Terror in the Family 1996

Deena Marten, Hilary Swank is a 15-year-old high school student in Washington state whose once-quiet life has fractured into rebellion after she begins dating Garrett Lexau, Andrew Kavovit, a senior who was suspended for hitting a teacher. Deena, now unmoored from promises and routine, skips classes, slips out of the family home at will, and drifts away from the close bond she once shared with her mother. This estrangement unsettles Cynthia Marten, her mother, who watches the already strained relationship between Deena and herself sour further as she drinks more than she should and seeks companionship in her daughter. The family appears outwardly perfect, yet the cracks run deep: their father, Todd Marten, Dan Lauria, remains emotionally distant, more invested in his craft—wooden bowls—than in supporting his wife or children, while Deena’s brother Adam, Adam Hendershott, acts as a makeshift facilitator, forging school notes for Deena and trying to shield his mother from the reality of what is happening in the house.

From the start, the tension in the household is amplified by the fractured bond between Cynthia and her alcoholic mother Ivy, a tension that colors Cynthia’s approach to parenting and deepens the sense that Deena’s defiance is a cry for help rather than mere rebellion. Deena’s behavior pushes Cynthia toward a harsher, more punitive stance, and the film follows a spiral where every attempt to regain control seems to backfire. The moment of violence lands early: when a confrontation over cleaning Deena’s room escalates, Deena strikes her mother, prompting a painful silence and an argument that quizzes what honesty and accountability look like within the family.

Todd’s approach to parenting—an attempt to enforce responsibility through structure and consequences—meets with mixed results. He administers a carefully outlined plan: an after-school curfew, a strict set of chores, and a demand that Deena return home with completed homework. Yet despite his efforts, Deena’s connection to Garrett remains a powerful lure. The couple’s secret rendezvous culminates in a moment of sexual intimacy that leads to punishment—Deena’s parents confront the breach of boundaries with a sense of urgency that underscores the fragility of their relationship. The episode with the broken fingers when Deena slams a door on Todd’s hand becomes a stark pivot in the family’s crisis, revealing how quickly rage can turn physical and how unresolved pain can drive even more destructive choices.

As the pressures mount, Deena falls back into old patterns with the discovery of marijuana and failing grades in her room. Todd, stubborn in his plan, grounds Deena, confiscates her stereo and phone, and bans her from seeing Garrett. Deena responds with chilling manipulation—she claims self-defense, insinuates that Todd tried to rape her, and uses the fear of punishment to fuel further deception. In a desperate bid to escape, she and Garrett plot a run to California, hoping warmer weather will hide their footprints and give them a chance at a new life away from the scrutiny at home.

The family’s attempts to reclaim control reach a breaking point when Deena is found sneaking out again. The ensuing crisis lands her in police custody after a violent confrontation, and the parents, convinced that drugs are to blame, press for hospital care rather than accountability. Deena ends up in the care of her aunt, Judith, who becomes a stabilizing force during a probationary period. The court orders a year of probation, community service, and anger management classes, while Deena’s relationship with Garrett is put on hold as she begins to grapple with the consequences of her actions.

Judith helps Deena understand that the cycle of anger in their family is not solely her fault, highlighting how their alcoholic mother has shaped generations of behavior. The revelations about the past—Cynthia’s own experiences and the way their mother treated them—offer Deena a lens through which to view her own feelings, even as she remains wary of blaming others for her choices. The emotional reckoning is not painless, but it begins to shift the family dynamics away from blame and toward accountability and healing.

With the support of her father and brother, Deena attends therapy, and the family’s participation becomes a shared commitment to change. Todd openly expresses a desire for a new start, admitting that his earlier approach may have contributed to the dysfunction, and he resolves to seek help for both himself and his son. The road to repair is not straightforward; Garrett’s presence remains a lure that could derail progress, and Deena must navigate loyalty to her new path while confronting the realities she left behind.

In the climactic hearing, Deena’s fate is tempered by the judge’s decision to forgo jail time in favor of probation, community service, and anger management. Garrett appears at the hearing, hoping for a chance at their future together, but Deena recognizes that real change requires more than a shared destination—it requires a willingness to stay and rebuild with her family. The film closes with a sense of reunion and a cautious optimism: Deena is restored to her parents and younger brother, and the family begins to reassemble itself around a foundation of therapy, honesty, and renewed responsibility.

Throughout the journey, the performances underline a truth about family conflict: that pain can be a catalyst for growth when faced with courage and the willingness to seek help. The story remains anchored in the everyday textures of home life—school pressures, sibling bonds, parental struggles, and the fraught corridors of adolescence—while offering a message about accountability, forgiveness, and the hard-won work of healing together.