The Face on the Milk Carton (film)
The Face on the Milk Carton is a 1995 American made for television drama film based on Caroline B. Cooney’s 1990 novel of the same name. The movie stars Kellie Martin as Jennifer Sands/Janie Jessmon, a 16 year old girl who finds her face on the back of a milk carton and puts the pieces of her past together.
| The Face on the Milk Carton | |
|---|---|
 Title card | |
| Genre | Drama |
| Written by | Caroline B. Cooney (novels) Nancy Isaak |
| Directed by | Waris Hussein |
| Starring | Kellie Martin Sharon Lawrence Jill Clayburgh Edward Herrmann Richard Masur |
| Theme music composer | Leonard Rosenman |
| Production | |
| Executive producer | Dorothea G. Petrie |
| Producer | Robert Silberling |
| Cinematography | Robert Steadman |
| Editor | Charles Bornstein |
| Running time | 87 minutes |
| Production companies | Dorothea G. Petrie Productions Family Productions Libra Pictures |
| Distributor | CBS |
| Release | |
| Original network | CBS |
| Original release | May 24, 1995 |
Plot
Janie Jessmon is 16 and living a happy life. She has great parents named Miranda Jessmon and Frank Jessmon and best friend named Sarah Charlotte. Then her world is shattered when she spots a picture of missing child Jennifer Sands, whom she recognizes as herself, on Sarah Charlotte's milk carton. Janie searches the attic where she finds a trunk containing items from a girl named "Hannah". When Janie confronts her parents about the fact that she has no baby photos, they admit that they are her grandparents and that Hannah is her real mother. They tell her that Hannah was involved in a cult and showed up at their door one day with 3 year old Janie in tow.
Unable to escape the thought that her parents could have kidnapped her, Janie and her friend Reeve, track down the Sands family and realize she has exactly the same red hair as every member of their family.
Janie tells Hannah's parents what she's learned, showing them the milk carton. They believe that Hannah may have kidnapped Janie and posed her as her own child. Janie is quickly reunited with her biological parents, Jonathan and Sada Sands, and her older brother Stephen and younger sister Jodie. Neither Janie nor Stephen are exactly thrilled.
When Janie decides to run away back to the Jessmons, Stephen tracks her down at a bus station and tells her when they were little, they had been at a shoe store with their mother, Jodie and Stephen was supposed to watch her, but he didn't, which is why Hannah had taken her. Janie says she forgives him.
Janie still decides to return to her adoptive parents. Her father Jonathan, though sad, accepts this while Jodie and Stephen don't. However, Janie tells Jodie they are still and always will be sisters. 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. As Janie leaves with Frank Jessmon into their house, Sada Sands comes face to face with Miranda Jessmon, who extends her hand to her warmly.
Cast
- Kellie Martin as Jennifer Sands/Janie Jessmon
- Sharon Lawrence as Sada Sands
- Edward Herrmann as Frank (Javenson) Jessmon
- Richard Masur as Jonathan Sands
- Johnny Green as Reeve Shields
- Jill Clayburgh as Miranda (Javenson) Jessmon
- Kristoffer Ryan Winters as Stephen Sands
- Caroline Perryclear as Jodie Sands
- Joanna Canton as Sarah-Charlotte
- Lori Lindberg as Mrs. Shields
- Ellen Seltz as Lizzie Shields
- Richard K. Olsen as L. McDonnell
- Adam Sherengos as young Stephen Sands
See also
- Abduction, a 2011 film with a similar premise
- Finding Carter, a 2014 MTV show with a similar premise