The desperate character Wren played by Nina Dobrev in “Sick Girl” lies to her closest friends about having cancer in an incompetent attempt to mend the rifts in their friendship. Although Wren is held responsible for her bad choices in the film, there aren’t enough heartfelt or humorous moments for her to make the journey the film invites viewers to take worthwhile. The worst thing about the awful comedy written and directed by Jennifer Cram is this. On paper, it presents a positive picture of mature female friendships and the importance of preserving that essential connection. But in practise, those energising feelings are put to the test by demanding antics.
Fearing their friendship may be irreparably broken and looking to get out of hot water after a disastrous dinner, a flustered Wren blurts out a lie that she has cancer. When she’s finally pressed for the details of her illness (which oddly wasn’t inquired about at the time of her “revelation”), she goes with tonsil cancer, digging her metaphorical grave deeper. She realizes it’s an abhorrent, self-destructive act, but it’s one she assumes she can quickly remedy after her squad rallies and reforms their special sisterhood. To her chagrin, her plan spirals out of control when her friends go above and beyond for her, placing her in awkward situations where she’s forced to lie to the public, her parents (Dan Bakkedahl and Wendi McLendon-Covey) and an actual cancer patient she befriends at a support group, named Leo (Brandon Mychal Smith).
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