| The Face on the Milk Carton | |
|---|---|
| Directed by | Waris Hussein |
| Written by | Caroline B. Cooney (novels) Nancy Isaak |
| Starring | Kellie Martin Sharon Lawrence Jill Clayburgh Edward Herrmann Richard Masur |
| Distributed by | Dorothea G. Petrie Productions |
| Release date(s) | May 24, 1995 |
| Running time | 87 mins |
The Face on the Milk Carton is a made for television movie based on the book series written by Caroline B. Cooney. The movie stars Kellie Martin as Janie Jessmon, a 15 year old girl who finds her face on the back of a milk carton and puts the pieces of her past together.
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Janie Jessmon (Kellie Martin) is a typical 15 year old teenager, who has everything she ever needed out of life, great parents (Jill Clayburgh, Edward Herrmann) and a best friend Sara Charlotte (Joanna Canton), until one day she spots a missing child on the back of a milk carton and recognizes it as herself. Unable to escape the thought that her parents could have kidnapped her, Janie first writes a letter to the Sands, but is unable to send it. Janie and her friend Reeve (Johnny Green), track down the Sands family and realize she must be the missing Jennie as she has exactly the same red hair as every member of their family.
Unable to keep the secret from her "parents" any longer as she lost the letter and thought someone might have sent it, Janie tells her family what she's learned and she is quickly reunited with her biological parents Jonathan and Sada Spring (Richard Masur, Sharon Lawrence), and her older brother, Stephen and younger sister Jodie. Though her parents and sister are happy, neither Janie nor Stephen are exactly thrilled. Unable to enjoy being a part of the family and despises being called "Jennie", both Janie and Sada both come to realize she stopped being Jennie when she lived with the Johnson and has to be returned to where she really belongs.
When Janie decided to run away back to the Johnson, Stephen tracked her down at a station and told her why he'd been so hostile towards her. That when they were little, they had been at a shoe store with their mother and Jodie, he was supposed to watch her and hold her hand but he didn't and let her go and that is how Hannah (the Jessmons' biological daughter) had taken her. Janie says she forgives him and they make peace.
Her father Jonathan, though sad, accepts this while Jodie and Stephen don't. Janie tells Jodie they are still and always will be sisters, and Stephen confesses that he's sorry he let go of her hand. As Sada and Janie are driving back to the Jessmons', she tells her about the day at the shoe store, and Janie says she's sorry she was bad that she shouldn't have gone with Hannah. Sada tells her that this was not her fault. As Janie leaves with her "adoptive father" into their house, Sada comes face to face with the other mother Miranda, who extends her hand to her. Sada says, "Take care of our daughter". Miranda responds, "I know how you are feeling." Sada tells her, "You're the only other one who would."
Abduction, a 2011 film