The Initiation of Sarah (2006 film)
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''The Initiation of Sarah'' is a 2006
made for TV A television film, alternatively known as a television movie, made-for-TV film/movie or TV film/movie, is a feature-length film that is produced and originally distributed by or to a television network, in contrast to theatrical films made for ...
movie that was directed by
Stuart Gillard Stuart Thomas Gillard (born April 28, 1950) is a Canadian film, writer, producer and television director. He is best known for directing the films '' Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III'' (1993) and '' RocketMan'' (1997). He also wrote and directe ...
for
ABC Family The American cable and satellite television network that is now known as Freeform was originally launched as the CBN Satellite Service on April 29, 1977, and has gone through several different owners (and six different name changes) during its h ...
. It first aired as part of ABC Family's ''13 Nights of Halloween'' on October 22, 2006 and is a loose remake of the 1978 film of the same name. The two films differ in several ways. The personalities of Sarah and Patty (who was renamed Lindsay) were switched, the two are now biological sisters instead of adopted siblings, and the movie features magic as a predominant element to the plot, whereas in the original the focus is more heavily on Sarah having telekinesis. The character of Mrs. Hunter was re-written to be younger and possess a PhD, and is seen as a more positive figure in the movie as opposed to the character portrayed by
Shelley Winters Shelley Winters (born Shirley Schrift; August 18, 1920 – January 14, 2006) was an American actress whose career spanned seven decades. She appeared in numerous films. She won Academy Awards for ''The Diary of Anne Frank'' (1959) and ''A Patch o ...
. The film's ending is also changed, as Sarah ends up with her love interest and does not die at the film's completion.


Plot

Twin sisters Sarah (
Mika Boorem Mika is a given name, a nickname and a surname. Notable people and fictional characters with the name include: People known just as Mika * Mika (singer) (born 1983), Lebanese-born British singer-songwriter Michael Penniman, Jr. * Mika (footbal ...
) and Lindsay ( Summer Glau) are excited to attend Temple Hill University, where they will likely join Alpha Nu as their mother Trina Goodwin (
Morgan Fairchild Morgan Fairchild (born Patsy Ann McClenny; February 3, 1950) is an American actress. She began acting in the early 1970s and has had roles in several television series since. Fairchild began her career on the CBS daytime soap opera ''Search for T ...
) was a previous member. Sarah finds herself immediately drawn to Finn, a student adviser that invites them both to Pi Epsilon Delta's rush week party. At the party the sisters are introduced to the Alpha Nu President, Corrine (
Joanna Garcia JoAnna García Swisher (''née'' García; born August 10, 1979) is an American actress. She is known for her roles as Sam in '' Are You Afraid of the Dark?'' (1994–96), Vicki Appleby in '' Freaks and Geeks'' (1999–2000), and Cheyenne Hart-M ...
), but Sarah ends up leaving the party in tears after accidentally spilling a drink on Corrine. Lindsay follows Sarah and accidentally breaks her ankle. They're brought into the Pi Epsilon Delta house, where Dr. Eugenia Hunter (
Jennifer Tilly Jennifer Tilly (born Jennifer Ellen Chan; September 16, 1958) is an American–Canadian actress and poker player. Known for her distinctive voice and comedic timing, she has been nominated for an Academy Award, two MTV Movie Awards and three Sa ...
) introduces herself as a friend of their mother. The sisters are surprised to find that Lindsay's ankle has been healed. The following day Corrine ingratiates herself to Lindsay during a meeting at Alpha Nu, during which time Corrine takes the opportunity to take an eyelash off of Lindsay and pocket it. Sarah is approached by Dr. Hunter, who tells Sarah that they both possess magical powers. This unnerves Sarah, especially after Dr. Hunter later tells her that the Pi Epsilon Deltas and the Alpha Nus are mortal enemies locked in a fight of good against evil, and that Sarah is the One- a person who could disrupt the balance. Sarah is further warned that as the One, the Alpha Nu wants to sacrifice her to the Eternal Flame with the Knife of Truth in exchange for immortality. Sarah tries to approach her sister with this, who angrily tells her that Sarah has always been the focus of attention as opposed to Lindsay herself and Lindsay ends up leaving in tears. After Corrine's vice-president Esme (
Tessa Thompson Tessa Lynne Thompson (born October 3, 1983) is an American actress. She began her professional acting career with the Los Angeles Women's Shakespeare Company while studying at Santa Monica College. She appeared in productions of '' The Tempest ...
) informs her of the fight, Corrine uses this to persuade Lindsay into joining the sorority in return for beauty and a chance to outshine her sister - an offer Lindsay eagerly accepts. Things grow more tense after Lindsay is forced to stay in the Pi Epsilon Delta following a fire and after making up with Finn, Sarah discovers that Trina Goodwin is not her true mother and that Trina actually killed their birth mother after a failed ritual. The Alpha Nus had believed her to be the One, which had been proven to be false after the Knife of Truth refused to cut her, as it will only cut the flesh of the One. Sarah also learns that the Alpha Nus are willing to kill her if they can't have her, which prompts her to try to rescue her sister from their clutches. She initially seems to be successful, as Lindsay appears to want to leave the group, but this is soon revealed to be a trap to capture Sarah and force her into sacrificing herself willingly. However everyone is shocked when a struggle reveals that the true One is actually Lindsay rather than Sarah, as the Knife of Truth ends up nicking her throat. They also find that the Knife can cut through anything if it has the blood of the One on it. Corrine immediately imprisons Lindsay in preparation for her initiation into the sorority and kills Trina Goodwin, as she is no longer of any use to Corrine. Sarah escapes with Finn and the two end up having sex in order to keep him from being sacrificed in a ceremony where the Alpha Nus will throw virgins into their Eternal Flame to keep it burning. Sarah and Lindsay are both initiated into their respective houses (Sarah into Pi Epsilon Delta, Lindsay into Alpha Nu) and Lindsay is horrified when she discovers that the Alpha Nus are intent on sacrificing her. While the Deltas cast a shielding spell to trap the most of the Alpha Nu's inside the house, Sarah manages to successfully rescue her sister, almost dying in the process, and after a struggle pushes Corrine into the Eternal Flame. After they return to the Pi Epsilon Delta house, Dr. Hunter uses Lindsay's inner power to heal her and returns the Knife of Truth to its resting place, while Sarah leads the Deltas into the night to find and destroy the remaining Alpha Nu's. The film ends with a voiceover from Esme saying ''"That's the trouble with fire. You never know when it's going to flare up again."'' as she walks off into the distance with the remains of the Eternal Flame in a small
cauldron A cauldron (or caldron) is a large pot ( kettle) for cooking or boiling over an open fire, with a lid and frequently with an arc-shaped hanger and/or integral handles or feet. There is a rich history of cauldron lore in religion, mythology, and ...
.


Cast

*
Morgan Fairchild Morgan Fairchild (born Patsy Ann McClenny; February 3, 1950) is an American actress. She began acting in the early 1970s and has had roles in several television series since. Fairchild began her career on the CBS daytime soap opera ''Search for T ...
as Trina Goodwin *
Mika Boorem Mika is a given name, a nickname and a surname. Notable people and fictional characters with the name include: People known just as Mika * Mika (singer) (born 1983), Lebanese-born British singer-songwriter Michael Penniman, Jr. * Mika (footbal ...
as Sarah Goodwin * Summer Glau as Lindsay Goodwin * Amber Wallace as Vita * Ben Ziff as Finn *
Joanna Garcia JoAnna García Swisher (''née'' García; born August 10, 1979) is an American actress. She is known for her roles as Sam in '' Are You Afraid of the Dark?'' (1994–96), Vicki Appleby in '' Freaks and Geeks'' (1999–2000), and Cheyenne Hart-M ...
as Corrine *
Jennifer Tilly Jennifer Tilly (born Jennifer Ellen Chan; September 16, 1958) is an American–Canadian actress and poker player. Known for her distinctive voice and comedic timing, she has been nominated for an Academy Award, two MTV Movie Awards and three Sa ...
as Eugenia Hunter *
Tessa Thompson Tessa Lynne Thompson (born October 3, 1983) is an American actress. She began her professional acting career with the Los Angeles Women's Shakespeare Company while studying at Santa Monica College. She appeared in productions of '' The Tempest ...
as Esme


Reception

''Cinema Crazed'' panned the remake as being an overly bland movie, as they felt that it was "just so lost in its own attempts to mimic a certain show about yakking women that it can’t find its own niche." ''
DVD Talk DVD Talk is a home video news and review website launched in 1999 by Geoffrey Kleinman. History Kleinman founded the site in January 1999 in Beaverton, Oregon. Besides news and reviews, it features information on hidden DVD features known as ...
'' also panned the movie as being a "glossy, largely dull retread" and recommended that fans of the original film not view ''The Initiation of Sarah''. ''
Commonsensemedia Common Sense Media (CSM) is an organization that reviews and provides ratings for media and technology with the goal of providing information on their suitability for children.
'' gave the movie three stars and commented on its amount of violence.


References


External links

* *
The MGM page for ''The Initiation of Sarah''
{{DEFAULTSORT:Initiation Of Sarah 2006 films 2000s English-language films 2006 horror films American supernatural horror films Films about witchcraft Remakes of American films Horror film remakes ABC Family original films 2006 television films Films about fraternities and sororities Films directed by Stuart Gillard Television series about twins Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer direct-to-video films 20th Century Fox direct-to-video films Warner Bros. direct-to-video films 2000s American films