Have You Seen "Fear", An Early Reese Witherspoon Film?
By anniepa
@anniepa (27955)
United States
January 17, 2009 5:52pm CST
I know I've posted about some older movies recently but I've been getting caught up on a lot of great films I'd somehow missed the first time around so they're new to me! One of the good movies I've watched was "Fear" starring a very young Reese Witherspoon, Mark Wahlberg, William Petersen, Amy Brenneman and Alyssa Milano.
Reese plays a young girl who falls for an "older" man who certainly knew how to turn on the charm, but little did she know what he was really like! It was truly an edge of your seat type of thriller and I'd especially recommend it to all teenage girls as well as their parents! You really can't be too careful.
Annie
5 people like this
13 responses
@suspenseful (40193)
• Canada
18 Jan 09
I think I might have seen it. Was that not about this young man who wanted to control Reese Witherspoon? Sounds like a potential wife beater and wife abuser to me. I only saw it once and it was rather exciting. I do not think of it as a warning about girls dating older men. I take it as sometimes the most charming face hides a killer and maybe parents do know best.
It is amazing how in these movies, the parents do not have a clue. If a psycho killer showed up at our house when I was a teenager and pretended to be a nice boy, my father's radar would have gone up.
@suspenseful (40193)
• Canada
18 Jan 09
I do wonder whether this was the movie that CBS looked at when casting William Peterson as the head of CSI. Mind you I was more interested in how the psycho get it in the end so I did not pay attention to the father's character. We did see it on our Movie Channel but that was a while ago. At least the father had a clue, but I wonder was it because he suspected the boyfriend was a psycho killer or was it because he considered Mark was too old for her.
1 person likes this
@anniepa (27955)
• United States
20 Jan 09
Maybe that was what helped land the CSI role for Petersen. I'm not sure if his character suspected David (that WAS his name, wasn't it?) was as disturbed as he was or if he just didn't trust him because he was older and wasn't in school, etc. Your dad must have been a lot like mine! That psycho wouldn't have gotten out the door with me, I can guarantee you that. And my mom wouldn't have been taken in my his charms the way the stepmother in the movie was.
Annie
@irisheyes (4370)
• United States
18 Jan 09
I didn't see it and it sounds like a good one. I did rent a very early Reese Witherspoon movie some years back. In fact it may have been her first. It was called The Man In The Moon (I think). She was about twelve years old and she was so extraordinary that I actually wondered in the interim why it took her so long to become a superstar. Check it out if you haven't already. It's a gooder.
2 people like this
@katsmeow1213 (28716)
• United States
18 Jan 09
Oh yes, I saw it years ago. It was a favorite movie of a friend of mine, and we watched it at her house one night. I forgot that it was Reese though. I knew Mark Whalberg and Alyssa Milano of course, because they were already stars at that point.
1 person likes this
@katsmeow1213 (28716)
• United States
18 Jan 09
LOL, not me. I didn't see too much of that show, but I did watch like every episode of Charmed, so I definitly picture her as an adult.
1 person likes this
@ZephyrSun (7381)
• United States
18 Jan 09
I don't think I have ever seen it. I really like Reese. I'll have to see if I can find it, did you watch it on television or rent it?
1 person likes this
@ZephyrSun (7381)
• United States
18 Jan 09
Oh, we don't have HBO we decided to get the HD upgrade instead of adding pay channels. I know we suck lol
1 person likes this
@jammyt (2818)
• Philippines
18 Jan 09
I wasn't able to watch this but I did get to see "Man on the Moon" where Reese was about 12 years old. A country lass who fell in love with a 16 year old boy. She was quite boyish and they started on the wrong foot. Eventually, the guy fell for her older sister. Reese was so hurt. A tragic accident killed the boy and Reese and her older sister made up. The story was simple but it was so nice to see Reese take on a role at such a very young age. 
1 person likes this
@cynddvs (2948)
• United States
18 Jan 09
This movie was popular when I was a teenager. It really freaked me out when I saw it. I thought it was a really good movie. Although Mark Wahlberg's voice really got on my nerves lol. Now that I survived my teenage years relatively unharmed I'm dreading when my daughter is a teenager.*shudders* At least we still have quite a while for that one. I know my husband and I both are going to be very picky about the guys she dates. Her boyfriend will be lucky to make it out of the house alive lol.
1 person likes this
@anniepa (27955)
• United States
18 Jan 09
As I watched it I thought to myself how I would have known he was a sleaze but when I really thought about it I realized how vulnerable young girls can be at that age and how easily they can be taken in by a handsome, smooth-talking "older" guy. I intend to make sure my granddaughter, who will be 12 on the 31st of this month, watches it, although she's very sensible already for her age so I HOPE I don't have to worry about her being taken advantage of like that. As YOU said, her boyfriend will be lucky to make it out of the house alive as well!
Annie
@singlemommy (2955)
• United States
18 Jan 09
Yes, I've seen this movie. I watched it when I was a teenager. It really is an awesome movie. Mark Wahlberg did an excellent job playing the psycho boyfriend. I think he's a wonderful actor as well as Reese is one of my favorite actresses. I might just have to rent this movie and watch it again!
1 person likes this
@anniepa (27955)
• United States
18 Jan 09
I can't remember now if it was rated R or PG. You're right, it's not suitable for young children but I think it would be OK for my granddaughter to see because she's mature for her age and I think it would serve as a good warning to her. She's a very pretty girl and looks older than she is so there are already lots of boys after her.
Annie
