ShangLuda
Admirable film.
Glimmerubro
It is not deep, but it is fun to watch. It does have a bit more of an edge to it than other similar films.
Aneesa Wardle
The story, direction, characters, and writing/dialogue is akin to taking a tranquilizer shot to the neck, but everything else was so well done.
goldstje
I find it interesting that so many reviewers mistakingly describe the Lang character as the "foster parent"-she actually adopts him years before the birth mom returns for him. From a legal/social work perspective, this movie is in outer space. Which may be great for melodrama, but does a disservice to the thousand of children in this country who are available for adoption and languishing in foster care. The film is irresponsible, because it reinforces common misperceptions about adoption and encourages the deepest fears of those who might consider adopting. Every state has a statute of limitations for appealing termination of parental rights prior to adoption. Birth parents cannot return to the scene years after an adoption has been finalized to contest the validity of the termination of their parental rights. The race-based position of the bio mom's lawyer, whatever its merits from a moral perspective, would never make it into court. There is federal law against this. As other reviewers have noted, foster parenting is a different story and there is typically a strong push in favor of reunification with the biological parent before rights are terminated.
waycar111
I'm living this nightmare. The courts for the most part don't care about the emotional well-being of children, they are hell-bent on returning the children to the biological mother, regardless of any history. I have a stepdaughter, who is now 23 years old. 5 years ago, she gives birth to a baby girl, mixed race but irrelevant in my story, leaves the baby at my house. Motherhood interferes with the more important things in life, which is partying, getting drunk, high, and getting laid on a daily basis. The child is left with my wife and I, "mom" only shows up when she needs something at one point 14 months go she doesn't call, or show up. When she finally does, it's to "borrow" money for an abortion, she shows up at my house and doesn't even acknowledge her daughter is even in the room.In the meantime, I hired a lawyer and got permanent custody. I won the case by default, "mom" failed to show up in court.5 years go by. My wife and I are raising this beautiful girl as our own. Meanwhile, "mom" has another baby, a boy. One day, children's protective service shows up at our house with an 8 month old boy in tow. After numerous complaints, mostly because she would leave him with unsuspecting people who agreed to babysit the boy for weeks at a time, and removed him from her custody. Naturally, the obvious place to bring the boy was our house. To bring this to an end, now we are in a custody battle. The court gives the evil stepdaughter a lawyer. Not only does she want the boy back, but the 5 year old girl as well.Court case has been dragging out for a year now, 5 year old girl, has no idea what's going on. She knows her mother only as some obnoxious woman that comes over once in a while. The judge,a middle age single woman with short hair and "comfortable" shoes, if you get my meaning, has given the stepdaughter every benefit of the doubt, and treats my wife and I like the villain in all of this at every turn. At this point, I'm convinced this is not going to end well, and not in the best interest of the children. I am especially concerned about the 5 year old, who has been with my wife and I since the day she was born and knows no other home but ours.So to those that said the plot is unrealistic, I can tell you from experience that it is not.
jwillingter
A comment was made that this movie has a bad ending. This is a TRUE story that happened in San Antonio, Texas. Although Hollywood and most movie goers want a neat and tidy ending, this does not portray REAL LIFE. Indeed, this movie portrays a real situation and does it well. Makes you think a lot about our child adoption system. What is best for the CHILD is what should be the focus, however obviously biology is the only significant thing that our courts consider. This shows the child wanting and being more comfortable with the adopted family.This was an excellent film. Halle Barry showed some real acting chops. Previous to this movie she was just in party movies, playing on her looks. She acted up against Jessica quite well.However, the courtroom scenes were quite biased to Halle's situation. Not sure how much of the courtroom scenes were based on the real transcripts.Jessica was excellent as always!
RaeganBeaumont_99
2 women 1 child, but all the love in the world. Halle Berry was outstanding and Jessica Lang was as well. This movie was a great touching movie and showed us all that the love of a child goes deeper than anyone can imagine. A drug addict who leaves her baby in a box so she can go get high. A Dr. who gets attached to this drug addicted baby, who later adopts him. Its about a family who loves this little boy more than anything and in one swift moment the mother comes back, clean and sober and wants her baby back. Does she deserve him, whose to say, just because she made a mistake and almost killed him doesn't mean she loves him any less right??? A story about a woman who sees that she cant come in and take a child and make everything alright, a woman who feels dead and wants to die than to lose the child she has come to love as her own. Two women who come together to give this child all the love that they can. Its a touching movie, and and inspiration to see one woman turn her life around. Its a story not about race, but about LOVE and how one and even two can love someone so much. I really enjoyed it.
