passed-out Zack (Trezzo Mahoro) in the back seat. Rather than taking her home, Rob tells Sarah he's taking her for a drive.
The next day, Sarah's friends and family are alarmed to discover Sarah is missing. Zack tells Nikki he doesn't know what happened to Sarah, because he was passed out in Rob's back seat. Zack says when he asked Rob about it, Rob claimed that they dropped her off at home, but Zack noticed that Sarah's purse was still in Rob's car. Nikki immediately calls Laura to let her know, and Laura tells her Rob is there with her. Nikki then tells Laura about Rob's abuse towards Sarah. Shaking, Laura hangs up with Nikki and questions Rob, revealing that she knows about the abuse. When he denies it, she angrily tells him to leave her house. Laura and Nikki go together to Rob's lake house, where they find Sarah's phone. A police search team is sent into the lake, where they find Sarah's body.
As Rob is arrested by the police and charged with first degree of murder, his mother calls her husband about needing a lawyer for their son. At the trial (used as the framing wraparound for the film), Judge Elizabeth Hanover (Mira Sorvino) presides over the different testimonies. On the stand, Laura firmly tells Nikki that what happened to Sarah was not her fault, and tells the court that they should be looking at Rob's actions. A flashback to the night of the murder reveals that Rob accidentally asphyxiated Sarah.
Judge Hanover reads the guilty verdict and then tells the witnesses to tell someone next time they see a friend being abused instead of standing by and doing nothing, implying how it could have saved Sarah from getting killed by quoting "Between the years 2001 and 2012, we lost 6,488 souls in battles fought in Iraq and Afghanistan. But during that same time period, 11,766 women were killed, but by their own partners. This is a war that we, in this country, refuse to address. It has to stop because things have gotten so dire that this is what a victory looks like and I am sorry folks but today was no victory. This case should not be closed because when it comes to domestic violence, there needs to be change on a cultural level and that change needs to start with each and every one of you."
At school, a memorial for Sarah is created in the hallway, where friends leave photos, flowers and mementos. Back at home in Sarah's room, Nikki and Laura mourn Sarah's death and console one another.
A postscript gives advice to people on what to do if they see domestic violence on anyone.
Cast
- Shannen Doherty as Laura Collins
- Matreya Scarrwener as Sarah Collins
- Callan Potter as Rob Tennison
- Chanelle Peloso as Nikki Farrow
- Louriza Tronco as Alexa
- Trezzo Mahoro as Zack
- Ricky He as Gus
- Sarah Grey as Jacqueline
- Avery Konrad as Kara Lovett
- Ona Grauer as Mrs. Tennison
- Mira Sorvino as Judge Elizabeth Hanover
- Bob Frazer as Prosecutor
- Garfield Wilson as Detective Anderson
Production
Danielle von Zerneck, Lisa Richardson and Martin Fisher served as executive producers with Canadians Shawn Angelski and Paddy Bickerton serving as producers on the film. Gail Harvey directed from a script written by Caitlin D. Fryers.[2]
Lifetime announced the film as part of a fall movie lineup focused on young adults, and tackling a number of social and mental health issues.[2] The announced cast included Shannen Doherty as "Laura" Collins, Matreya Scarrwener as "Sarah" Collins, and Callan Potter as "Rob" Tennison.[1][3]
Reception
As a remake of the 1996 film, the 2018 film was fairly well-received, ranking ninth out of the Top 150 cable shows when it premiered on Sunday, September 16, 2018.[4]
References
- Traciy Curry-Reyes (2018-09-11). "'No One Would Tell': Lifetime Movie True Story Remake Inspired By Jamie Fuller, Amy Carnevale, Shoe Pond Murder". TV Crime Sky. Retrieved 2018-09-13.
- Petski, Denise (2018-08-22). "Lifetime Sets Movies With Bella Thorne, Shannen Doherty, Mira Sorvino & More". deadline.com. Deadline. Retrieved 2019-08-18.
- Shirley Li (2018-09-07). "Shannen Doherty fights for justice against a domestic abuser in No One Would Tell trailer". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved September 13, 2018.
- Metcalf, Mitch (2018-09-18). "UPDATED: SHOWBUZZDAILY's Top 150 Sunday Cable Originals & Network Finals: 9.16.2018". showbuzzdaily.com. ShowBuzzDaily. Retrieved 2019-08-18.
External links
- No One Would Tell at Lifetime
- No One Would Tell on IMDb