Zoey Carter (Julia Whelan) is the beloved sixteen years old daughter of Marcia Carter (Mia Farrow), who has recently divorced from her husband Larry Carter (Cliff De Young). Zoey feels too much the separation of her parents, and has Kayla (Katharine Isabelle) as her best friend. While temporarily working in the hairdresser saloon of her friend Mimi (Caroline Aaron), Marcia is trying to find a job to support her family. She is very proud of her daughter, who seems to be a very responsible teenager, since she is a good student, she has her own car and she voluntarily works in an old folk's home. However, Zoey has a hidden personality, and she eventually uses drugs, stealing pills and money from her parents to buy weed. When Zoey meets the handsome student and drug dealer Ron (Michael Coristine), she is induced by him to shoplift to buy heavy drugs with him. She fails in her trial, and the guy gives free drugs to addict her. When she has an OD, she is sent to a psychiatric treatment with Dr. Mike Harper (Andrew McCarthy). "The Secret Life of Zoey" is a good and very real dramatic story that may happen with teenagers in any family. The cast is very well selected, with Mia Farrow excellent as usual, in the role of a mother that becomes lost when she finds the other side of the personality of her daughter. Julia Whelan is amazing, with her angelical face, in the role of a teenager with a secret behavior on the back of her mother. The rendition of her character in the end of the story makes an optimistic end, but I have nothing against it. There is one particular dialog in this movie that I liked a lot between Marcia and Mike. Marcia wants to know her mistake in raising Zoey, and Mike replies that it is among ten thousand others mistakes. A great truth in a non-perfect world in a movie with a good message. My vote is seven.
Title (Brazil): "A Vida Secreta de Uma Adolescente" ("The Secret Life of an Adolescent")
Title (Brazil): "A Vida Secreta de Uma Adolescente" ("The Secret Life of an Adolescent")