Mom at Sixteen

Mom at Sixteen
Directed by	Peter Werner
Written by	Nancey Silvers
Music by	Richard Marvin
Cinematography	Neil Roach
Editing by	Tod Feuerman
Country	United States
Language	English
Release date	March 2005 (2005-03)
Running time	86 minutes

Mom at Sixteen is a 2005 Lifetime Television film about a sixteen-year-old mother, dealing with problems at school and her decaying relationship with her mother, because of her seeing her boyfriend for the first time since before Charley was born.

Plot

Jacey Jeffries, (Danielle Panabaker), a 16 year old high school student, unexpectedly becomes a mother, after giving birth to a baby boy named Charley. Instead of giving him up for adoption as planned, she chooses to keep the baby. Her mother, Terry (Mercedes Ruehl) pretends the infant is hers to allow Jacey to finish high school and lead a relatively normal life and graduate. Jacey goes to school, but antagonizes many of the students for their promiscuous behavior, which leads to a Health teacher Donna Cooper (Jane Krakowski) taking special interest in her. The teacher's husband, the swim coach Bob (Colin Ferguson), convinces Jacey to join the swim team. Jacey passes out after taking tranquilizers stolen from her mother and ends up in the hospital. Donna and Bob are unable to conceive and are devastated when they discover their latest round of IVF has failed.

It is apparent that Jacey was, and still in love with Charley's father, Brad, although he does not know of his son, and lives far away at college. She tries to call him, but becomes nervous on hearing his voice and hangs up.

Donna sees Jacey with Charley, and asks if Jacey is his mother. Although Jacey lied, many students from the school witnessed the interrogation and believe Jacey is really the mother. She begins to get teased at school for her behaviour. Her secret is found out at school, when the students were asked about how guys react to what girls wear. When other students criticize her for her hypocrisy, she goes to a mothers meeting for teen mothers.

After being teased at school, she leaves abruptly to see Brad. They spend the day together, and are about to have sex when Jacey announces that the reason she left him was because she got pregnant. Brad takes the news badly and leaves. Jacey returns home and has huge argument with Terry who hands her Charley and tells her to handle things on her own, angry that Jacey doesn't understand the sacrifices she has made to help Jacey have a normal life. Exhausted and confused, she turns to Donna for help and advice. Donna advocates for Jacey telling her mother that she wants to be Charley's Mom to which Terry gives a speech about the sacrifices it takes to be a 'real Mom'.

A few weeks later Brad arrives at Jacey's house to apologise and tells Terry that he will make it work between Jacey and him. However, when Jacey makes a surprise visit to his school, she finds out Brad's parents will only help if a DNA test is done to prove Brad is the father, Jacey feels betrayed and leaves him.

At school, Jacey gives a speech on pregnancy and teen sex, using examples from her friends from the teen mother's meeting. She gets applause and respect from her former bullies for being honest and sensible. Afterwards, Macy, her sister, gives her a DVD she had put together for Charley for him to watch when he is older. Watching it together with Terry, the two reconcile.

Later, Donna receives a call that there is a baby waiting to be adopted. Overjoyed, Donna and Bob go to adopt the child, only to find it is Charley, and Jacey has decided to give him up to better their lives.

She apparently remains a part of Charley's life as five years later she's there at Charley's first day at kindergarten, Donna and Bob have a new baby daughter and Bob is shown recording Charley on the camcorder and asks Charley to talk about himself " I'm Charley Cooper and I'm 5 years old, I got a new baby sister ", Charley tells the camera that he has two mommies and that Jacey is his special mommy and Bob asks why, Charley replies " because I'm the only one who knows how her heart feels from inside her ". It is indicated in one scene that this is in fact the couple that was originally going to adopt him before Jacey changed her mind.

Cast

• Danielle Panabaker as Jacey Jeffries
• Jane Krakowski as Donna Cooper
• Clare Stone as Macy Jeffries
• Tyler Hynes as Brad
• Colin Ferguson as Bob Cooper
• Mercedes Ruehl as Terry Jeffries
• Hollis McLaren as Marlene
• Rejean Cournoyer as Mr. Cheevers (as Rejean J. Cournoyer)
• Dawn McKelvie Cyr as Gretchen (as Dawn Cyr)
• Megan Edwards as Linda
• Matthew MacCaull as Dr. Hughes
• Sabrina Jalees as Sarah
• Deborah Allen as Pauline
• Anastasia Hill as Trea
• Leah Fassett as Gena

External links

• Mom at Sixteen at the Internet Movie Database