Lifetime Review: 'Separated at Birth'

Elizabeth Marshall (Paige Turco) is a woman of great ambition. In the midst of running for Governor of Pennsylvania, Elizabeth finds herself busy as can be working her campaign and doing battle against the sabotage attempts made by her opponent. In the middle of this fray, however, a woman named Lucy Pierce (Brittany Allen) arrives at her office with stunning news: she believes herself to be Victoria Marshall, Elizabeth's daughter who was abducted from the hospital shortly after she was born.

After a DNA test proves that Lucy is in fact her long-lost daughter, Elizabeth quickly allows Lucy a place in both her life and campaign, much to the quiet envy of Elizabeth's other daughter, the troubled Terri (Dominique Provost-Chalkley). Just when it seems all is coming together for the Marshall family, scandal erupts in Lucy's life that not only threatens her teaching career, but also jeopardizes Elizabeth's campaign. As Elizabeth struggles with both her family and her floundering political pursuit, it becomes clear that there is more to this scandal than meets the eye...

Much like the previously reviewed My Daughter Must Live, Separated at Birth is a Lifetime film that puts more focus on building up its drama slowly rather than going all in like other films in Lifetime's repertoire. As typical for films of this caliber, the slow-build proves to be a tightrope walk, and Separated at Birth has its share of moments when it stumbles off the wire and falls into plodding territory. There are stretches of the film's runtime that feel drawn out for no substantial reason, which is bound to leave some viewers tuning out.

But to make up for its sometimes meandering story, Separated at Birth has a trio of strong actresses playing its three central characters, each of whom play their characters in a way to where you find yourself questioning their motivations. Paige Turco delivers as no-nonsense politician Elizabeth, allowing genuine emotion to emerge in bits from Elizabeth's cold and calculated demeanor that keeps her complex and likable to some degree, even when her behavior takes a turn for the callous. Brittany Allen is similar as Lucy, playing her understanding and level-headed demeanor with Elizabeth in a way that makes you wonder if there's something dark lurking beneath that sincere smile.

Finally, there's Dominique Provost-Chalkley as Elizabeth's trouble-making daughter Terri. Despite being the most outward in her potential for villainy, Chalkley plays well off Turco and Allen (particularly the former) in their relationship dynamics that allows touches of sincerity of emerge from who could've been a one-note catty brat. With Elizabeth's frequently detached demeanor and frequent chiding of Terri for her past antics, one can understand why Terri would be bitter and jealous towards Lucy for the ease at which she slid into their mother's good graces. Solid side performances come in the form of Jayne Heitmeyer as the passive-aggressive Kolbie Gaines, Carrie-Lynn Neales as sleazy journalist Chloe Daniels, and Gord Rand as Elizabeth's opportunistic right-hand man Malcolm.

The film's third act is where a lot of its strength as a story lies, as the ultimate reveal regarding the scandal befalling the Marshall family is well-executed and is sure to surprise a few viewers. This third act revelation is also when all three leading ladies bring their fiercest performances, allowing for the film's understated conclusion to pack much more weight than it would've had performed by a less accomplished cast. The ending won't sit well for all Lifetime viewers given the circumstances it ends the movie on, but for what it is, it's a conclusion that aligns well with everyone's character, wraps up all the important plot threads, and leaves a few pointed questions hanging for the audience to consider.

With a deliberate pace and purposely slow-burning drama, Separated at Birth is not a film to come into expecting high-octane thrills. The methodical pacing dips into excessive padding on more that one occasion, making this the sort of film that relies on a strong story and cast to sustain itself. Thankfully, the writing and acting talent behind Separated at Birth is up to to the task, with the lead performances and well-crafted final act making up for the sections that threaten to put the viewer to sleep. Check it out if you're in the mood for a more character-driven form of Lifetime-ian drama.

Score: 6.5 out of 10 pharmaceutical company lawsuits.