At a critical point in "Sharing the Secret," the perceptive stepmother of young Beth Moss describes to Beth's mother Nina that the young woman is "pulling down the dirty curtains." That was her way of saying that Beth was making a major stride in confronting her bulimia.

The filmmakers were successful in developing the secret life led by Beth and how she was able to conceal her sickness from both of her parents. The sensitive mother was a psychiatrist, and she had missed all of the signals about her daughter's condition that had been developing for three years.

The film was overtly graphic in the details of Beth's affliction. We see her entering a school lavatory, and her classmates hear the sounds of her vomiting in the stall. Late at night at home, Beth is binging on candy bars. The most lurid scene was when her mother would not leave the bathroom, and Beth's biological imperative forced her to vomit in front of her mother. The endorphins then kicked in, and Beth felt a temporary satisfaction and euphoria, prior to the urge to sate herself and begin the vicious cycle of purging anew.

The one unconvincing moment in the film was when Beth finally confessed to her mother, who instantly flew into a rage. This was the moment that capsulizes the film's title, and the anger was uncharacteristic of the mild-mannered psychiatrist. And, of course, it was the worst possible response for Beth who needed her mom's support at that critical time.

The performances were first rate with even the secondary characters being memorable. The sensitive school principal was one of the first to recognize Beth's problem, and her one major scene was unforgettable. Another memorable character was the young psychiatrist who took on Beth as a patient. The psychiatrist had a background of anorexia and was able to impact Beth by sharing her own story.

It was unfortunate that the film ended very abruptly. There could have been a much stronger denouement. It was clear that Beth was getting good care at the treatment center. But her future outside the confines of the clinic remained ominously uncertain.

This film rubbed me in some uncomfortable ways but opened my eyes. It truly does portray the realness of an eating disorder.

The main character does a wonderful job acting her part. A great movie to show young teenagers in high school too.

Just a very sad concept.

This is a film which should be seen by anybody interested in, effected by, or suffering from an eating disorder. It is an amazingly accurate and sensitive portrayal of bulimia in a teenage girl, its causes and its symptoms. The girl is played by one of the most brilliant young actresses working in cinema today, Alison Lohman, who was later so spectacular in 'Where the Truth Lies'. I would recommend that this film be shown in all schools, as you will never see a better on this subject. Alison Lohman is absolutely outstanding, and one marvels at her ability to convey the anguish of a girl suffering from this compulsive disorder. If barometers tell us the air pressure, Alison Lohman tells us the emotional pressure with the same degree of accuracy. Her emotional range is so precise, each scene could be measured microscopically for its gradations of trauma, on a scale of rising hysteria and desperation which reaches unbearable intensity. Mare Winningham is the perfect choice to play her mother, and does so with immense sympathy and a range of emotions just as finely tuned as Lohman's. Together, they make a pair of sensitive emotional oscillators vibrating in resonance with one another. This film is really an astonishing achievement, and director Katt Shea should be proud of it. The only reason for not seeing it is if you are not interested in people. But even if you like nature films best, this is after all animal behaviour at the sharp edge. Bulimia is an extreme version of how a tormented soul can destroy her own body in a frenzy of despair. And if we don't sympathise with people suffering from the depths of despair, then we are dead inside.