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Like a handsome, rich boyfriend turned evil after marriage, even Lifetime can surprise with a few legitimately good TV movies.

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1 of 12 Lifetime

Steel Magnolias (2012)

A star-studded cast, including Queen Latifah and Alfre Woodard, makes this thankfully not-cheesy remake almost as good as the 1989 Sally Field-Julia Roberts feature.
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2 of 12 Lifetime/Everett Collection

Death of a Cheerleader (1994)

Featuring Tori Spelling as the dead cheerleader in question, this might just be the gold standard of '90s TV movies
3 of 12 Lifetime

Flowers in the Attic (2014)

Ellen Burstyn as a devilishly sinister grandmother, Heather Graham as a damaged selfish mother, and sleeker-than-average TV movie production values puts the V.C. Andrews' adaptation a few cuts above the usual fare.
4 of 12 Lifetime/Everett Collection

Speak (2004)

Pre-Twilight, Kristen Stewart demonstrated her oft-hidden acting abilities in this indie film-turned-Lifetime feature about a young rape victim's inability to share her traumatic experience.
5 of 12 Lifetime/The Kobal Collection

Pregnancy Pact (2010)

At first, it seems like run-of-the-mill wacky schmaltz--teens all agree to get pregnant, keep their babies and raise 'em together. Until you realize the premise is based on real-life events, and that this actually happened!
6 of 12 Lifetime/Everett Collection

Too Young to Die? (1990)

Before they were stars, Juliette Lewis and Brad Pitt graced the small screen in this film loosely based on former death row inmate Annita Cannaday's life. At the very least, the TV movie works as a deep cut for diehard Brad Pitt fans.
7 of 12 Lifetime

Call Me Crazy: A Five Film (2013)

Some shorts work better than others, yet taken as a whole, Call Me Crazy remains one of Lifetime's most ambitious works. The anthology movie, produced by Jennifer Aniston, serves as a poignant contemplation of women suffering mental illness.
8 of 12 Lifetime

Liz & Dick (2012)

Simultaneously meme-worthy (Lindsay Lohan as Elizabeth Taylor!) and legitimately compelling (Grant Bowler as Richard Burton), Liz & Dick succeeds at being exactly right for the network: scandalous, buzzworthy and entertaining.
9 of 12 Lifetime/Everett Collection

No One Would Tell (1996)

Watching Candace Cameron Bure (DJ Tanner of Full House) come to grips with possessive, abusive Fred Savage (Kevin of The Wonder Years) puts these '90s kid icons in a whole new light.
10 of 12 Lifetime

Taken: The Search for Sophie Parker (2013)

Yes, it sounds a LOT like Liam Neeson's Taken. But that doesn't mean the Lifetime version, starring Julie Benz (Dexter) as a mom with a very particular set of skills, doesn't feature kick-butt action and dangerous foreign adventures. Who wouldn't see that?
11 of 12 Lifetime

Return to Zero (2014)

Minnie Driver anchors this subtle film about the trials of a couple whose first child is stillborn. Driver makes such an impression, she earned her second Emmy nomination for her performance.
12 of 12 Lifetime/Everett Collection

Fifteen & Pregnant (1998)

Before MTV reality hits Sixteen and Pregnant and Teen Mom, this 1998 Lifetime classic starred Kirsten Dunst as a soon-to-be mom. Fifteen & Pregnant makes for a likely patient zero of Lifetime's rash of teen pregnancy flicks.