Can't stand movies where no one can talk about their feelings and they never say what they mean! Totally annoying. Seems they would rather suffer in silence than unburden their souls despite opportunities to do so. For this reason I couldn't stand this long suffering dragged out miserable film. I wouldn't recommend this movie to anyone. The sudden transformation in the relationship with the neighbor is Also unrealistic. Finally got to the point mid way through the movie the Husband has enough sense to tell his wife it wasn't Sarah's fault. And Sarah's medical condition so far has not surfaced with anyone except the hospital!

The Russell Girl deals about fear, guilt, suppressed feelings, anger, and the need to let go of the past, and to embrace the future.The Russell Girl went back to visit her family, to tell the news about her health. She was suffering from leukemia. However, when she got home, she couldn't find the courage to let her parents know about it.And her distant past caught up with her. She remembered vividly what had happened years ago, when she was entrusted to babysit her neighbor's's kids. Tragedy ensued that night, and they blamed her for the mishap.Overall, a good film, albeit a tad too slow for my liking. The ending was predictable and expected.. However, that is in no way saying that the film wasn't good or anything. It is just that it may not be everyone's cuppa tea.

As the movie opens in Chicago, we see the "Russell girl" Amber Tamblyn as Sarah Russell, college graduate who aspires to medical school but has not been accepted yet and is working in Chicago in retail. But we also see her going to a clinic to get what turns out to be some bad news, she is sick with a form of leukemia. So she travels home to Staunton, Illinois, to "burn off" some of her vacation. But her real reason was the illness, and she wasn't sure how she would handle or even tell her family.Across the street lives Jennifer Ehle as Lorainne Morrisey, with her family which includes two teen-age sons. We find out there had been a tragedy about 6 years earlier, Lorainne lost her young daughter and had never gotten over it.The movie has two main stories, how Sarah deals with her illness, and her old boyfriend whom she wants to be with, but doesn't want to burden him with her problems. The other is how Lorainne can get over her loss and live life again. Not a great movie, but a good enough one.SPOILERS: Sarah had been involved in the tragedy, she was the babysitter, trying to quell a fight between the two sons when the daughter fell down the stairs into the basement, and dying from her injuries. Lorainne had never forgiven Sarah, and was mean to her when she saw her. She was also angry at her husband for not fixing the basement door to prevent what happened. But finally we learn that Lorianne had bought the wrong screws, that is why the door was not fixed. The tragedy was really no one's fault, sometimes bad things happen to good people. Sarah eventually told her parents and friends, and was also accepted into medical school, but as the movie ends she is focusing on her treatment.

Although the story is quite interesting, for me it was too similar and predictable; especially towards the end. This movie is just like Candles on Bay Street because for one thing, the main characters are females with cancer; the only difference is that one died and the other lived. I wasn't too keen on the performances though Amber Tamblyn does a fairly nice job than Alicia Silverstone. Aside from that, there's really nothing special about this film. It's just something that's better suited for an episode in a TV drama, nothing more or less. Hallmark has done some good movies, but the end result for this one is simply "meh" at best. Overall, this film is better watched just to pass the time.