Okay, so this is a television movie. It's never going to reach the heights of greatness, purely for that reason. But still, DEATH OF A CHEERLEADER turns out to be an engaging, true-life story about how classroom bullying and peer group pressure led to tragedy for one high school girl back in the 1980s.
For the most part, DEATH OF A CHEERLEADER takes a focused and realistic approach to the material, presenting an unbiased account of a murder, the circumstances leading up to it, and the eventual unravelling of the crime. The story is subdued and non-exploitative throughout, with a mature script giving insight into the minds of the characters.
Kellie Martin, who plays the conflicted Angela Delvecchio, gives a remarkably complex performance in the leading role, a sweet girl who gets out of her depth when everything gets a bit much for her. Martin gives a sympathetic performance that really grounds the rest of the movie. I'm no fan of Tori Spelling, who plays against her as the bitchy cheerleader of the title, but thankfully she doesn't have too much screen time. Watch out for THE STEPFATHER's Terry O'Quinn in a small role as the oily headteacher!
For the most part, DEATH OF A CHEERLEADER takes a focused and realistic approach to the material, presenting an unbiased account of a murder, the circumstances leading up to it, and the eventual unravelling of the crime. The story is subdued and non-exploitative throughout, with a mature script giving insight into the minds of the characters.
Kellie Martin, who plays the conflicted Angela Delvecchio, gives a remarkably complex performance in the leading role, a sweet girl who gets out of her depth when everything gets a bit much for her. Martin gives a sympathetic performance that really grounds the rest of the movie. I'm no fan of Tori Spelling, who plays against her as the bitchy cheerleader of the title, but thankfully she doesn't have too much screen time. Watch out for THE STEPFATHER's Terry O'Quinn in a small role as the oily headteacher!