Full Circle (1996) starring Teri Polo, Reed Diamond, Erika Slezak, Eric Lutes, Allison Smith, Nicolas Coster, Corbin Bernsen directed by Bethany Rooney Movie Review

Full Circle (1996)   3/53/53/53/53/5


Teri Polo in Full Circle (1996)

Steel Circle

Tana Roberts (Teri Polo - The Christmas Heart) had a good life as her widowed mum Jean (Erika Slezak) made sure she had the best of things. But that all changed when she returned home from college and attended a party where she was raped by Billy (Rod Biermann), the son of the man which Jean has been carrying on with in secret for years. Disappointed and betrayed when her mum says they must never talk of what happened again to anyone Tana heads back to college where after graduation she enters the world of law. But a shooting leaves her best friend Harry (Reed Diamond) paralysed and it leads to Tana meeting Harry's dad Harrison (Corbin Bernsen - Home & Alone for Christmas) ending up having a secret affair just like her mum and her man.

How can you tell that a movie is a Danielle Steel one other than it usually flashes her name in big letters at the start? Well you look for several key things starting with a storyline which some might say evolves whilst others might say goes off on tangents. And "Full Circle" most certainly has one of those from starting with scenes and a narration all about her mum giving Tana a good life, to scenes set in 1982 and an apartheid rally and so on. Yes the way the story evolves is convoluted but fans of Danielle Steel movies will expect it.

Corbin Bernsen in Full Circle (1996)

You can also tell a Danielle Steel movie when something major gets brushed under the carpet. A mugger shoots Harry and leaves him paralysed, one minute he is in recovery just after surgery the next he is well on his way to recovery and living a normal life. The same with when Tana is raped, one minute she is emotional the next she is getting on with her life after her mum demanded the subject never be spoken of again. Basically "Full Circle" like many Danielle Steel movies has some strong story elements but not dealt with in a gritty manner.

Of course a Danielle Steel movie also has the romantic side and the one in "Full Circle" is on par with the romantic side of other Danielle Steel movies. Basically I mean the romance is predictable and unless you are into it will feel corny. But then that is the thing about Danielle Steel movies they appeal to a set crowd and unless you are in that crowd they comes across as cheesy, romantic chick flicks with less than subtle acting.

What this all boils down to is that "Full Circle" compared to other Danielle Steel movie is just average with nothing which makes it better or worse than those many other movies.

Tags: Danielle Steel Movies


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