All-American Girl: The Mary Kay Letourneau Story is a 2000 American biographicalcrime dramatelevision film based on Mary Kay Letourneau's repeated illegal relationship with her sixth-grade student Vili Fualaau.[1][2] The film premiered on USA Network on January 18, 2000, and was followed with a special entitled Letourneau: Live, which featured interviews with Letourneau and others involved with the scenario.[3]
The lead role of Letourneau was played by actress Penelope Ann Miller and filming took place in Toronto during 1999.[2] Letourneau cooperated with the film's producers. As she could not receive profits from the film per the "Son of Sam law", her fees were placed in a trust fund for her children.[2] As a way of developing her role, Miller corresponded with Letourneau over the telephone.[4]
Critical reception for All-American Girl was mixed.[5]Charleston Daily Mail praised the film, writing, "More than just a tawdry detour into the Jerry Springer/Ricki Lake cesspool of shock value, this film presents a sympathetic look at a confused woman who still contends that Vili is her destined soulmate, the love of her life."[6] The Los Angeles Daily News was more mixed in their review, praising the filmmakers for putting "a little care and thought into their production" and that it did not "waste one's time or aggressively insult one's intelligence" while also stating that the film was "ultimately unsatisfying" and did not "provide much insight into the case".[7]Variety panned the film overall, writing that it "wastes a good opportunity to shed light on some really screwed up people. Despite Penelope Ann Miller's eerie resemblance to Seattle's infamous seductress, this factual telepic about the world's most 'giving' teacher offers little insight and is buried underneath overblown production values."[8]
