Pacionsbo Absolutely Fantastic

Keeley Coleman The thing I enjoyed most about the film is the fact that it doesn't shy away from being a super-sized-cliche;

Ortiz Excellent and certainly provocative... If nothing else, the film is a real conversation starter.

Cristal The movie really just wants to entertain people.

secondtake Mother and Child (2009)A drama filled with crosscurrents and heavy emotional stuff, yet told in such a normal and realistic way we come to believe it. And like it. Especially the acting, with Naomi Watts and Annette Bening leading two generations (and defining the title).More than just exploring what a woman and her daughter (or her mother) need from one another (and give), this is about that first stage of becoming a mother—and deciding whether to keep the baby at all. So you see, it gets huge. And then comes the long term issue of adoption and finding, with luck, your adopted mother. The anger and released fears and the decades of doubts all flip and resolve, and this is all here.What helps all along is the imperfect characters. In fact, Watts (as the conniving, independent daughter) and Bening (as the bitter, lonely mother) are really unlikable. At first. What keeps you going is the tenderness of two of the men, played by Jimmy Smits and Samuel L. Jackson, both with wonderful subtlety. While it never becomes "father and child" at all, these men really help nurture the mother and daughter relationships.So who is this Columbian director and writer who pulled this together so well? He's had a mixed career writing and producing, and directing, including some "Six Feet Under" episodes and other spot jobs. He seems to lean toward interpersonal dramas, and has a knack for playing down sentiment while tuning into emotional impact (which is very different). It works.Some people might find the plot too controlled, too contrived (almost but not quite to the point of predictability). Others might find the restraint all a bit too realistic, so that you kind of see too much real life and not enough theater. For me it walked a great line between all these poles. Good stuff!

lynnfriedman An oasis amongst the summer film dreck, Mother & Child, is another fine offering by Rodrigo Garcia, (Nine Lives), who just happens to be the son of famed author Gabriel Garcia Marquez.This is no mere chick flick, which it is, but it's so much more.The film introduces us to three diverse women whose lives manage to weave in and out of each others with dramatic consequences. The central theme is motherhood & adoption.There's Elizabeth (Naomi Watts), a smart, beautiful lawyer with ice in her veins. She starts up a romance with her boss (Samuel L. Jackson).For Karen (Annette Bening), it's the heartbreak of an unknown daughter that colors everything in her life. Her love store has gone out of business. She never got over her teen age pregnancy and being forced to give her baby up for a closed adoption. A new co-worker at her health care service ( Jimmy Smits), somehow manages to thaw her out with his gentle persistence.Finally, we meet Lucy (Kerry Washington), the young woman distraught over her failure to produce a child with her husband. We find the two at an adoption agency, the central plot clearinghouse.You'll laugh, you'll cry, but you won't feel guilty, even if you're a man. Mother & Child is a beautifully acted intelligent film.

padres01 ***Alert: May allude to some scenes and themes that could contain what some might deem "spoilers."***As someone else said: "Wow, where do I start?" ... I LOVED this movie. I was not familiar with the director's previous work, but he is definitely on my radar now. The cast was incredible. What a fantastic mix of people. I mean, come on, Samuel L. Jackson, Annette Bening, Naomi Watts, Elizabeth Peña, and Jimmy Smits. And those are just the "big" stars. The rest of the cast was equally outstanding. One standout performance was given by the beautiful Kerry Washington. So incredibly powerful.But, what really blew me away about this film was the authenticity of the many themes about life, love, family, children, parenthood, hope, loss and redemption that the director wove together so brilliantly. The screenplay resonated with me on so many levels. The dialogue rang true on so many levels. I'm sorry to say I don't know her name, but the actress who portrayed Washington's mother was incredible, too. The monologue she delivered during the scene where her daughter is struggling with new motherhood is golden. She delivered her lines with the authenticity of a woman who has lived a full and rich life. Just dynamite. I can't say more. Loved her!The funny story is that I had already watched this movie on cable alone, but re- ordered it through Netflix to see if my husband might be interested in watching it. I was worried he'd dismiss it as a "chick flick," (such a sexist term, BTW), but he became instantly absorbed in the story, and wound up loving it, too. He was haunted for days, remembering Watts' performance and the destiny of her character.Someone here gave the film a low rating because she didn't like the characters. She found the women, particularly, unlovable, and without redemption. But that's just one of the many themes that makes this film so outstanding. People are not perfect. We fall in love with each other, despite our shortcomings, thankfully. I thought the script, performances and direction were all very subtle in conveying these complex and multitextured human realities.Just beautiful.

samhill5215 There's nothing cheap or easy in this film. We become intimately involved with the characters to the point that, at least for me, every scene evokes heart-felt emotion and yes, tears. Everything works here, the script, direction, production, and of course the performances. Seldom have a seen such a gifted ensemble bring to life such an outstanding story. It shows real life, messy, imprecise, unpredictable, lived by real people, people I could identify with, searching for meaning, truth, trying to hold on to fleeting moments of happiness and finding it in unexpected places. There are no heroes or villains, just real people, trying to make the best of the cards they were dealt. A true gem.