Please Don't Hit Me, Mom is an after school TV movie made in the early 1980s when TV movies were good. Nancy McKeon, Lance Guest, Patty Duke and her real son, Sean Astin star in a good movie most people should see. While it is very informative and has good acting by all, there was a few little things I didn't buy.
The Reynolds family (Duke, Guest and Astin) move into a new neighbourhood beside Nancy Parks (McKeon). Nancy and Michael (Guest) hit it off and she babysits Bryan (Astin) while Michael is at basketball practise. After Nancy notices apparent signs of child abuse inflicted on Bryan, she learns more about the subject and the best way to report it. It is really good in that respect. What Nancy learns about reporting abuse and the telltale signs make this an educational watch. This does briefly show the abuse, but nothing a ten-year-old couldn't handle.
Please Don't Hit Me, Mom is one of those rare movies that has a minor flaw that diminishes the overall quality. Patty Duke is overly stressed and she takes it out on her son. Okay, that's a very classic reason why abuse occurs. But she has an older son in late high school who is twice her size! He just lets the abuse happen and tries not to think about it. Only younger and smaller siblings do that. Any older sibling would stand up to the parent right away. And the fact that lance Guest is twice Duke's size makes it even less believable. All he would need to do is just grab a hold of her wrists and put a scare into her if she starts any abuse. He finally stands up to her near the end and takes Bryan with him to live with their father. McKeon calls a social worker and Duke flips out about the whole thing. Bryan and Michael come back home to get some stuff, Nancy comes to babysit and Duke slaps Nancy in the face when she admits to reporting the abuse. Only then does she realize that she needs help and has been a bad parent. Really? Your son is covered in bruises, is highly anxious and you think there's nothing wrong? Really!? That ending is cheesy and was wrapped up way too quickly. Should have been a longer TV movie.
3/4
The Reynolds family (Duke, Guest and Astin) move into a new neighbourhood beside Nancy Parks (McKeon). Nancy and Michael (Guest) hit it off and she babysits Bryan (Astin) while Michael is at basketball practise. After Nancy notices apparent signs of child abuse inflicted on Bryan, she learns more about the subject and the best way to report it. It is really good in that respect. What Nancy learns about reporting abuse and the telltale signs make this an educational watch. This does briefly show the abuse, but nothing a ten-year-old couldn't handle.
Please Don't Hit Me, Mom is one of those rare movies that has a minor flaw that diminishes the overall quality. Patty Duke is overly stressed and she takes it out on her son. Okay, that's a very classic reason why abuse occurs. But she has an older son in late high school who is twice her size! He just lets the abuse happen and tries not to think about it. Only younger and smaller siblings do that. Any older sibling would stand up to the parent right away. And the fact that lance Guest is twice Duke's size makes it even less believable. All he would need to do is just grab a hold of her wrists and put a scare into her if she starts any abuse. He finally stands up to her near the end and takes Bryan with him to live with their father. McKeon calls a social worker and Duke flips out about the whole thing. Bryan and Michael come back home to get some stuff, Nancy comes to babysit and Duke slaps Nancy in the face when she admits to reporting the abuse. Only then does she realize that she needs help and has been a bad parent. Really? Your son is covered in bruises, is highly anxious and you think there's nothing wrong? Really!? That ending is cheesy and was wrapped up way too quickly. Should have been a longer TV movie.
3/4