Committed (2011 TV Movie) User Reviews

Going Crazy at the Insane Institute

[wes-connors · 5/10 · 21 June 2014]

Following the tragic shooting death of her fiancé, attractive blonde Andrea Roth (as Celeste Dupont) takes a psychiatric position at the remote "Millburn Institute". The newly arrived doctor is told no Internet service exists and the place is too distant for cell phones. Uh-oh. This should have driven Ms. Roth out to her car for a quick retreat, but we're already too late in the story for that as Roth is shown to her room in the area reserved for the insane. Informed she is there as a patient, not a doctor, Roth makes some futile attempt to escape. When they fail, she tries to play along with the doctors and figure out how she ended up being "Committed". Roth's case is given to bedside mannerly Richard Burgi (as Desmond Moore) and the mystery deepens...

There are a couple of startling moments and some suspense in "Committed". Director Norma Bailey, editor Ron Wisman and photographer Michael Storey contribute some good work. Roth is okay as the confused heroine, but her heightened eyebrows are sometimes distracting. Featured players making the most of their screen time are handsome young rape fantasy Sebastian Pigott (as Bobby Gow) and beautifully grayed poet Linda Thorson (as Isadora), who first impressed in as sexy TV "Avenger" Tara King. Lower key, but just as much fun are headmaster Peter MacNeill (as Quille), absent-minded Liisa Repo-Martell (as Donneymeade) and other assorted cuckoos. This TV movie is genuinely intriguing, but falters significantly in the final 15 minutes.

Committed (4/17/11) Norma Bailey ~ Andrea Roth, Richard Burgi, Sebastian Pigott, Linda Thorson

I think a time in the country will do me good

[sol-kay · 5/10 · 6 May 2011]

***SPOILERS*** After her fiancée Paul Bernard was found dead from a self-inflicted gunshot wound psychiatrist Celeste Dupont, Andera Roth, had a severe nervous breakdown. It's in Celeste being accepted in a top position at the Millburn Institute in the wilds of New Jersey is what seemed to be just the right medicine for her recovery.

As soon as Celeste entered Millburn she noticed that things were a bit odd in the people who run it starting with it's director Dr. Quilley, Peter MacNeill. Everyone seems as if their either on drugs or lobotomized! In trying to figure out what exactly is going on in Millburn Celeste is shocked to find out from the places's personnel director Mrs. Donneymeade, Linda-Repo Martell, that she's not a doctor but in fact a patient there!

At first thinking that she's being treated for her depression, in her guilt-feelings about Paul's death, Celeste later finds out that she's in fact perfectly all right! It's those running the place like Dr. Quilley and her personal psychiatrist Desmond Busby, Richard Burgi, who are the one's who need to be treated but the shocking thing about all that is that they the lunatics are the one's running the asylum!

Once you realize what's going on at the Millburn Institute there's nothing really left to surprise you. Celeste by uncovering the scam by Dr.Quilley, who's really escaped mental patient and homicidal psycho Rupert Preston, as well as his top kick or aid Desmond Busby are pulling she's now in danger of being murdered by them in order to keep their crazy secret secret. It's never really explained what exactly Quilley, or Preston, and Busby were trying to pull off in them taking control of the Millburn Institute but no explanation was really necessary. They were both as mad as a mad hatter and their bizarre actions fit the bill, or hat size, in the crazy and murderous things that they did!****SPOILER ALERT**** Which included in crazy Desmond turning on his partner in crime Quilley, or Preston, for no explainable or rational reason when in one of his rare lucid moments Quilley made some sense in what to do to keep the entire scam form getting out of hand.

As for Celeste she escapes being murdered by a deranged and committable Desmond by one of the few patients in Millburn Evan Franklin,Paul Fauteux, who still had some of his marbles left in him coming, from what seemed like out of nowhere, to her rescue. But we didn't get to see what turned out to be the hero of the film-Evan Franklin-until the movie was almost over!

Crazy, crazy

[allyschwartz-48375 · 6/10 · 9 March 2024]

"Committed" offers a compelling narrative that delves into the psychological thriller genre with finesse. Andrea Roth's portrayal of psychologist Celeste DuPont brings depth to the character, and her journey into the remote psychiatric facility adds an intriguing layer to the storyline. The revelation that her superior, Dr. Quilley (Peter MacNeill), has unknowingly committed her to the facility sets the stage for a gripping exploration of trust, deception, and the fragile boundary between sanity and madness.

The film excels in building tension and keeping the audience engaged, with a well-executed plot that unfolds with twists and turns. The remote setting enhances the sense of isolation and intensifies the suspense, contributing to the overall atmospheric quality of the film. While the premise is captivating, the movie's strength lies in its ability to navigate the complexities of mental health and institutional power dynamics. With strong performances and a thought-provoking I'd say 6 stars.

Decent fare that captivates you for about 75% of the movie

[caiged · 4 August 2011]

Thank Goodness I had already seen the movie before I searched for the movie on IMDb because the only other review is absolutely horrendous, in the sense that it's not just spoils the plot of the move it completely ruins it. Basically the other reviewer reveals every single thing that's worth finding out for yourself.

I must be going through a phase because this is another TV movie that's left me a bit impressed. It's not eerie nor chilling but there is a definite mystery that intrigues you in the first 15 mins. By the time you unravel the mystery you may as well just finish watching it, and that's not a bad thing.

The plot's semi decent, offering some neat twists and turns that keeps you wondering whether Celeste is really a psychiatrist or if she's delusional. And then there also some other weird instances that keeps the plot ticking over.

Andrea Roth puts in a good performance in the lead role and she's convincing enough as a psychiatrist. Many of the women cast in a lead TV role have mostly been chosen for one thing: their looks, and often enough they don't fit the bill of the character. But Andrea pull its off. While some of her actions in trying to escape are a little over the top and ludicrous you do feel for her while she's trying to hang onto her sanity.

If you have the time and want to watch something with a cup of tea or hot chocolate on a cold night I'd recommend this movie. It certainly beats out some of the Hollywood titles out there at the moment.

Makes you think

[fee_tambo · 7/10 · 5 August 2015]

This is a great subject for a film, and it does start off very promisingly. I worked in a psychiatric ward for several years and when patients were sectioned,I would often think 'what if that person is telling the truth and nobody believes them?'. The family have all the power and we all know how fractured families are!

The actors in this film are all very good, it's a shame they've not been heard of outside TV movies, the story becomes quite dry about 3/4 through but it's no fault of the actors, it's the writing so I'd definitely recommend that you you'd watch this film, if only to have some food for thought, and to see some of the very underrated acting!

Excellent movie, very interesting and original

[xsnowblindxx · 10/10 · 6 August 2012]

When I watched this the first time, one minute into the film I wasn't impressed. The special effects looks so cheap and fake looking (in the car with the background at times, etc). But as soon as she arrived at the Institute (about 3 minutes in) all such "cheesiness" disappeared!

I found the plot easy to follow, yet hard to predict. Compared to other movies it had a very original storyline, yet still changed up a few things from the original movie.

All in all I loved the movie so much after I finished it the first time I watched it a second. I don't understand how anyone could not like this movie.

I highly recommend giving this movie a watch.

Who are the real nuts at the nut house?

[PhantomAgony · 4 September 2011]

NO SPOILERS UNTIL VERY END - CLEARLY MARKED

After the death of her fiancé, Celeste DuPont (Andrew Roth), a clinical psychologist, accepts a coveted position at Millburn Institute, a remote psychiatric facility for the criminally insane located somewhere in New England. When she arrives, she is greeted by her to be mentor, Dr. Quilley who explains to her that at the facility, the patients are called 'guests' and that they let the guests be who they think they are, no matter how grand the delusion. After quickly signing what she thinks is her contract, Celeste is lead to her room at the facility where she will be staying. After finding out that her room is in the same wing as the guests, she questions if the other doctors also have to live amongst the guests and that it makes her uncomfortable. Celeste is told that she is a guest herself and that no doctors live in that wing. After confronting Dr. Quilley about the mix up, she is informed that she actually had signed papers committing herself (not a job contract) to Millburn Institute and that in a moment of lucidity, she had called the facility for help - since she supposedly was not dealing with her fiancé's tragic death well.

Celeste insists that she's not crazy and that it's a mix up while Dr. Quilley and the other doctors, including Desmond (Richard Burgi), who she becomes close with, tell her that she has blocked out the painful memories of her fiancé's passing and that she's crying out for help and they are there to help her & fill in the pieces. Even though Celeste is a guest there, it is important to note that she is allowed to also interact with the other guests as a doctor and consult on cases with the other doctors.

Things are not as they seem. Celeste increasingly has moments where she comes across as crazy for example, she will claim that certain things happened or that she saw certain things that the doctors will tell her simply didn't happen. Of course, when she tries to prove them wrong, she's met with confusion since the proof is never to be found. For example, she claims that one night she was attacked by an aggressive patient at the facility and in the struggle, a lamp and water pitcher were broken yet when she leads the doctors to the room where it happened, everything is in order and the lamp and pitcher are intact making Celeste question her own sanity. Is Celeste really crazy? Did she really murder her fiancé (rather than it being a suicide) like the doctors are telling her she did? She can't remember what happened so she starts to believe them. Do the doctors mean her harm or are they trying to really help her?

Committed answers all these question and takes the audience on a suspenseful, thrilling ride. I certainly didn't buy everything the movie was trying to sell me/trick me with BUT I didn't guess the truth about what was really happening before it was revealed which was really nice. I thought it was slightly above average for a Lifetime film. 6/10.

SPOILERS -

I won't give away the truth about what was really happening at Millburn Institute but I will say that I didn't believe for a second that Celeste was really crazy. I was well aware at all times that the doctors were playing mind tricks on her - I just didn't know why.

Also, at the end I thought the quick cut from Celeste knocking out Desmond/Damon to suddenly the cops being at the facility leading the bad guys away was really sloppy. Earlier in the film Celeste managed to call 911 but the operator didn't believe that she was really in danger but instead, assumed she was a deranged patient who was lying. How did Celeste manage to get the real police to show up? How did she avoid all the other doctors who had a lot to lose if she called the cops? This is never explained which bothered me. It felt rushed.

Welcome to Millburn!

[lavatch · 8/10 · 26 September 2019]

"A little time in the country might do me good." Those are the words of Dr. Celeste Dupont a distinguished psychiatrist in New York, who is beginning a new part of her career by leaving the big city to work in a rural mental institution called Millburn.

But, it turns out that when Dr. Dupont signs her contract, she has instead signed on to be a patient (or "guest") at the Milburn asylum. An ominous sign at the beginning occurs when the Dr. Quilley, who is in charge of the facility, tells Dr. Dupont that there will likely be no cell phone reception in the remote area.

Instead of a committed caregiver, Dr. Dupont finds herself in the role of a committed patient amid an odd assortment of "guests." There is troubled offender named Bobby Dow, who has designs on Dr. Dupont. There is also the self-proclaimed poetess, Isadora Snow, who informs Dr. Dupont that strange murders have taken place with former doctors murdered on the premises. Evan Franklin is the most violent of the patients. But, in a life-changing encounter, Dr. Dupont would appear to form a close bond with Evan.

Is Dr. Dupont really being held against her will? Or, is she truly deranged because she was the murderer of her husband, has blocked the memory, and has now been institutionalized? The staff member who may hold the key to Dr. Dupont's case is Desmond Moore, a smooth-talking therapist who takes a special liking to Dr. Dupont.

The filmmakers are successful in creating the kind of experience that Rod Serling evoked in his episodes of "The Twilight Zone." The most interesting dilemma is the memory of Dr. Dupont. Did her husband, Dr. Paul Bernard, commit suicide? Or did she kill him due to his philandering? The main problem at the outset is that she cannot recall the circumstances of his death. "Committed" engages the audience in the conundrum of how the mind may play tricks on us and the fragility of memory in the face of trauma.

In this One: One Flew into the Cuckoo's Nest **

[edwagreen · 17 September 2011]

Abysmal film where a psychiatrist, who recently lost her fiancé, gets much more than she bargained for when she signs up to be a therapist in a remote place. It turns out that she herself is committed in a diabolical plan. She is made to feel that she killed her husband-to-be and gradually she comes to discover what is going on in this place, as doctors have taken leaves of absence and the patients are referred to as guests.

This is as sick as they come and the eerie atmosphere and what has occurred in the cellar isn't exactly very pleasant either. This is a very poor script.