Mom at Sixteen
Encyclopedia
Mom at Sixteen is a 2005 Lifetime Television
film about a sixteen-year-old mother, dealing with problems at school and her decaying relationship with her mother, because of her seeing her boyfriend for the first time since before Charley was born.
), a 16 year old high school student, unexpectedly becomes a mother, after giving birth to a baby boy named Charley. Instead of giving him up for adoption
as planned, she chooses to keep the baby. Her mother, Terry (Mercedes Ruehl
) pretends the infant is hers to allow Jacey to finish high school
and lead a relatively normal life and graduate.
Jacey goes to school, but antagonizes many of the students for their promiscuous behavior
, which leads to a Health teacher Donna Cooper (Jane Krakowski
) taking special interest in her. The teacher's husband, the swim coach Bob (Colin Ferguson
), convinces Jacey to join the swim team. Jacey passes out after taking tranquilizer
s stolen from her mother and ends up in the hospital. Donna and Bob are unable to conceive and are devastated when they discover their latest round of IVF has failed.
It is apparent that Jacey was, and still in love with Charley's father, Brad, although he does not know of his son, and lives far away at college. She tries to call him, but becomes nervous on hearing his voice and hangs up.
Donna sees Jacey with Charley, and asks if Jacey is his mother. Although Jacey lied, many students from the school witnessed the interrogation and believe Jacey is really the mother. She begins to get teased at school for her behaviour. Her secret is found out at school, when the students were asked about how guys react to what girls wear. When other students criticize her for her hypocrisy
, she goes to a mothers meeting for teen mothers.
After being teased at school, she leaves abruptly to see Brad. They spend the day together, and are about to have sex when Jacey announces that the reason she left him was because she got pregnant. Brad takes the news badly and leaves. Jacey returns home and has huge argument with Terry who hands her Charley and tells her to handle things on her own, angry that Jacey doesn't understand the sacrifices she has made to help Jacey have a normal life. Exhausted and confused, she turns to Donna for help and advice. Donna advocates for Jacey telling her mother that she wants to be Charley's Mom to which Terry gives a speech about the sacrifices it takes to be a 'real Mom'.
A few weeks later Brad arrives at Jacey's house to apologise and tells Terry that he will make it work between Jacey and him. However, when Jacey makes a surprise visit to his school, she finds out Brad's parents will only help if a DNA test is done to prove Brad is the father, Jacey feels betrayed and leaves him.
At school, Jacey gives a speech on pregnancy and teen sex, using examples from her friends from the teen mother's meeting. She gets applause and respect from her former bullies for being honest and sensible. Afterwards, Macy, her sister, gives her a DVD she had put together for Charley for him to watch when he is older. Watching it together with Terry, the two reconcile.
Later, Donna receives a call that there is a baby waiting to be adopted. Overjoyed, Donna and Bob go to adopt the child, only to find it is Charley, and Jacey has decided to give him up to better their lives.
She apparently remains a part of Charley's life as five years later she's there at Charley's first day at kindergarten, Donna and Bob have a new baby daughter and Bob is shown recording Charley on the camcorder and asks Charley to talk about himself " I'm Charley Cooper and I'm 5 years old, I got a new baby sister ", Charley tells the camera that he has two mommies and that Jacey is his special mommy and Bob asks why, Charley replies " because I'm the only one who knows how her heart feels from inside her ". It is indicated in one scene that this is in fact the couple that was originally going to adopt him before Jacey changed her mind.
Lifetime Television
Lifetime Television, often referred to as Lifetime TV, or most commonly, Lifetime, is an American cable television specialty channel devoted to movies, sitcoms and dramas, all of which are either geared toward women or feature women in lead roles. The cable network is owned by A&E Television Networks...
film about a sixteen-year-old mother, dealing with problems at school and her decaying relationship with her mother, because of her seeing her boyfriend for the first time since before Charley was born.
Plot
Jacey Jeffries, (Danielle PanabakerDanielle Panabaker
Danielle Nicole Panabaker is an American actress. She was a cast member in the CBS drama Shark, and appeared in the films Mr. Brooks, Sky High, The Crazies and Friday the 13th, among other projects...
), a 16 year old high school student, unexpectedly becomes a mother, after giving birth to a baby boy named Charley. Instead of giving him up for adoption
Adoption
Adoption is a process whereby a person assumes the parenting for another and, in so doing, permanently transfers all rights and responsibilities from the original parent or parents...
as planned, she chooses to keep the baby. Her mother, Terry (Mercedes Ruehl
Mercedes Ruehl
Mercedes J. Ruehl is an American theater, television and film actor.-Personal life:Ruehl was born in Jackson Heights, Queens, New York City, the daughter of Mercedes J., a school teacher, and Vincent Ruehl, an FBI agent. She was raised Catholic. Her father was of German and Irish descent and her...
) pretends the infant is hers to allow Jacey to finish high school
High school
High school is a term used in parts of the English speaking world to describe institutions which provide all or part of secondary education. The term is often incorporated into the name of such institutions....
and lead a relatively normal life and graduate.
Jacey goes to school, but antagonizes many of the students for their promiscuous behavior
Promiscuity
In humans, promiscuity refers to less discriminating casual sex with many sexual partners. The term carries a moral or religious judgement and is viewed in the context of the mainstream social ideal for sexual activity to take place within exclusive committed relationships...
, which leads to a Health teacher Donna Cooper (Jane Krakowski
Jane Krakowski
Jane Krakowski is an American actress and singer. She is most well known for her performance of Elaine Vassal on Ally McBeal, for which she was nominated for a Golden Globe Award, and for her current role as Jenna Maroney on the NBC sitcom 30 Rock, for which she has been nominated for three Emmy...
) taking special interest in her. The teacher's husband, the swim coach Bob (Colin Ferguson
Colin Ferguson (actor)
Colin Ferguson is a Canadian actor. He was born in Montreal, Quebec, and is a graduate of Appleby College in Oakville, Ontario and McGill University in Montreal....
), convinces Jacey to join the swim team. Jacey passes out after taking tranquilizer
Tranquilizer
A tranquilizer, or tranquilliser , is a drug that induces tranquility in an individual.The term "tranquilizer" is imprecise, and is usually qualified, or replaced with more precise terms:...
s stolen from her mother and ends up in the hospital. Donna and Bob are unable to conceive and are devastated when they discover their latest round of IVF has failed.
It is apparent that Jacey was, and still in love with Charley's father, Brad, although he does not know of his son, and lives far away at college. She tries to call him, but becomes nervous on hearing his voice and hangs up.
Donna sees Jacey with Charley, and asks if Jacey is his mother. Although Jacey lied, many students from the school witnessed the interrogation and believe Jacey is really the mother. She begins to get teased at school for her behaviour. Her secret is found out at school, when the students were asked about how guys react to what girls wear. When other students criticize her for her hypocrisy
Hypocrisy
Hypocrisy is the state of pretending to have virtues, moral or religious beliefs, principles, etc., that one does not actually have. Hypocrisy involves the deception of others and is thus a kind of lie....
, she goes to a mothers meeting for teen mothers.
After being teased at school, she leaves abruptly to see Brad. They spend the day together, and are about to have sex when Jacey announces that the reason she left him was because she got pregnant. Brad takes the news badly and leaves. Jacey returns home and has huge argument with Terry who hands her Charley and tells her to handle things on her own, angry that Jacey doesn't understand the sacrifices she has made to help Jacey have a normal life. Exhausted and confused, she turns to Donna for help and advice. Donna advocates for Jacey telling her mother that she wants to be Charley's Mom to which Terry gives a speech about the sacrifices it takes to be a 'real Mom'.
A few weeks later Brad arrives at Jacey's house to apologise and tells Terry that he will make it work between Jacey and him. However, when Jacey makes a surprise visit to his school, she finds out Brad's parents will only help if a DNA test is done to prove Brad is the father, Jacey feels betrayed and leaves him.
At school, Jacey gives a speech on pregnancy and teen sex, using examples from her friends from the teen mother's meeting. She gets applause and respect from her former bullies for being honest and sensible. Afterwards, Macy, her sister, gives her a DVD she had put together for Charley for him to watch when he is older. Watching it together with Terry, the two reconcile.
Later, Donna receives a call that there is a baby waiting to be adopted. Overjoyed, Donna and Bob go to adopt the child, only to find it is Charley, and Jacey has decided to give him up to better their lives.
She apparently remains a part of Charley's life as five years later she's there at Charley's first day at kindergarten, Donna and Bob have a new baby daughter and Bob is shown recording Charley on the camcorder and asks Charley to talk about himself " I'm Charley Cooper and I'm 5 years old, I got a new baby sister ", Charley tells the camera that he has two mommies and that Jacey is his special mommy and Bob asks why, Charley replies " because I'm the only one who knows how her heart feels from inside her ". It is indicated in one scene that this is in fact the couple that was originally going to adopt him before Jacey changed her mind.
Cast
- Danielle PanabakerDanielle PanabakerDanielle Nicole Panabaker is an American actress. She was a cast member in the CBS drama Shark, and appeared in the films Mr. Brooks, Sky High, The Crazies and Friday the 13th, among other projects...
as Jacey Jeffries - Jane KrakowskiJane KrakowskiJane Krakowski is an American actress and singer. She is most well known for her performance of Elaine Vassal on Ally McBeal, for which she was nominated for a Golden Globe Award, and for her current role as Jenna Maroney on the NBC sitcom 30 Rock, for which she has been nominated for three Emmy...
as Donna Cooper - Clare StoneClare StoneClare Stone is a Canadian actress. She has appeared in such films and television works as Would Be Kings, The Jane Show, Breach, Mom at Sixteen, Godsend, Shattered City: The Halifax Explosion, Beautiful Girl and Mr...
as Macy Jeffries - Tyler HynesTyler HynesTyler Jeffery Hynes is a Canadian actor and film maker.Hynes was born in Toronto, Ontario, and grew up on a ranch in Russell Ontario. He currently spends his time between home as well as Montreal, Toronto, Vancouver and stays part of the year in L.A. He went to elementary school at Mother...
as Brad - Colin FergusonColin Ferguson (actor)Colin Ferguson is a Canadian actor. He was born in Montreal, Quebec, and is a graduate of Appleby College in Oakville, Ontario and McGill University in Montreal....
as Bob Cooper - Mercedes RuehlMercedes RuehlMercedes J. Ruehl is an American theater, television and film actor.-Personal life:Ruehl was born in Jackson Heights, Queens, New York City, the daughter of Mercedes J., a school teacher, and Vincent Ruehl, an FBI agent. She was raised Catholic. Her father was of German and Irish descent and her...
as Terry Jeffries - Hollis McLarenHollis McLarenHollis McLaren is a Canadian film and television actress.She is best known for her role in the 1977 cult film Outrageous! and its sequel Too Outrageous!, in which she played a character closely based on writer Margaret Gibson...
as Marlene - Rejean CournoyerRejean CournoyerRéjean Cournoyer is a Canadian actor and singer, and was raised in a bilingual, Mormon home. After graduating from Mount Saint Vincent University with a degree in public relations, and leaving Mormonism, he began working at the Charlottetown Festival, then made his way to Toronto in 1995 to...
as Mr. Cheevers (as Rejean J. Cournoyer) - Dawn McKelvie Cyr as Gretchen (as Dawn Cyr)
- Megan Edwards as Linda
- Matthew MacCaull as Dr. Hughes
- Sabrina JaleesSabrina JaleesSabrina Jalees is a female Canadian comedian, dancer, actor, host and writer from Toronto, Ontario, who writes a weekly column in the Toronto Stars ID section....
as Sarah - Deborah AllenDeborah AllenDeborah Allen is an American country music singer. Since 1976, Allen has issued 12 albums and charted 14 singles on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart, most notably the 1983 crossover hit "Baby I Lied" which reached #4 on the country charts and #26 on the Billboard Hot 100. Allen has also...
as Pauline - Anastasia Hill as Trea
- Leah Fassett as Gena