There's been talk about this TV movie. We've seen the screengrabs online, we've heard of the recognition Reneé received from the press and we know about the 'log girl' effect on Liz Friedman and co. But what's really up with this movie? Channel 5 in Sweden aired it two weeks ago, and as is the usual custom, we sofa xenites got together to see it.

Well. We have this bible camp full of southern youngsters who speak mainly texan. That's cool; -we like Reneés texan accent. Heh, bit of under-statement there... we love it.

The camera does a sweeping movement and briefly introduce us to the characters. The camera is subjective, like it's a home video cam or a news cam. We catch a glimpse of Leslie, aka ROC.

[Sofa Xenites: *cheers!*]

Apparently the camp attenders are experiencing their last day of activities and are due back to civilisation the next day. Leslies and her friend LeAnne talk some and we get scenes where they establish the girls' friendship.

LeAnne's got a major crush on an annoying guy named Brad (aka. that wuzz Josh in Sabrina, Sofa Xenite #3's note). Leslie encourage her to go and speak to the good (?) boy a while later, when they're eating. LeAnne does so. But there's a blond bimbo after Brad as well... and LeAnne ain't too happy about that, to put it mildly.

Even later, there's a prayer meeting or a gathering of some sort, where Leslie once again pushes LeAnne to just go for it and ask Brad if she can sit with him. But... the blond girl is ahead of her and Brad isn't complaining.

They sing a hymn.

[Sofa Xenite #1: YAY! ROC got to sing, for once!

Sofa Xenite #2: And justice for all.

Sofa Xenite #3: Hear, hear.]

Brad ditches his friends and walks away with the blonde to make out. LeAnne is sad and is comforted by Leslie, who rolls her eyes and says; "Come on, LeAnne! He's from Iowa!"

[Sofa Xenites: *LOL!*]

Brad and the blonde are discovered and sent back into the house. It begins so rain... hard.

The next morning there's a flood warning. The bible campers are advised to leave asap and to take another route. The kids are awakened and the leaders instruct them to pack. Leslie walks around in a shock-pink bathing suit number.

[Sofa Xenite#1: Is that ROC?!? OMG!

Sofa Xenite #2: Yeah, she's not in Gabby shape you know. Too young fer that. It's not until s5 that she really shows off her asset-

Sofa Xenite #1: But it's so, so... PINK! *gasp*

Sofa Xenite #3: Yeah. That too.]

So, Brad asks if LeAnne wants to come and sit in the back with him. LeAnne is grouchy, which is highly understandable (especially since Brad just switched saliva with madame bimbo outside). He asks her what's wrong and Leslie tells him off with a 'what do you think'-comment. Veeeeery nice delivered, Reneé! :)

Brad sits in the back. The bus caravan is rolling. Everything goes just fine until they come to a small 'river'. Two vehicles makes it across, but OF COURSE the bus ROC is in just has to be the trouble bus. Mr camp leader can't get it back on track and water pours in. He orders them all off the bus. The streams are strong and many are driven away by the water masses, and float freely without any particular control.

[Sofa Xenites: Just put your arms in line with the body and let the feet point down-stream, morons!!! You'll die otherwise, dammit!!!!!]

Some get stuck in barb wire. Others hang on to branches and trees in the area, and start to climb above the flowing water. ROC's still in the water, close to her friend LeAnne.

A news guy is riding in a helicopter above. We get that he's gonna play a vital supporting part from now on, together with the rescue team leader. (It wasn't until the news guy looked up adoringly at mr rescue guy that we discovered something...)

[Sofa Xenite#3: Hey! It's Brutus!

Sofa Xenite #1 and #2: Yeah, it is!!!

Sofa Xenite #1: I didn't recognize him at all!

Sofa Xenite #2: Me neither. It was that Brutus-Caesar camera perspective that did it.

Sofa Xenites: MAN, IT'S BRUTUS!!!]

Lets see here...where were we?
Ah! Everybody's in the water or avoiding it and the kids are starting to panic. Some are taken by the waters. Leslie starts panicing bigtime and LeAnne shouts back that she should shut up and calm down.

Leslie: I'm gonna die!

LeAnne: No, you're not!

This is when the log comes floating in high speed.

Close-up: Log.

THUNK!!!

LeAnne: LESLIE!!!!!!

[Sofa Xenites: ...???

...

That's it?!?!?]

Before the first commercial, Reneé's character dies. And after that we had all sorts of crazy theories and some really wierd lines were thrown back and forth among us, like 'LeAnne...even in death I will never leave you', etc.

Some are saved, some are not. Brad dies hard. A guy named Michael loses his sisters and his mom and dad are grieving. They've flown in together with Leslie's parents. But alas, it's all in vain for the latter. Leslie is very dead. And so is the script at this point. It's very Hallmark.

You come to the point where you do no longer care; it's all told too clinical and the dramatic triggers are both obvious and kind of embarrassing. They're over-doing it something fierce, like when Michael's mother finds out about the flood and heads for her car to drive home... and take out her car keys, attached to a big pic of her three kids. Or the try of being ironically meta poetic, like in how the kids abandon the buses and one of the vehicles says 'Jesus Saves' on its back doors.

There is too little time devoted to each character, which only intensifies the impression of watching a b-classed TV-movie. The main characters are too boring and are not given any heroic attributes beyond fighting for their lives.

But besides that, The Flood is quite an ok movie!

Recommendation: Yes. It's stuffy and thus grows boring after twenty minutes, when ROC dies. But the beginning of the movie is well worth watching. Reneé, with her Texas accent and probably the best character in the drama, rocks. The fact that David Franklin (Brutus) plays the reporter is definitely a bonus.