ABC (Sun., May 13, 7 p.m. ET)
"Just because the critics don't like it doesn't mean the public won't," her mother (Connie Britton) assures little Shirley Temple (Ashley Rose Orr) after reviewers razz one of the kid's movies. How true. Just because I found Child Star: The Shirley Temple Story dull and superficial doesn't mean you will.
The 10-year-old Orr, while clearly talented, can't compare in cuteness with the moppet who captivated American filmgoers in the '30s. Orr never comes across as more than a hardworking impersonator. Worse, this Wonderful World of Disney production draws virtually no distinction between Temple onscreen and Temple in life. Whether she's weeping in private over the disappearance of aviator Amelia Earhart or forcing a few tears for a scene in Now and Forever, it seems like the same game of Hollywood make-believe.
Bottom Line: Rent Poor Little Rich Girl instead
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