I tend to cast a wary eye on films "based on a true story," and Lifetime's made-for-TV Homeless to Harvard unfortunately doesn't do anything to make me change my tune. Is it better than the "after-school specials" that used to play when I was a kid? Probably. That's not saying much, though; Homeless to Harvard is still mired in that weird middle ground between being a random episode of some TV show, and being a "real movie."

Over the course of its 91 minutes, Homeless to Harvard tells the true story of Liz Murray (played by Thora Birch), a teenager who decides to strive for a better life despite having been dealt just about the worst possible hand in life. Both her parents are drug addicts, her mother's mentally ill to boot, Liz has hardly attended any school until the 8th grade, and soon she's homeless as well. Nonetheless, Liz becomes determined to finish high school and go on to college.

Homeless to Harvard seems like it ought to be about Liz's efforts and progress as she works her way through a four-year high school curriculum in only two years, and applies to colleges and scholarship programs. After all, that's what makes her story interesting and different. However, the film seems to have an almost voyeuristic fascination with the grubby details of her difficult life before she devoted herself to her schoolwork. We certainly get a sense of how tough and unpleasant life was for her, but there's little by way of a convincing portrayal of her academic experiences. A rather hokey voiceover from Birch simply serves to hammer in the points of an already none-too-subtle script, in case the audience is completely clueless.

The make-or-break point of Homeless to Harvard really rests on Thora Birch's portrayal of Liz Murray, and unfortunately, Birch seems miscast and adrift in the role. Her performance makes Liz into a passive, depressed, mainly defeatist character; there's not a hint of the energy that the real Liz Murray exudes in the brief interview included in the special features section. Birch hardly emotes during the entire film, as if hanging her head and looking vaguely glum were all that the role calls for; it's this completely unengaging performance that ends up sinking a film that otherwise could have aspired to mediocrity.

The DVD

Video

Homeless to Harvard looks like a TV-movie from the 1980s slapped onto DVD without a whole lot of concern for the quality of the transfer... and that's exactly what it is, except for the 1980s part. Homeless to Harvard is actually a 2003 film, so it would have been reasonable to expect better image quality than what we actually get. The picture is fairly dark and drab, and I don't think all of that is intentional; the image is also very grainy and has a substantial amount of noise in it.

Audio

The Dolby 2.0 soundtrack gets the job done competently. The dialogue is always clear and easy to understand, and while the musical score is completely generic and forgettable, it at least doesn't get in the way.

Extras

The seven-minute "Interview with Liz Murray" is more interesting than the film itself, which isn't saying much. The real-life Murray is bright and articulate, and projects the inner strength and self-confidence that she undoubtedly needed to get herself onto the right path to a better life; this short clip will make you wonder why the makers of Homeless to Harvard couldn't have done a better job of casting the Liz Murray character in the film. There's also a pointless 20-second "inspirational message" from Murray, directing viewers to the Lifetime web site.

Final thoughts

There's really not much to say about Homeless to Harvard. Thora Birch is miscast in what could have been a fascinating "rags to riches" story, but is instead a dull and strangely uninspiring tale. Skip it.