User Reviews

Happily married Haylie Duff (as Sarah Brown) suffers an unexpected tragedy. Her husband, successful San Bernardino, CA salesman David O'Donnell (as Jason Goodman), has gone missing. The bills on their luxurious Big Bear estate are piling up. Even worse, sickly preteen son Judah Nelson (as Brandon) has a rare disease and may need a transplant from dad. The lad's deceased grandfather's old business partner Parker Stevenson (as Daniel Sharpson) is now a detective, but he sees mother Duff as a suspect. It's up to Duff to solve her mounting problems, which puts her life in danger...

This is you average "Lifetime" TV movie. Much of it seems jarring and there are ragged edges in the construction. Still, it's a good effort by writer-director Michael Feifer, who gets the project completed adequately. More production time would have made the drama more satisfying...

Thought Duff may be pregnant with a second child, which would have added heartbreak and possibly given her some more interesting acting opportunities. There is no love interest between her and Det. Stevenson. However, he is noticeably older and, perhaps, no longer seen as a romantic actor. A murdered woman enters the story too abruptly, and model-pretty Jennifer Aspen (as Emily) never says Mr. O'Donnell paid her any attention. While some of the casting seems off, Jennifer Aspen (as Emily) does a fine job as the naive first wife and O'Donnell is fun as Duff's wayward husband.

**** His Secret Family (2015-08-01) Michael Feifer ~ Haylie Duff, David O'Donnell, Parker Stevenson, Jennifer Aspen

Terrible acting by the lead with a matching script. I started commenting on Facebook as the movie progressed because I couldn't believe what I was seeing. It was the epitome of awful, but not the kind that makes it kitsch. If a dictionary or writer's guide ever wants to define "too stupid to live," they should post a picture of this movie's heroine. Sheesh! And omg, Parker Stevenson has a small part? Oh dear. You know it's time to turn off the TV if you're suffering through this.

Except for the actor playing the husband, David O'Donnell, this is pretty much predictable. There are two families with the same husband. One neglected wife, played by Haylee Duff, takes it upon herself to find him and make trouble. She gives a very ineffectual performance and is somewhat boring to watch. The other wife, played by Jennifer Aspen, reacts to the trouble the first wife brings into her home. She gives an honest performance with little to do. The friend, played by Mekenna Meloni. is not too much help. Then there's Parker Stevenson, a reluctant detective, that is just in the movie and doesn't do much. And there you have it. Not very interesting and not well written or acted. Duff is somewhat a bad actress and is trouble from the get go. You want her to lose. She's a dork. Don't waste your time with this trite.

The concept made me think this movie would be fun to watch. Wrong! First off, she discovers hubby leading a double life and chases him down but doesn't confront him immediately!!! If your child is dying you run across the street and grab him on the spot, not stalk him to his home and come up with a blackmail plan. The only person who behaved normally was wife #1. Seriously, the fallout on her side was NEVER explored. She is an absolute hero in this and gets no credit and minimum screen time. They don't have kids meet each other, commiserate, nothing. We also never find out about the woman he may have killed. Did she find him out? Was she wife#3? And the supposed heroine tells her son that Dad will help him. Based on what exactly? The fact that he was going to kill him? The acting was terrible except for wife #1 and hubby. Ugh, and the climactic boat chase. Just so bad.

I'm not one to submit a review unless it was outstanding, in contrast, this movie was so terrible I felt that I should submit a review and maybe save someone's time. First of all this was the typical kind of movie with the underlying message that all men are awful and will only hurt you. I could handle that since its only a movie, but with all it's other content this movie just put me over the edge. Multiple holes in the story, accompanied by some terrible acting just put the icing on the cake for this abomination. Also, a RIDICULOUS choice of settings, especially with the cabin which was an absolute disgusting addition. I would suggest for all the copies of this movie be burned and the director along with all individuals with even the smallest of relation to this movie should be fired indefinitely.

This tale of a woman finding out her hubby has a life with another family.

So bad it's funny. The dialogue is laughable and so obvious. The way they talk sounds so stupid.

Ridiculous.

Michael Feifer has done most of the job on the film as both writer, director, producer and so on, and it's not a bad job. The intrigue is intriguing to say the least, a husband with a sick son under age fails to turn up at a crucial meeting with a doctor, and he never turns up, so naturally the wife starts to worry. When the detectives start to think he has abandoned his family they search for reasons for such an act and only manage to upset and alienate her, so she refuses to cooperate and takes the law into her own hands, the very thing the police has warned her against. It's for the audience to judge if she did the right thing and was successful, so this is chiefly a film for worried mothers with children under age, for they would understand her. Neither her husband, the policemen nor her best female friend do that but only do their best to oppose and counteract her, assuring her they only want to help. It's an old efficient pattern of suspense chiefly used in kidnapping films, and you almost expect something like that to happen here. Instead there are other treats of excitement, the greatest being probably the final one, the case of two motor boats, one chasing the other, the other smartly outwitting him by simply being prepared. It's not an ace of a thriller, but the psychology of it is interesting, and any mother's heart would bleed of understanding of a desperate case.

Kolla på någon annan film istället! Don't look on this stupid movie! Turkey movie

Terrible, predictable script. Awful acting. The two women are beyond stupid in every decision they make and even if you are able to suspend reality, there's nothing plausible or enjoyable to see here.

Haylie duff is an amazing actress I love her and this is one of my favorite lifetime movies I myself love it

And have watched it many times. Another of my fav movies with Duff is Til Death Do Us Part. She's a great actress. Very natural.

I couldn't wait to find out what was going to happen.

Good actors and great story.

I wish I could find more movies like this one.

💕 Loved it!

Story line and setting is spectacular!

I was especially thrilled when I noticed that this film was filmed at Big Bear Lake in the San Bernardino Mountains where my husband and I spent our honeymoon in 2011.

I never had watched anything with Haylie Duff before, but remembered Parker Stevenson from his wonderful part in "North & South". They both are good actors.

For a Lifetime movie, the filming locations were superior, the plot was captivating. I really don't understand the many 2 star reviews.

If there would be more Lifetime movies like this, I would be glued to that channel.

Wish this would finally be released on DVD.