In this film, a typical middle-class couple tries to cover up what they think is a homicide, after their son runs away without saying anything. Actors' work is consistent, but characters are so clichéd and annoying that it's hard to like them. Meryl Streep plays the good and naive mother, always in the shadow of her husband in a relationship that seems sexist and artificial. She is the portrait of the obedient housewife who does what the husband wants. I understand that the film is from the nineties, but even then there were other ideas about the role of women in the family. Liam Neeson is an impulsive and even violent father, whom its almost impossible to like, even though he shows that he likes his son and tries to protect him. Finally, Edward Furlong plays the teenager in revolt at who bad things happen, the idiot who dated a promiscuous girl who slept with anyone who appeared without pants in front of her. Ah, I almost forgot Alfred Molina, who played a lawyer who would be better off selling vacuum cleaners than in a courtroom. In short, it's a deep and engaging melodrama, but it makes the mistake of being totally predictable, like a TV movie.

It's amazing to read the reviews on these pages, how everyone has an opinion about films and especially a film that tries to be as close to real life as possible. Some find it a relevant character study, others are hung up on the plot holes. To be more precise, a gaping plot hole as the mystery of this plot is finally unfolded.To get in my point, this is a movie. It's not the best movie ever made, to me it doesn't really represent reality and there are plot holes, but I simply don't care. I am more interested if a movie can involve me or even change me in some way. Sad to say, this does not fall under that category.I am a great fan of both Liam Neeson and Meryl Streep. I will go as far as to say that Meryl Streep can play just about everything. But in playing a part that you perhaps invest a little too much of yourself in, you fall victim to either trying too hard not to show that you're acting or trying to overact. For this film, I wish the actors were a little more willing to overact. That would have made this a lot more enjoyable. Everything, from the characters reactions to the machinations of the plot seem overly calculated. There is not a big moment of release, as is normally usual in these types of film. Liam Neeson seems at first to be a buffoon in what he does to protect his son, but then we get reasoning, that what he did, is exactly what you should do in cases like these. A little too much of a coincidence, don't you think? As for Edward Furlong, he looks so tiny. It is actually brilliant casting because never in a million years, would you consider him a threat to anything. Liam Neeson looks like he could squash him with his thumb. Meryl Streep could probably kill him with one slap.There should not be made some significance about a movie like this. Don't dare call it reality. It is at least a distorted reality. Character study? They do a better job on something like any drama series you can think of.

I read half of the reviews and boy, is there a difference of opinion. Some people feel the actors and plot suck, others are impressed with both.Put me in the latter category. Julia Weldon as the daughter who is wise beyond her years (hard to believe she's now in her 40s) is both appealing and convincing. As for Furlong, he was as tense and intense as the part demanded. One critic griped about him being so short compared to Neeson. Remember Michael Gross and Michael J. Fox? Those were really mixed genes.I could not put down Streep, one of today's strongest actresses. I felt she was as good as usual - meaning better than most; I always enjoy Neeson and am usually convinced that he is who he says he is.Some folks complained about plot holes. There were some loose ends, but they didn't bother me. That is the way this particular scenario played out.All in all, it kept me engrossed and, yes, I would recommend it - both 'Before' and 'After.'

BEFORE AND AFTER Aspect ratio: 1.85:1Sound format: Dolby DigitalA middle-class New England family is forced to confront a range of difficult issues when the eldest child (Edward Furlong) is accused of murdering his girlfriend (Alison Folland).Barbet Schroeder's earnest drama looks and feels like a big-screen TV movie, toplined by A-list stars and filmed with professional elegance on wintry New England locations. Schroeder struggles to avoid melodrama and mawkishness, resulting in a lack of tension, as parents Meryl Streep and Liam Neeson become torn between protecting their son and telling the truth about his possible involvement in Folland's death. Frustrated lawyer Alfred Molina makes the point that 'truth' has little or no bearing on the criminal justice system, where defence and prosecution teams become engaged in brinkmanship designed to sway the jury one way or another. Ted Tally's screenplay makes a number of similar points, but the narrative begins to drift around the halfway mark and never really recovers. Some will be won over by the cast and production values, others won't be so forgiving.