October 14, 2002
A number of soap-opera-worthy dramas propel this middling romantic thriller, but Sawyer (Closer Than She Thinks) fails to offer a fresh spin on any of her salacious topics. Taylor Maxwell's dying mother, Vanessa, is determined to track down the baby she gave up several decades earlier. When tough New Orleans stripper Renata Rollins and her unconventional father, Caleb, call claiming to be kin, Taylor has no choice but to let her mother see them. Vanessa believes Renata and Caleb are the genuine article and immediately changes her will in Renata's favor, but Taylor's family and assorted other relatives and hangers-on think Renata is only after a share of To the Maxx, the family's lucrative cosmetics business. Shane Donovan, the company's dreamboat security consultant, assists Taylor in her quest for the truth, but before they receive conclusive DNA results, Renata is murdered. A few days later, Taylor's own life is threatened. Despite the plethora of red herrings peppered throughout, the villain's identity is readily apparent. While Florida natives will cringe at Sawyer's pale portrayal of South Beach and the Florida Keys, fans of twisted family dramas may enjoy the Jerry Springer–like revelations.