What Happens in Prison, Doesn't Stay in Prison
When Taylor Reynolds (Kelli Williams - Gossip) got arrested for a DUI and possession of drugs she ended up doing three years in prison and then six months on probation. But having done her time and returned home she sets about making amends for her bad decisions by making it up to her husband, Jeff (Justin Mader), and daughter, Bianca (Niamh Wilson - They Come Back), whilst proving that she is a model citizen to those who live in the town and like to gossip. But on the day she completes her probation a face from her past shows up, Meghan Flanagan (Sarain Boylan - Witchslayer Gretl) who was her cellmate and a career criminal appears in town and unnerves Taylor as she has something on her. With Meghan stirring things up and invading her life Taylor may have to get involved in the world she left behind in order to protect her family.
I guess my time as a movie reviewer might be coming to an end, I say that because where once I enjoyed watching and reviewing Lifetime movies I now find them a challenge. It is how I felt as I sat through "Early Release", which is also known as "Mommy's Prison Secret", as this is a movie which didn't grip me in any way. Maybe it was because for some reason Sarain Boylan as Meghan seems to be trying to look like Brigitte Nielsen whilst dressing like she was still in the 80s. It doesn't work neither does the whole storyline of Meghan being a cunning ex-con who likes to play games and manipulate people.
But "Early Release" is about one thing and that is what Meghan has on Taylor which involves what went on in prison and the sort of criminal activity which people were involved with back then. Without giving anything away even this side of the movie isn't that interesting and so this is a movie which you put on and watch but find yourself struggling to stay focussed on as it meanders its way through some routine plot aspects, yes there is trouble ahead for Taylor. Even the likeable Kelli Williams fails to make this anymore entertaining.
What this all boils down to is that "Early Release" ends up a middle of the road made for TV movie which struggles to draw you in due to it being so ordinary.
