Someone to Love Me (1998) Lynda Carter, Jessica Bowman, Scott Foley, Julie Patzwald Movie Review

Someone to Love Me (1998)   3/53/53/53/53/5


Jessica Bowman in Someone to Love Me (1998)

The Rape of Kaley Young

It was following her father's unexpected death that Kaley (Jessica Bowman) ad her mother, Diane (Lynda Carter - She Woke Up Pregnant), moved to a new home and that means starting at a new school as well. Missing her father and struggling to fit in despite a guidance counsellor trying to help she ends up going out on a date with classmate Ian (Lynda Carter - She Woke Up Pregnant) and sleeping with him. But after getting what he wants Ian gives Kaley the cold shoulder and that leads to her feeling even lower than she was and sleeping with one of Ian's friends who pretends to be a nice guy till he gets what he wants. Soon the rumours start that Kaley is a slut and she finds herself reaching out to the guidance counsellor for help to change how people see her. But when one night Ian forces her into his van and rapes her Kaley finds her reputation coming back to haunt her especially as Ian says that Kaley wanted it and never said no to any guy who came on to her.

I don't know whether "Someone to Love Me" was based on a true story but it certainly feels that way, it also feels like a dozen of other made for TV college/ high school dramas from the late 1990's where a vulnerable girl is used by a handsome guy who after raping her uses her failing reputation to claim his innocence. This is so routine that it starts with the rape and the immediate consequences, then we have the back story as to how Ian ended up raping Kaley and of course what follows is Kaley, with the support of her mum ,proving what happened despite her mum being shocked at her daughter having had sex with several guys.

Scott Foley in Someone to Love Me (1998)

The thing is that whilst familiar "Someone to Love Me" is a solid late 90s made for TV drama with Jessica Bowman delivering one of the better performances I have come across in one of these movies. She takes us on the rollercoaster of emotion as she has moments of shyness and moodiness as well as some moments of happiness which are quickly destroyed by the rumours about her and the realisation she has been used again. You also get a sense that Kaley is desperate for love and affection making her an easy target for guys who just want to use her. Aside From Bowman the rest of the acting ends up routine and very much the sort of thing you will find in most other similar movies from the 90s.

What this all boils down to is that "Someone to Love Me" is a routine 90s high school/ college drama featuring a troubled student who is raped. What makes "Someone to Love Me" slightly stand out from the crowd is both the writing when it comes to the character of Kaley but also Jessica Bowman's performance as it is much better than you might expect from this sort of movie.


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