I hadn't realised that Brittany Murphy had died until I read her bio, so my scathing attack on her acting abilities in this film, seem somewhat untimely and unkind now. Suffice to say the story may have benefitted from a different casting and would have been all the better for it.

Without Brittany Murphy, this film would probably be saccharin schmaltz. The story is kind of pedantic:

Failed child star inherits a Virginia mansion from her grandmother, a two-time Oscar winner from the late 60s, early 70s, who died from an apparent suicide before Murphy's character was born.

The plot includes some intrigues about her grandmother's secret affair with a mysterious married man.

...and she has to deal with bad feelings the townies have toward her family...and there's a lot of creaking and sneaking and lame scare tactics.

All through this lame frame work of scenes...Brittany Murphy makes a silk purse out of a sows ear. She turns water into wine. She gives so much on screen with her realistic and edgy performance. I've watched this lame movie three times already, because Brittany Murphy is mesmerizing in this. She doesn't even have to say any lines, and you get what she's trying to communicate. Everything shows in her face and body language.

Even when the killer is revealed, and the plot unravels into lame predictability...she still makes it work. I keep watching because I'm amazed that she makes this script sound organic, as though they weren't lines from a Lifetime Original Movie. She delivers as though she's actually thinking and feeling what is written on the page. I'm totally blown away...by Brittany Murphy...not by the film its self.

This is one of Nora Roberts' weaker stories. The romance and drama are very predictable and not very interesting.

Brittany Murphy's appearance here is really poignant. She looks a bit gaunt. But her face is fascinating as always.

The story is very predictable - you can see who did it from a mile away. The nasty look of the villain is too obvious.

Jason Lewis looks a bit haggard.

Watch it to see one of Brittany's last appearances. Other than that it's not great even for this kind of movie. I know you can't expect too much from this kind of lifetime hallmark thing but this one is weak.