By Leada Gore
There’s already a Carlee Russell movie, y’all.
It only took a couple of months to turn around “The Nurse That Saw the Baby on the Highway,” now streaming on Prime Video. You can rent the movie for $1.99 or buy it for $4.99.
Directed by Alvin Gray and starring Reena Ranae in the lead role, the film’s plot description reads: “Based on some true events, Nursing student Marlee Wilson is having problems with her boyfriend and his addiction to strippers. Feeling unwanted, Marlee calls 911 to make up a story of being kidnapped by a man and baby on the highway, making problems worst!”
They, of course, meant worse, not worst.
The IMDb summary goes into a little more detail: “Based on true/false events, nursing student Marlee Wilson has been struggling with day to day issues with school, work, and her cheating boyfriend that’s addicted to strippers. Feeling like she’s not getting enough attention from her boyfriend, she decides to fake a kidnapping, but the hoax ends up getting deeper than she ever expected bringing real life issues across the country.”
Watch the trailer for the 48-minute film in the video above. It also stars Evan Carrington, Lynae Gregg and the film’s director Gray.
True/false events, indeed.
Russell, a 25-year-old nursing student from Hoover with a college degree in psychology, vanished Thursday, July 13, after calling 911 and her brother’s girlfriend to say she was stopping on Interstate 459. During a 911 call to police, Russell said she was checking on a toddler she said she spotted walking along the interstate wearing only a white T-shirt and a diaper.
After two days of fear and frantic searches, Russell showed up at her family’s Hoover home on Saturday, July 15. Ring camera video from neighbors showed Russell walking down the sidewalk alone before she got to house where she lives with her parents and banging on the front door.
While at UAB Hospital, Russell told Hoover police she escaped the clutches of a man and woman who abducted her. Police announced the charges against her two weeks after the staged disappearance, which Russell admitted was fabricated in a statement released through her lawyer. The first court date has been set for Russell on misdemeanor charges. A pretrial docket has been set for 2 p.m. on Oct. 11 at Hoover’s Municipal Court.
“Her decisions that night created panic and alarm for the citizens of our city,’’ Hoover Police Chief Nick Derzis said, “and even across the nation as concern grew that a kidnapper was on the loose, using a small child as bait.”
“Numerous law enforcement agencies, both local and federal, began working tirelessly not only to bring Carlee home to her family, but locate a kidnapper that we now know never existed,’’ Derzis said. “Many private citizens volunteered their time and energy into looking for a potential kidnapping victim that we now know was never in any danger.”
The film’s trailer features several details you might remember from the saga, including audio from a police press conference outlining Russell’s “disappearance” timeline and details like where she went, what she searched on her phone and snacks she bought (you see a Cheez-Its box several times throughout).
910 Productions Film, the company behind the film, says “we specialize in delivering high-quality film, photography and luxury fashion pieces that reflect the energy and spirit of our community,” according to the website.
“Our founder, Alvin Gray, has been in the industry for years, and is passionate about creating art that uplifts and celebrates the human experience…910 Productions is all about the arts and quality, and will continue to put art first and never compromise on quality. We invite you to explore the world of AG presents 910 Productions and find pieces that speak to you.”
This isn’t the first ripped-from-the-Alabama-headlines film adaptation we’ve seen in 2023, with another movie premiering next month on Lifetime based on the story surrounding last year’s manhunt for escaped inmate Casey White and Lauderdale County jailer Vicky White.
“Bad Romance: The Vicky White Story” stars Wendi McLendon-Covey, of “Reno 911!” and “Bridesmaids,” as Vicky White and Rossif Sutherland, son of Donald and half-brother of Kiefer, as Casey White.