Strange Voices

I had a lot of different choices for my first ever blog post, but there was something about “Strange Voices” that called to me. What could be better than a 1980's TV movie starring Valerie Harper and Nancy McKeon?

Nicole (Nancy McKeon, “The Facts of Life”) is the kind of sibling that you have. You totally know the one. She has the hot boyfriend, does great in school, treats her parents well, never fights, and goes above and beyond all the time. After a weekend at home, she heads back to college and everything seems fine.

Then, she catches her boyfriend and roommate having an innocent conversation. She completely snaps, packs up all her stuff, and tells them that “they” told her about their affair. The bestie and boyfriend are super confused, but basically kind of stand around and watch her go.

When Nicole comes home, no one wants to admit that she snapped. She destroys one of the computers that her dad uses for work because she can hear it talking to her. One of the best moments in “Strange Voices” comes when her parents throw a fancy dinner party. Nicole decides that everyone is out to get her, so she proceeds to ruin it for everyone. She even tells one woman that her husband is having an affair.

Since this is a Valerie Harper TV movie, you just know that she's going to take a stand. Her stand basically involves her checking out different hospitals, complaining that no one can help her daughter, and whining that no one understands her. Nicole's little sister Lisa actually does most of the work. She constantly gets stuck taking care of her sister, while her mother runs around town like a crazy person.

“Strange Voices” is a starring vehicle for McKeon, so her character is the focus of the movie. She stops taking her meds, which leads to a breakdown in the middle of the highway. She also goes back to school and wanders into a coffee shop. Thinking that it's the school cafeteria, she refuses to pay because the cost is included in her tuition, which leads to the cops coming.

Nicole hates taking her meds because it causes seizures, so she stops taking her drugs a few times. Her parents finally admit her to a hospital, but she runs away in the middle of the night. This all leads to fighting between her parents. Her mom wants to get her help, while her dad tends to think she doesn't have a problem.

When Nicole almost burns down the house, everyone has to admit that she has a problem. Her little sister doesn't want to go to college because she thinks she might get stressed out and get “sick” too. Nicole finally downs all of her pills at once, landing in the hospital of an overdose. Since this is a TV movie though, she recovers and her family works together to help her in the future. Nothing cures schizophrenia like family togetherness!