‘Decision’ Takes an Engrossing Picture

Most of the elements click in “Snap Decision,” a gritty Lifetime drama inspired by a true story about innocent family photographs that become the key evidence against a loving mother accused of pornography.

Mare Winningham plays Jen Bradley, a self-reliant widow in a chaotic household where her three exuberant youngsters playfully run around the house in undergarments, joyfully bouncing on their beds without a care in the world.

Felicity Huffman is her best friend Carrie, an award-winning photographer whose candid pictures of the kids end up in the hands of police, who suspect both women of lewd behavior.

Wisely, Jen hires an attorney, but when the alarming situation is seemingly resolved, it just gets progressively worse because of a cynical detective (Chelcie Ross) who won’t back off.

The engrossing script by Ara Watson and Sam Blackwell deals with 1st Amendment rights, privacy issues and Jen’s surging sense of paranoia. Could this happen to someone else? Maybe not, but at least director Alan Metzger does a nice job of drawing us in and sustaining our interest throughout the trial. The film also benefits from impressive performances by Winningham and Huffman, who work well together.

* “Snap Decision” can be seen tonight at 9 on Lifetime. The network has rated it TV-14 (may be unsuitable for children younger than 14).