I occasionally write movie and TV recommendation articles through Tom’s Guide. Still, those tend to focus on more popular movies and TV shows being discussed in entertainment news and others you will find on paid (and popular) streaming networks. I have yet to find an outlet to write about all the random and obscure TV movies I’ve seen (and loved), so I’ve decided to bring them here!
Last night, I watched The Accident: A Moment of Truth Movie (1998), starring Bonnie Root as Lizzie Williams, Marisa Rudiak as Janie Palmer, and Deanna Milligan as Kate Jenkins. Lizzie, Janie, and Deanna are three best friends about to graduate from high school. It’s an exciting time in their lives, and they plan to celebrate it a lot. Sadly, this also means celebrating with alcohol.
The movie starts with a shot of Lizzie and Janie driving at night in a car, boogying to the tune of “Macarena” (a classic 90s song!). Although the filmmakers were careful not to include any lyrics, it’s an undeniable tune. Things quickly spiral out of control when the car starts to skid and crashes.
It quickly cuts away, taking us three months back to the past. We won’t know how the two girls fare in the car crash. The next scene shows Deanna picking up Lizzie and Marisa for a beach party. However, before they head out there, they stop by a liquor store where Marisa purchases alcohol using a fake I.D. Anyone who was (or still is, like me) a fan of Lifetime’s Moment of Truth movies will know there is a huge lesson to be learned while watching these films.
At the beach party, we see the girls and their friends partying at the beach. It’s hard not to miss Lizzie going over the top and gulping down booze like you would a glass of water.
However, that’s not all we see of these girls. They are also academically very successful. Lizzie is going to medical school, and her two other friends are successful in their own right.
Then, one night at a party, everything changed. Lizzie is late to go home and heads out along with Marisa. She gulps down some coffee (in a poor attempt to curb the effects of booze) and asks Deanna for her keys, insisting she’s not “trashed,” as she calls it.
That’s when we circle back to the beginning, with Lizzie and Marisa dancing carefree to the tunes of Macarena. Well, the car spins out of control, and both girls end up in the hospital. Sadly, Marisa doesn’t make it (if you worry that I just spoiled it for you, this information is actually in the movie description on IMDb). Lizzie is faced with the devastating effects of the loss of her best friend and all of the aftermath.
It would be easy to vilify Lizzie and her actions. However, Lifetime does a great job depicting a young woman desperately needing an intervention. Everyone assumes it’s an accident, just a slip that happened one night. No one realizes that it’s a severe problem because Lizzie is an alcoholic.
You’ll have to watch and find out how it all plays out. Bonnie Root did great playing someone with a drinking problem, without going over the top. Donna Bullock plays her mother and also did well depicting a mom not completely tuning into the issues of her daughter, but stepping up when she needs too. I loved Matt McCoy (Seinfeld fans, you’ll know him as Lloyd Braun) as her father.
You can watch this movie on YouTube right now! Be sure to also add it to your IMDb watchlist. If you find that link is broken, let me know in the comments, and I’ll replace it. Even if it is a late 90s movie, it’s still impactful and relevant today. What I appreciate is that there are numerous moments where things could have taken a different turn. Lizzie gets stopped by a cop early on in the movie and doesn’t notice the girls have been drinking. The liquor store clerk doesn’t hesitate to accept Marisa’s fake I.D. So, these all add up to being impactful lessons on how important it is to be aware of underage drinking and speak up when you see it (or suspect it).
I’d love to know what you think! Drop a comment when you’ve seen it!