Dying To Belong

Okay the sticker on this cover makes me giggle. She did this movie about two years before winning her first Oscar. How many poor actors/actresses get big only to find their less than stellar films being re-released in order to make a quick buck.

Hilary Swank plays Lisa, a journalist urged by her mother to join a sorority. The sorority she joins is cruel and abusive to the pledges and Lisa begins to grow disgusted with the whole thing. Her roommate, Shelby (Jenna Von Oy) is desperate to get in and unfortunately that leads to her accidental death.

Lisa begins to investigate the sorority and learns that they have had other problems with hazing in the previous years. The sorority is determined to shut her up and the school and her mother refuse to believe in her.

Sadly, Dying to Belong is a typically mediocre teen film saved only by a roster of fairly talented actors. It has long boring moments that I presume are supposed to drum up suspense. The ending is just lame, there is not an ounce of tension or even a coherent explanation.

One of the things in the film that drove me nuts was the continued use of the song "Damn I Wish I Was Your Lover." Don't get me wrong, it's one of my favorite Sophie B Hawkins song. But whoever covered for this films was just awful. To make things worse, everytime the main character has a love scene, this song shows up like an unwelcome guest.

The film also stars Mark-Paul Gosselaar, Sarah Chalke, and Tracy Middendorf.