It was very well done, all around. Keaton gives a stirring performance. And yes, a risky performance that ultimately pays off. It was very well directed. I would highly recommend this film to anyone interested in the serious subject of drug addiction. There's alot of lessons here to be had. As well as a lot of truth.
11 Reviews
A Powerful and Risky Story to Tell
theatre8110 November 2003
Since this movie was based on a true story of a woman who had two children and was not very well-off, it was just scary as to how real it really was! The acting is what gave the movie that push to greatness.
Diane Keaton portrayed the main character, Patsy McCartle who had two sons whom she adored. Her performance is what made the real life story come to life on a television screen. It was very hard to watch some of the scenes since they were so real as to what happens when one becomes addicted to drugs.
Just watching this very loving mother go from sweet to not caring at all was hard, but so true. I have known people who have gone through withdrawl and it was very much like what happened in this movie, from what I remember.
I also thought that it was very risky for the director to want to make a movie out of what happened to this woman. Yet it was done so well. I applaud the director for making this movie.
I highly recommend this to anyone who has known someone who has ever been addicted to drugs or to just learn what can happen to you if you do become addicted to them.
Diane Keaton portrayed the main character, Patsy McCartle who had two sons whom she adored. Her performance is what made the real life story come to life on a television screen. It was very hard to watch some of the scenes since they were so real as to what happens when one becomes addicted to drugs.
Just watching this very loving mother go from sweet to not caring at all was hard, but so true. I have known people who have gone through withdrawl and it was very much like what happened in this movie, from what I remember.
I also thought that it was very risky for the director to want to make a movie out of what happened to this woman. Yet it was done so well. I applaud the director for making this movie.
I highly recommend this to anyone who has known someone who has ever been addicted to drugs or to just learn what can happen to you if you do become addicted to them.
Horrible
Michael_Elliott27 February 2008
On Thin Ice (2003)
1/2 (out of 4)
Made for TV flick about the true story of Patsy McCartle (Diane Keaton), a single mother who can't pay her bills so she starts selling Meth for a ruthless drug dealer (Michael Rooker). This is without question one of the worst films I've ever seen that deals with drugs, revenge or redemption. The only reason I watched this film was because I'm a big fan of Keaton and Rooker but neither are given much to do. Keaton puts out an effort but she's at least twenty years too old for this role. The screenplay just puts her in one stupid situation after another and each of these situations are so over-dramatic that I often found myself either laughing or wishing she would have an overdose. If it weren't for the talent of the two stars then I'd call this a worst film than Reefer Madness. In fact, the final ten minutes here are worst than anything in that film.
1/2 (out of 4)
Made for TV flick about the true story of Patsy McCartle (Diane Keaton), a single mother who can't pay her bills so she starts selling Meth for a ruthless drug dealer (Michael Rooker). This is without question one of the worst films I've ever seen that deals with drugs, revenge or redemption. The only reason I watched this film was because I'm a big fan of Keaton and Rooker but neither are given much to do. Keaton puts out an effort but she's at least twenty years too old for this role. The screenplay just puts her in one stupid situation after another and each of these situations are so over-dramatic that I often found myself either laughing or wishing she would have an overdose. If it weren't for the talent of the two stars then I'd call this a worst film than Reefer Madness. In fact, the final ten minutes here are worst than anything in that film.
Movie to Watch
deepthy-shekhar24 July 2005
I got to see the movie " On Thin Ice" on the television in India.. I must say the movie was really well done, and really sent a chill down my spine.. the basic story makes me ponder what makes certain addicts decide to move on where as others still remain addicted...
however, I felt that Diane Keaton was at her best... the scene where she has cravings, and begins rummaging her home for cocaine... was the best... the two boys are good, and Lynda Boyd also showed what a good actress she is....The script is well done as is the cinematography and direction.. and casting
A must must watch movie..... for everyone
however, I felt that Diane Keaton was at her best... the scene where she has cravings, and begins rummaging her home for cocaine... was the best... the two boys are good, and Lynda Boyd also showed what a good actress she is....The script is well done as is the cinematography and direction.. and casting
A must must watch movie..... for everyone
Not exactly mother of the year.
mark.waltz18 May 2023
Warning: Spoilers
Yes, Diane Keaton does give an intense performance as a troubled single mother of two addicted to heroine, but it's difficult to feel sorry for her, watching Keaton go from struggling waitress to unemployed to seller of drugs on the street to user. It's based upon a true story, and the viewer will feel sorry more for the kids than mom. The older son, a teenage basketball player, has to quit the team to take care of his younger brother, and eventually is taking care of her. He even warns her subtly about the school stepping in and possibly taking them away, and with the crowd she starts hanging out with, maybe thar would be the best idea.
Keaton is basically an older version of her "Mr. Goodbar" character, and while she's excellent, there's not much sympathy for her. Lynda Lloyd (who resembles Julianne Moore) plays her friend who gets her involved in selling, and their involvement leads to a very shocking twist that finally wakes Keaton up to the mess her life is in. Michael Seater, as the oldest son in need of constant medication, is quite good. Sadly the film is just far too depressing to enjoy, a signal that just because a story is true doesn't mean that it will make an inspiring movie.
Keaton is basically an older version of her "Mr. Goodbar" character, and while she's excellent, there's not much sympathy for her. Lynda Lloyd (who resembles Julianne Moore) plays her friend who gets her involved in selling, and their involvement leads to a very shocking twist that finally wakes Keaton up to the mess her life is in. Michael Seater, as the oldest son in need of constant medication, is quite good. Sadly the film is just far too depressing to enjoy, a signal that just because a story is true doesn't mean that it will make an inspiring movie.
High-pitched true-life drama snatched from the headlines...
moonspinner5530 June 2008
Diane Keaton plays a widowed mother of two young boys (one of whom has serious asthma) working odd jobs but falling behind on the bills; after running into an old friend who seems to have lots of money on hand, Keaton goes on her first drug-run. Dealing Crystal Meth seems like a good solution for awhile, until the local drug lord has Keaton become a partaker to prove her worth. Serious subject matter is pitched too high, with jittery Keaton flaky and flighty, but without her charming edge (she's a walking nervous breakdown). The personalities of her two kids are unconvincing (as is their general dialogue and relationship with their mom), and the supporting characters as well never take shape. TV-movie has such a fuzzy narrative that I wasn't even sure which state it was supposed to take place in (I believe North Carolina, though it was filmed in Canada), and Keaton begins the movie as a cleaning woman but never returns to that job again. The tone of the film shifts jarringly in the second-half from character study to melodrama, a change which doesn't suit anyone here particularly well.
I stayed riveted!
peggysue4227 June 2023
I don't understand how true stories get such low ratings! Makes me wonder what's so fascinating about the people who gave it a low rating! If their lives were made into a true story, what would it rate??? What do these people expect?? I'd love to see them do something so brave!!! I didn't have a problem with the acting or the storyline, it was believable and convincing. Watch this with your kids, it would be convincing enough to sway them away from the drug scene. I know exactly how she feels about getting justice for your family. There's a couple of people I know, that need her kind of justice for their life, but they're never gonna get it, until the next one!
Probably the best TV movie!!!
mbg41120 December 2008
Warning: Spoilers
A single mother(Diane Keaton) finds herself working several minimum-wage jobs. When she gets fired, she finds that she is unable to support her sons(Michael Seater and Colin Roberts), the latter of whom has asthma. Then she goes to her friend and starts selling drugs. Soon enough, she gets addicted to the drugs that she is selling. Her life comes crashing down, especially when her kids, namely her oldest son, find out the truth and threaten to leave her. Then, she struggles to redeem herself with the help of her kids but can she protect her family from the drug lords who she worked for?
Wow! This lifetime movie has some of the best acting I have ever seen! Diane Keaton overacts a lot, and her character comes off as crazy but she was extremely convincing. She is much better suited to drama than to comedy. However, the best performance in the movie comes from Michael Seater, who plays her oldest son. He is perfect as the responsible son who is still young but trying to be the adult in the family. His acting was especially great in the scenes where he confronts his mom about the drugs. Colin Roberts, who plays the younger son, also does a great job.
A movie well worth watching, especially because of the acting from Michael Seater and Diane Keaton!
Wow! This lifetime movie has some of the best acting I have ever seen! Diane Keaton overacts a lot, and her character comes off as crazy but she was extremely convincing. She is much better suited to drama than to comedy. However, the best performance in the movie comes from Michael Seater, who plays her oldest son. He is perfect as the responsible son who is still young but trying to be the adult in the family. His acting was especially great in the scenes where he confronts his mom about the drugs. Colin Roberts, who plays the younger son, also does a great job.
A movie well worth watching, especially because of the acting from Michael Seater and Diane Keaton!
Gritty Realism
lavatch13 January 2022
Warning: Spoilers
In this wrenching saga of drug dealing and drug addiction in middle America, there was a concerted effort to convey a realistic environment.
Set in the hardscrabble world of Leeville, Illinois and based on a true story, Patsy McCartle is struggling to make ends meet as a single mom. She and her two boys, Jason and Kevin, were left to go it alone when their father Jack was a lineman and died on the job.
Desperate to care for her youngsters, especially little Kevin who is an asthmatic, Patsy begins work with her friend Carey in making deliveries for a local drug dealer. She becomes hooked on meth and spirals into a near catatonic state when forced to confront her addiction. Through drugs, Patsy has unwittingly made life much worse for her two boys.
The filmmakers juggled the realism of Patsy's addiction and painful period of withdrawal followed by her participation in a sting operation to nab the contacts of the local drug kingpin, Hopkins. The location filming in winter added to the grim realities confronting Patsy.
Diane Keaton was excellent in the leading role, and the two young actors playing the boys were superb. The closing captions sought to offer a rosy picture of the future of Patsy and the boys as they enter a witness protection program.
The impression was given that the drug situation was cleaned up in Leeway. Yet for middle America, the tragedy of methamphetamine addiction has continued for decades after the making of this well-crafted drama.
Set in the hardscrabble world of Leeville, Illinois and based on a true story, Patsy McCartle is struggling to make ends meet as a single mom. She and her two boys, Jason and Kevin, were left to go it alone when their father Jack was a lineman and died on the job.
Desperate to care for her youngsters, especially little Kevin who is an asthmatic, Patsy begins work with her friend Carey in making deliveries for a local drug dealer. She becomes hooked on meth and spirals into a near catatonic state when forced to confront her addiction. Through drugs, Patsy has unwittingly made life much worse for her two boys.
The filmmakers juggled the realism of Patsy's addiction and painful period of withdrawal followed by her participation in a sting operation to nab the contacts of the local drug kingpin, Hopkins. The location filming in winter added to the grim realities confronting Patsy.
Diane Keaton was excellent in the leading role, and the two young actors playing the boys were superb. The closing captions sought to offer a rosy picture of the future of Patsy and the boys as they enter a witness protection program.
The impression was given that the drug situation was cleaned up in Leeway. Yet for middle America, the tragedy of methamphetamine addiction has continued for decades after the making of this well-crafted drama.
Keaton was magnificent in a tough role
billhaz23 September 2008
Diane Keaton has played a few "heavy" parts in her many years on the big screen but she's mostly known for the "light and fluffy" stuff with Woody Allen, such as Annie Hall. She deserves an Oscar for best actress in a drama for this effort and it doesn't really matter what the competition was the year it was first shown. Try and find a scene in which she doesn't appear. And it was all heavy drama, exhausting in its pace and retakes, action, all at full speed. The make-up made her as young as possible and she fit the 30s age category even in close-ups, but she was playing half her age and at a very fast pace. The movie, overall was fairly well done, staged and shot well with a strong supporting cast but Keaton carried the load.
Annie Hall Meth Addict
kapelusznik1826 February 2015
Warning: Spoilers
****SPOILERS**** The usually high-class and sophisticated Diane Keaton plays Pasty McCartle a cleaning lady and waitress holding down two jobs to pay the bills as well as paying for her asthmatic son Kevin's, Colin Roberts, medical expenses that's just about financially breaking her. It's when Pasty's girlfriend Cerrie Kilmer, Lynda Boyd, a full blown meth addict gets her to be a carrier of crystal meth for local dealer Hopkins, Michael Rooker, her already miserable life goes from bad to worse.
As Pasty is soon to find out who at first was making a nice dollar working for Hopkins that soon pays all her bills she's then forced by Hopkins to smoke the crystal meth for in order to get her addicted to it where he can, by providing her with the stuff, keep her under his control. Pasty finds out that being addicted to meth is a lot worse then selling or pushing it! As she ends up blowing all the money she made, which were in the thousands of dollars, working for Hopking. It's Pasty's older son Jason, Michael Seater, who realizes just how screwed up in the head she really is and tries to get her off the meth cold turkey style that almost causes her to drop dead from a heart attack.
***SPOILERS*** It's when Pasty reached rock bottom with her two sons about to leave her that she throws in the towel and reluctantly agrees to work for this DEA and local police to get the goods on Hopkins and put him behind bars. Things don't work out as planned with Hopkins getting the jump on the police by knocking off Pasty's friend and fellow meth addict Carrie, who was needed as a witness against him, as well as her meth snorting and blowing friends. That's when Hopkins finds that they've been holding out on him by skimming off the top and using the cash to buy crystal meth off a rival drug dealer. The final straw was when Hopkins kidnapped Pasty's two sons holding them hostage to keep her from informing on him as well as secretly taping, with a wire, his business transactions!
Hopkings ended up getting the worst of it when Pasty, not caring anymore to what's to happened to her, raided his secret crystal meth factory shotgun thus making things in hand making it really hot for him. Glad to be taken into custody by the police Hopkins was a lot better off then if Pasty got a chance to get him in the cross-hair of her shotgun and blow him straight to kingdom come. P.S were told that because of Pasty working with the police and DEA all but one of the 48 members of Hopkins drug gang ended up being convicted with her and her two sons put in the witness protection program which they still, now after some 15 years, are in today.
As Pasty is soon to find out who at first was making a nice dollar working for Hopkins that soon pays all her bills she's then forced by Hopkins to smoke the crystal meth for in order to get her addicted to it where he can, by providing her with the stuff, keep her under his control. Pasty finds out that being addicted to meth is a lot worse then selling or pushing it! As she ends up blowing all the money she made, which were in the thousands of dollars, working for Hopking. It's Pasty's older son Jason, Michael Seater, who realizes just how screwed up in the head she really is and tries to get her off the meth cold turkey style that almost causes her to drop dead from a heart attack.
***SPOILERS*** It's when Pasty reached rock bottom with her two sons about to leave her that she throws in the towel and reluctantly agrees to work for this DEA and local police to get the goods on Hopkins and put him behind bars. Things don't work out as planned with Hopkins getting the jump on the police by knocking off Pasty's friend and fellow meth addict Carrie, who was needed as a witness against him, as well as her meth snorting and blowing friends. That's when Hopkins finds that they've been holding out on him by skimming off the top and using the cash to buy crystal meth off a rival drug dealer. The final straw was when Hopkins kidnapped Pasty's two sons holding them hostage to keep her from informing on him as well as secretly taping, with a wire, his business transactions!
Hopkings ended up getting the worst of it when Pasty, not caring anymore to what's to happened to her, raided his secret crystal meth factory shotgun thus making things in hand making it really hot for him. Glad to be taken into custody by the police Hopkins was a lot better off then if Pasty got a chance to get him in the cross-hair of her shotgun and blow him straight to kingdom come. P.S were told that because of Pasty working with the police and DEA all but one of the 48 members of Hopkins drug gang ended up being convicted with her and her two sons put in the witness protection program which they still, now after some 15 years, are in today.
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