While the credits roll, police discover a dead man in an old mansion. Two months later, the setting switches to Chehalis, Washington, which we're told is 200 miles from Coburg. You needn't bother to jot down that particular fact. A pair of women drive into the small town. These two are mother Gina Holden (as Rachel Davis) and her mature-looking blonde daughter Abbie Cobb (as Callie). They've inherited an elegant-looking mansion. Even nicer, for daughter Cobb, there is a handsome young man living in the attic. As it turns out, blond "Boy in the Attic" Max Lloyd-Jones (as Michael Collins) knew Cobb's grandmother and decided to stick around after the old woman died. Even luckier for Cobb, another handsome young man, Iain Belcher (as Jordan), is her new neighbor. Her cup runneth over...
Cobb opts for the attic "boy" and gets into trouble as secrets unravel...
This story unraveled even earlier, during casting. Producers favor casting juvenile performers who are too old for their parts. In the theater, this didn't matter much because people sit apart from the actors and there are no close-ups. For film and TV, parts need to be cast closer to age. There are exceptions, of course, but "Boy in the Attic" isn't one of them. A short adult could play a young child for some time, especially while possessing a youthful look. You give a pass to Mr. Lloyd-Jones playing a "boy" herein because people are calling young men and women "boys" and "girls" more often and he isn't that far off. However, the age discrepancy between Cobb and Holden is simply too distracting. The younger woman is way too mature for her part and the older actress looks far too young for her role.
** Boy in the Attic (8/1/2016) Paul Shapiro ~ Abbie Cobb, Max Lloyd-Jones, Gina Holden, Iain Belcher
