What an outstanding acting performance. This made me rethink the word sick and evil to genuine mental health issues. If a person believes someone is in need of help, due to behavior, reach out to the proper people. Our children and teens are getting slain. This does not have to be. This last one at a Flordia HS. could of and should have been avoided. Police was called to this killers house 39 times. What happened to the red flags.

First, I love the performance given by the beautiful and talented Valerie Bertinelli as the mentally unstable Laurie Wade. I watched this movie twice and yet still cannot figure out what went wrong or why she acted the way she did. The things that puzzled me the most was the fact that she seemed obsessed with the number seven. Was she obsessed because she had a hard time in the seventh grade? Was the real Laurie (who's last name was Dann) obsessed with it as well? We don't know what went on in Laurie's head but it's obvious that she had a hard time, if only she had been cured. And of course, her poor husband who was ignored despite all his worries and concerns about his wife. I mean, I would be worried. Imagine walking into your wife's bedroom and finding the words "pain" and "suffer" written in red all over the walls. Also, the continuous pictures of little Laurie on the slide and "LLL 777" written on the walls. The scene with her apartment really scared me, especially with the rotting meat and watching her opening and slamming the door over and over again. Also, seeing her watch nothing but a fuzzy haze on the television with her eyes wide open like a zombie right next to her door was very eerie. I felt like I was in this different dimension, witnessing this poor girl's life. Whatever happened to the real Laurie while she lived, no one knows. All we know is that she lived a frightening and dark life and if we ever do find out what illness caused her to do what she had done, we can understand her story. Laurie left everyone out there wandering and know, as I'm writing this review I'm thinking about what kind of life she would have led if she was cured but whatever it was, it would have been easier on her and the people around her....

This movie was based on a true story about Laurie Dann who shot a classroom full of children. If I remember correctly and I may not(lol) The Boomtown Rats based their song "I Don't Like Mondays" on her story. Being a teacher, when the teacher says "Why didn't she shoot me?" I cried because I think that's the way I would feel if someone did that to my students. It's sad that her situation had to get to that point for her to get the help she so desperately needed. It reminds me of a case in PA where a woman shot people in the Springfield Mall. She was mentally unstable but she kept being released and then she was able to obtain a gun. I wonder what happened to the real Laurie? If anyone knows please post it, thank you.

Valerie Bertinelli does a fantastic acting job in this movie. She is extremely convincing and scary as Laurie Wade !! The movie is very sad of course, because of it being based on the true story of Laurie Wade and her journey to mental illness. I saw this film quite awhile ago on television and although sad, enjoyed Valerie's acting and the movie itself. I've been looking for this film for awhile now and so far, have only seen it available on Ebay, to Great Britain. Hoping to find it on Region one DVD. I would highly recommend it for not only Valerie Bertinelli fans but anyone who is into true crime or can handle the topics that this film deals with. This film is definitely NOT for children so parents please be warned.