In the past few years, Lifetime has earned such a widespread reputation for its twist-filled, extremely dramatic, B-list star-laden movies that the network had to start a whole new channel just to house them. That's why LMN, the Lifetime Movie Network, exists, and wow has it really come through for fans of the very specific genre. On Sunday, LMN will premiere My Daughter Must Live and if you were wondering whether it's based on a true story, I think you might have it confused with another certain "My Daughter" movie: 1991's Not Without My Daughter starring Sally Field.
Let's take a look at the plot of My Daughter Must Live and see just how far-fetched it truly is. Here's LMN's synopsis.
When seeking a liver donor for her daughter, Meghan O'Malley learns her husband is not the girl's biological father. Meghan must risk her marriage, and then her life, to track down the man who got her pregnant sixteen years ago and then fled town after crossing a dangerous businessman.
There are a few more details available on Zap2it, such as the fact that the O'Malley's first suspect their "promising dancer" daughter Katie is on drugs, then find her unconscious—at which point the whole liver transplant story begins. It's only after the entire family is tested as possible donors that Meghan realizes her husband isn't Katie's father and seems to suddenly remember that she had a one night stand at her high school reunion.
Don't worry, it gets even more twisted. The one night stand was with her ex-boyfriend Dan, who has since changed his name, apparently to escape a dangerous businessman. There's also this little tidbit that LMN didn't mention.
He agrees to be tested but when he turns up a match, he refuses to become a donor.
With all of the drama, lies, sudden realizations, and however else you'd categorize these events, it shouldn't be surprised that My Daughter Must Live is a work of fiction. However, the similarly-titled Not Without My Daughter, which follows a woman attempting to leave her husband in Iran—with her daughter in tow. That movie is based on the book of the same name, which was written by the real woman who went through that in 1984— though that doesn't mean Not Without My Daughter is completely accurate.
But it's closer to the truth than My Daughter Must Live, which is simply the product of some creative writers. Catch it on LMN on Sunday, June 15 at 8 p.m.
Image: LMN
