Dawn Anna (2005)

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.

I've seen the movie on the local cable TV. It was so touchy that I cried once in a while seeing it. I felt the hurt and pain the family's victims had been through. Wanting some more information about the incident, I'd searched on the internet, and what I'd got surprised me. As far as I see, the USA's government has always showed its power to the world. While the armies and enforcements has Always been quickly approaching other countries, why were they TOO late to save or rescue their own people? Both Cyclone Catarina and The Columbine tragidy have proved those surprising failures to the world. 3 hours in the Columbine's and 5 days in the Catarina's? I couldn't believe it, after they approaching my country, Thailand, not more than 2 or 3 days after the Tsunami's, for help which I, as all people in the country, had appreciated. Anyway, Is there any movie of Coach Dave Sanders, the teacher who sacrified himself to save his students? If there is none, how about some movie producers considering to make one? I think He was truly a hero and I would be truly glad to see it. ^_^

This movie was the best movie I have seen on Lifetime TV so far. I cried from about halfway through the movie until the ending. It's about overcoming terrible events in one family's life and learning that in the end, everything will be OK. The actors and actresses did a superb job or portraying tragic events without taking anything away from the real life events. The cast seemed very comfortable with each other. I agree that one may not understand the meaning of the movie if they have not seen it from the beginning to the end. I would recommend a box of tissues when viewing this movie. I taped this movie and showed my mom, who cried throughout the entire movie.

I, too, thought that Debra Winger's performance is outstanding, on a par with hers in "Officer/Gentleman," "Endearment," and "Shadowlands." She is a master at her craft. The supporting cast did exceedingly well also, in my opinion.My only issue with the writing of this movie is how it is (rightfully so) all about Dawn for the first 100 minutes (with commercials), which is what drew my interest to the movie, but when the movie ends I find myself thinking more about April 20, 1999, and of Lauren, than I do of Dawn. As wonderful as the actresses portraying Lauren did with this role, maybe it would have been better to have better-known actresses portray Lauren, since the viewer was left with the memory of Lauren at the time of the closing dedication to those students who died rather than the wonderful woman who lives on to face the ongoing struggles, coming to terms of what occurred that day. I suppose it doesn't help, my living so near the high school here in Littleton, and still reading and hearing in the daily news about 'Life after Columbine.' Bottom Line: Is this movie just about Ms. Anna, as the title implies, or would a more suitable title have been, "Dawn and Lauren?"