User Reviews

This TV docudrama based on the lives of Dee Dee and Gypsy Blanchard was at times very difficult to watch. The abuse from the mother, Camille (Marcia Gay Harden), was frightening. She was very scary and relentlessly in control. And Harden was amazing as always. Emily Skeggs (Esme) did the best she could with what she had and Tate Donovan was wasted, which was too bad. What was missing in this movie was some kind of revelation as to why people suffer from Munchhausen Syndrome. It only shows the effect on Esme. Having a look inside the character of Camille might have made this a little more interesting. While definitely not a major motion picture, it was entertaining.

Lifetime movies seldom rise above mediocrity ("Escaping the Madhouse: The Nellie Bly Story" was a notable exception), but they usually have some entertainment value. This misbegotten misfire has none. The sad tale of Gypsy and Dedee Blanchard is a real-life horror story that would tax the abilities of Ann Rice or Stephen King. The subject is simply too unpleasant for a fictional treatment. Emily Skeggs is good, but Marcia Gay Harden gives a one-note performance as the mom and the rest of the cast are cyphers. Do yourself a favor and skip this turkey. Watch ID's riveting 2-part documentary "Gypsy's Revenge" instead.

Love You To Death (2019) follows a girl and her mother, who's relationship soon turns fatal. This film was based off of the murder of Dee Dee Blanchard. My expectations for this film were exceed and I actually enjoyed it quite a bit! It was very informative too!

The acting was impressive, and all the performances were very good and casted well. I really liked Esme and felt so sorry for her tricky situation, especially knowing what this film is based off of. Us, as the audience, can really sense what's she's going through.

Despite changing the characters' names, it is quite easy to tell which case the film is about. As far as I know, the film is really accurate and tells this story well! The filmmakers definitely did their research!

The score itself was fairly basic, it was used well but was just too boring and unrecognisable. I can't really remember what the score was like, but this shows how forgettable it was unfortunately.

The cinematography was good, with some nice shots, especially nearer the end. The colour palettes were mainly natural colours and got better as the film progressed. I really liked the colour schemes that included the pink shades, they were very recognisable! My only issue would be that the cuts between shots felt very unnatural at times.

Lastly, there was clear storytelling and the pacing was fairly steady but the structure was a little messy! The film starts with an intriguing intro and is entertaining to an extent all throughout the movie. The last 20 minutes were probably the best in the film, they were touching and made me fairly emotional!

When you have an outstanding performance from Patricia Arquette and Joey King in The Act, this film fails short, it's a remagining and based on the true story but at times its more visual than trying to tell you the story.

"Love You to Death" is a profound and powerfully disturbing movie about the relationship between Esmé Stoller (Emily Skaggs) and her mom Camile (Marcia Gay Harden, a far more illustrious "name" than we're used to seeing on Lifetime). Esmé is in a wheelchair, she's bald (there's a fascinatingly cruel scene in which we see her mom shaving her head) and she's been told she has had bone cancer since she was 4. Writer Anthony Jaswinski and director Alex Kalymnikos tell this story from both mother's and daughter's point of view, and the result is a powerful, chilling fable about just how far certain people will go to feel "loved" and "needed." I'm rating it nine stars instead of 10 because the switch from Camile's to Esmé's point of view about a third of the way through is awkward and writer Jaswinski could have had an even deeper and more profound movie if he'd used the "Citizen Kane" narratage technique and told the Stollers' story from the various points of view of the people involved in it. But that doesn't take away from what he, Kalymnikos and their stars (not only Harden and Skaggs but Brennan Keel Cook as Esmé's boyfriend Scott) achieved with a film that's excellent by any standards and especially amazing coming from Lifetime.

....watch The Act instead much more gripping and interesting than this so called take on the real life story of Dee-Dee & Gypsy Rose Blanchard. The acting was pretty poor in my opinion they should have just saved their money and not even made it.

If you've never watched anything related to this story before, please don't start with this movie. It completely downplays the real story and kills every interesting part of it.

First off, I don't really understand why another adaptation to the same story was even needed to begin with - there were multiple documentaries covering it already (I recommend "Mommy Dead and Dearest" the most), as well as the drama series "The Act", all of which were much closer to the real story than this.

But if you are already making a movie that might introduce new people to the story, at least do it well. This movie was not only super different than the actual story, but has also completely cut out all of the really shocking and interesting parts of the story, some of which were very important parts of this story that were not even slightly mentioned here, making the story in the movie much more dull and boring compared to the real one. And then there are the parts of the story that were included here, but those were changed so much that they have ruined the whole build up into the finale (which as I mentioned before, was nowhere near as shocking as the real story).

This is such a poor adaptation to the story, that I feel like the only way anyone could enjoy it is if they've never heard of the story before, but if you've never watched it before, then what reason would you have to start with this failed attempt to present the story when there are so many better alternatives out there?

If they were going to change so much, I feel like they should have went completely different and do something like the movie "Run" did where it's just a complete fiction story about the same condition, but this movie was clearly trying to tell Gypsy's specific story, which is why it being done in such a poor way is so disappointing.

So as someone who is really familiar with this story and has watched anything possible related to it, I can't stress any more how much I recommend that you don't start with this movie as your introduction.

TV movie based on real life story of Gypsy Rose Blanchard who plotted to kill her mother who abused her through munchausens by proxy.

Though names gave been changed in this, it's very much based on the story.

So many inaccuracies and factual errors with substandard to poor acting involved, if you haven't watched the limited series The Act, go watch that for amazing acting, incredibly in depth and very factually accurate portrayal of what really happened. Nothing to see here but watered down Lifetime Movie tosh.

Munchausens syndrome by proxy has been dealt with before but not as effectively as this movie. This is one of those superior Lifetime movies with a better than necessary cast.

Marcia Gay Harden transforms herself with fright wig and fat suit. A memorable bad mom.

The girl is played by Emily Skeggs a very fine actress too.

The two versions is interesting way to show the story.

There is more music and artistic scenes than dialogue. That should probably give you a clue to not expect a riveting experience from the actors and actresses. Yes, it's based in a true story, but man, did they tone the real problem down when they focused a ton on the daughter and her boyfriend's "beautiful love scenes" first in a convention with a wig in a wheelchair, to a wig in a bed, and to a pool when the wig finally comes off. Ok, we get the symbolism of losing the wig with him. But um, I think he knew she wasn't faking when she walked and was banging him in bed and she lost her innocence when she became honest to someone other than her mother. Really disappointed in this. Did enjoy all the piano music in it though, especially considering I switched to reading a book during this disaster, it really provided nice quite background music.

Marcia Gay Harden should have tried deodorant commercials. Munchhausen syndrome by proxy Is an inherently interesting topic, but this movie focuses instead on hairstyles, tinkly piano music and melodramatic husband and wife fights. The child-victim was either bald as an egg or flouncing around in a bright blue wig going to conventions that were never explained. The mother is identifiable on sight as a psychopath and how she could fool anyone about her daughters illness is beyond me. If you enjoy overacting, plot-holes and a movie that should be shorter by half, then this one's for you.

If you plan to make a movie based on a true story , make sure you have all the facts!

The actors are great but unfortunately the movies doesn't deliver .

This was such a horrible movie. Bad acting, story line was weak & scattered. Marcia Gay Harden is a very talented actress think "Pollack" this though is definitely something she should omit from her resume. Usually Lifetime movies are viewed because they're SO BAD, THEY'RE GOOD. "Love You To Death" didn't make that cut.

Based on the true story of Dee Dee and Gyspy Rose Blanchard. If you're interested in this story, do yourself a favour and skip this and watch the miniseries, The Act.

Ok I I've heard about this movie & I heard about the Dee Blanchard & how she forced Gypsy Rose to be sick & this movie is telling it the same way so why did they named the characters Camile & Esme? That Doesn't make No Sense Why didn't they do the characters of Dee Dee Blanchard & Gypsy Rose? & when Camile told the neighbor that the Convention is a Freak Show that people dressed up in Costumes to pretend that they aren't & she ends up taking her anyway that was kinda weird

I prefer 'The Act' version better. Had more plot line. This was an 'okay' version.

Not enough intensity. It skipped to the end real quick. Which made it kinda confusing.

This movie should have been released to the cinema it was a great movie it makes you hate that mother

The act is so much better- this isn't the worst movie ever Marcia gay harden is really good. But it feels really rushed!!!!

I don't understand how I can watch this there is no play button please help

I have watched several documentaries/movies on the Gypsy Rose/Dee Dee story.

Read the reviews on IMBD and knew it would be bad :o( BUT... my fascination led me to watch it anyway.

I'm glad I did!

I found the acting as good as can be expected.

Facts meh.

Not factual at all!!!!!

The best I could take from it, was the representation of the Father!

He has always been missing from most things I've watched (and I've watched a lot) This film actually showed his "what the F is going on with my daughter?" Showed his love from birth, not just from her being in prison!!!

He always wanted to be in her life, but Dee Dee pushed him away :o( (as she knew it would expose the non-illness)

I recommend the drama "The Act" Or factual documentary "Mommy Dead and Dearest"