When Friendship Kills
Encyclopedia
When Friendship Kills, also released as A Secret Between Friends: A Moment of Truth Movie, is a 1996 American television film directed by James A. Contner
. The movie is a part of the Moment of Truth franchise and deals with the danger of anorexia nervosa
among teens.
of her parents, moves with her mother Kathryn and younger sister Jill from Chicago
to Seattle. At her new school, she befriends Jennifer Harnsberger, a popular straight A student who she meets during volleyball
tryouts. After comments by her mother and volleyball coach about her weight, she starts to look for ways to diet. When Jennifer admits to being bulimic
, they decide to diet
and work out together.
Kathryn notices that she is eating less and getting thinner, but she is more occupied with her divorce to realize that she has a problem. Meanwhile, Lexi and Jill visit their father in Chicago and try to pursue him to reunite with Kathryn, but they soon discover that he is dating a new woman, Jolene.
Kathryn starts to first suspect an eating disorder when she finds out that Lexi hasn't had her period
in over three months. She consults a gynaecologist, but she tells her that Lexi is at a normal weight, and that it is probably because of the trauma of the divorce. They don't know, however, that she put weight bundles on her body to make her appear to be heavier.
Meanwhile, she and Jennifer consider being models. They are excited to be contacted by Nick McKay, a photographer, but he is interested only in Jennifer and explains that Lexi isn't fit to be a model. Upset, she starts to diet even more and she eventually collapses during a volleyball match. She is hospitalized, diagnosed with anorexia nervosa
and she is forced to enter a recovery program.
Her parents have different opinions about her treatment and start to argue. Nevertheless, she eventually recovers and is released. She admits to her mother that Jennifer has an eating disorder as well. Kathryn, in a worry, immediately informs her mother, and Jennifer feels betrayed when she hears about it. She refuses to speak to Lexi, for which Lexi blames her mother. Lexi tries to confront her at a party, but Jennifer, drunk and upset, leaves, only to be hit by a car. She is taken to a hospital and dies of a cardiac arrest
.
Lexi has trouble dealing with her friend's death and continues her eating disorder. Devastated, her mother tries to help her, assuring her that Jennifer's death can't be blamed on her. Her father wants her to be hospitalized again, but Kathryn insists she can help her herself. He is successful in getting a court order to hospitalize her, but Lexi is in the end able to recover on her own, encouraged by her mother.
The film ends with Lexi participating in a volleyball match, in which she sees Jen's spirit who smiles at her, and she wins the match.
James A. Contner
James Atwater Contner is an American television and film director and cinematographer. His work includes episodes of such television series as Miami Vice, Angel, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Firefly and Star Trek: Enterprise...
. The movie is a part of the Moment of Truth franchise and deals with the danger of anorexia nervosa
Anorexia nervosa
Anorexia nervosa is an eating disorder characterized by refusal to maintain a healthy body weight and an obsessive fear of gaining weight. Although commonly called "anorexia", that term on its own denotes any symptomatic loss of appetite and is not strictly accurate...
among teens.
Plot
Lexi Archer is a teenager who, after the divorceDivorce
Divorce is the final termination of a marital union, canceling the legal duties and responsibilities of marriage and dissolving the bonds of matrimony between the parties...
of her parents, moves with her mother Kathryn and younger sister Jill from Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
to Seattle. At her new school, she befriends Jennifer Harnsberger, a popular straight A student who she meets during volleyball
Volleyball
Volleyball is a team sport in which two teams of six players are separated by a net. Each team tries to score points by grounding a ball on the other team's court under organized rules.The complete rules are extensive...
tryouts. After comments by her mother and volleyball coach about her weight, she starts to look for ways to diet. When Jennifer admits to being bulimic
Bulimia nervosa
Bulimia nervosa is an eating disorder characterized by binge eating and purging or consuming a large amount of food in a short amount of time, followed by an attempt to rid oneself of the food consumed, usually by purging and/or by laxative, diuretics or excessive exercise. Bulimia nervosa is...
, they decide to diet
Dieting
Dieting is the practice of eating food in a regulated fashion to achieve or maintain a controlled weight. In most cases dieting is used in combination with physical exercise to lose weight in those who are overweight or obese. Some athletes, however, follow a diet to gain weight...
and work out together.
Kathryn notices that she is eating less and getting thinner, but she is more occupied with her divorce to realize that she has a problem. Meanwhile, Lexi and Jill visit their father in Chicago and try to pursue him to reunite with Kathryn, but they soon discover that he is dating a new woman, Jolene.
Kathryn starts to first suspect an eating disorder when she finds out that Lexi hasn't had her period
Menstruation
Menstruation is the shedding of the uterine lining . It occurs on a regular basis in sexually reproductive-age females of certain mammal species. This article focuses on human menstruation.-Overview:...
in over three months. She consults a gynaecologist, but she tells her that Lexi is at a normal weight, and that it is probably because of the trauma of the divorce. They don't know, however, that she put weight bundles on her body to make her appear to be heavier.
Meanwhile, she and Jennifer consider being models. They are excited to be contacted by Nick McKay, a photographer, but he is interested only in Jennifer and explains that Lexi isn't fit to be a model. Upset, she starts to diet even more and she eventually collapses during a volleyball match. She is hospitalized, diagnosed with anorexia nervosa
Anorexia nervosa
Anorexia nervosa is an eating disorder characterized by refusal to maintain a healthy body weight and an obsessive fear of gaining weight. Although commonly called "anorexia", that term on its own denotes any symptomatic loss of appetite and is not strictly accurate...
and she is forced to enter a recovery program.
Her parents have different opinions about her treatment and start to argue. Nevertheless, she eventually recovers and is released. She admits to her mother that Jennifer has an eating disorder as well. Kathryn, in a worry, immediately informs her mother, and Jennifer feels betrayed when she hears about it. She refuses to speak to Lexi, for which Lexi blames her mother. Lexi tries to confront her at a party, but Jennifer, drunk and upset, leaves, only to be hit by a car. She is taken to a hospital and dies of a cardiac arrest
Cardiac arrest
Cardiac arrest, is the cessation of normal circulation of the blood due to failure of the heart to contract effectively...
.
Lexi has trouble dealing with her friend's death and continues her eating disorder. Devastated, her mother tries to help her, assuring her that Jennifer's death can't be blamed on her. Her father wants her to be hospitalized again, but Kathryn insists she can help her herself. He is successful in getting a court order to hospitalize her, but Lexi is in the end able to recover on her own, encouraged by her mother.
The film ends with Lexi participating in a volleyball match, in which she sees Jen's spirit who smiles at her, and she wins the match.
Cast
- Lynda CarterLynda CarterLynda Jean Carter is an American actress and singer, best known for being Miss World USA and as the star of the 1970s television series The New Original Wonder Woman and The New Adventures of Wonder Woman ....
as Kathryn Archer - Katie WrightKatie WrightKatie Wright is a former American actress. She was born Katherine Wright in Kansas City, Missouri, and grew up in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.-Biography:...
as Alexis 'Lexi' Archer - Marley SheltonMarley SheltonMarley Eve Shelton is an American film and television actress.Shelton began her acting career in her late teens, and appeared in several 1990s' television movies and shows. She made her film debut in the critically acclaimed drama Grand Canyon , and was cast in the films The Sandlot , Nixon , and...
as Jennifer 'Jen' Harnsberger - Josh TaylorJosh TaylorJosh Taylor is a long-time American comedy and dramatic television actor. He is best known for playing the roles of Chris Kositchek and Roman Brady on the long-running American dramatic serial Days of our Lives and as Michael Hogan, the father figure on NBC's long running situation comedy The...
as Peter Archer - Colleen Winton as Pamela Harnsberger
- Kimberley Warnat as Jill Archer
- Malcolm Stewart as Mr. Harnsberger
- Kevin McNultyKevin McNultyKevin McNulty is a Canadian actor.McNulty was born in Penticton, British Columbia, Canada. He has acted on three aviation movies: Falling from the Sky: Flight 174 with William Devane, Final Descent with Robert Urich and Snakes on a Plane with Samuel L. Jackson...
as Ted - Ryan ReynoldsRyan ReynoldsRyan Rodney Reynolds is a Canadian film and television actor, best known for his roles in such films as National Lampoon's Van Wilder, Waiting..., The Amityville Horror, Just Friends, Definitely, Maybe, The Proposal, Buried, X-Men Origins: Wolverine, and Green Lantern.One of his best known...
as Ben Colson - Tobias MehlerTobias MehlerTobias Mehler is a Canadian actor who has appeared in film and television productions. Some notable roles include d'Artagnan on Young Blades, Zak Adama on Battlestar Galactica and Lieutenant Graham Simmons in Stargate SG-1...
as Justin Phelps - Lochlyn MunroLochlyn MunroRichard Laughlain "Lochlyn" Munro is a Canadian actor.-Life and career:Munro was born in Lac La Hache, British Columbia. He started his acting career after a serious sports injury ended his dream of playing professional hockey. While playing music in various clubs around Vancouver, British...
as Nick McKay