Invisible Child

Color, NR (mature themes), 93 min., VHS or DVD $19.99

DVD: no extras

Street: Feb. 11, Prebook: now

First Run: Lifetime, March 1999

Cast: Rita Wilson (Runaway Bride), Victor Garber (Legally Blonde), Tushka Bergen (Barcelona), Mae Whitman (Hope Floats), David Dorfman (Bounce)

STARLIGHT

Story Line: Annie (Wilson), a loving wife and mother, believes she has a daughter who doesn't really exist--an invisible child. Her family plays along, but the hiring of a new nanny (Bergen) might permanently damage and change them forever.

Bottom Line: This made-for-cable movie often feels like it's heading down the path of other Lifetime staples, including The Hand That Rocks the Cradle or The Babysitter's Seduction. It never actually makes it, however, and instead walks a very thin line between the plausible and the absurd. How are viewers supposed to believe in the story when they are never given a reason for Annie's delusions? With no weight to support it, this psychological drama will have a hard time satisfying even the most diehard fans of the woman-in-peril genre. And the ending, which includes the "death" of the invisible child complete with a "funeral," is just plain creepy. Invisible Child is a genuinely bizarre project, and it's all the more strange coming from veteran director Silver and Oscar winning screenwriter Ronald Bass (he penned the story). Starlight is releasing the movie to coincide with My Big Fat Greek Wedding, which Wilson produced, and grouping together all Rita Wilson-related products might generate some business. --Mayna Bergmann

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