Movie Review Time

Ok, I actually finished watching the last of my three rentals on Friday night, a mere two hours before they were due back.  I suppose I could have written on the ones I saw earlier instead of inserting so much fluff into my blog this week, but what can I say?  I was tired.  Now I'm feeling a little more rested and hopefully clearer-headed. 

Let's start with the bottom up.

It had good actors and if you watch any British movies or TV you have likely seen some or all of these characters.  It had a few good laughs, but it honestly felt like I had seen it before.  And maybe I have....the Americans are ripping off everybody else's material these days so maybe I have seen the "American" version.  Anyway, it was entertaining and it finally grabbed my attention firmly about half way through.

Was actually pretty good and I would recommend it to anyone--adoptive parent or not.  I couldn't help but think as I sat watching the movie that the person that had written it must have experienced adoption in some way.  You know, that feeling you get that the author really knows their subject?  Well, I Googled it and sure enough it was based on a true story.  I have been trying not to buy any more books because I am a book hoarder, but my local library only carries the audio CD.  I really get more out of reading, but I am really curious to learn more about his experience.  I loved the scene where he is anxiously waiting for "the call".  Y'all know what I am talking about.  I liked the interaction between him and his sister while she tries to talk him out of adopting a troubled kid.  How many of you have had family or friends try to talk you out of adopting?  And I absolutely love the line that Teresa pointed out to me, "I can understand not wanting to bring another child into this world, but how can you argue against loving one who is already here?"    How can anyone possibly argue with that logic?  I have often joked with Kristen that I wondered what I was going to do when they finally put my son (or daughter) in my arms.  I just have this image of the two of us having a stare down before one of us dissolves into tears.  I love the scene when he bring his little Martian home and he settles him in his room...but what next?  He calls his sister to find out what to do.  I also liked that he just let his son be who he is in all his weirdness.  I remember the battles my mother and I had growing up because she wanted so badly for me to fit in and not be weird, and there isn't a fashion line out there yet that can protect you from your own weirdness.  Anyway, I really liked the movie.  But you might have already figured that out by now.

This was an awesome, incredible, inspiring movie and a must see for any adoptive parent regardless of country.  It was the story of an affluent Johannesburg couple that move to the middle of nowhere Africa and open up an orphanage and school.  Some of the children had parents and would stay through the week for school and return home on Friday evenings, but many didn't have parents because they had been abandoned or had died from HIV/AIDS infections.  The numbers of people dying every day in that country from the disease is MIND BLOWING.  I think for many HIV is a foreign disease--even in my little liberal slice of heaven with a thriving gay population (we have one of the highest number of homosexuals per capita in the US) doesn't view HIV/AIDS as a major issue due to all the education that has been directed towards students and the GBLT community.  This movie paints a completely different picture.  And the stories that broke my heart were of the women that sold their daughters for sex when they were kids.  It didn't take long for these kids to become infected.  To see the number of children that really never had the chance to be kids...well, let's just say I did a lot of blinking back tears.  The woman who runs the orphanage is essential mom to 100+ kids and she loves each one of them fiercely.  The word adoption was never brought up in the movie and that could be for many reasons.  Many kids still had at least 1 living parent that wouldn't consent for HIV tests or schooling--let alone adoption.  In a sense, Marion became the mother to all these kids.  Is it better to remain living in such an environment or being adopted and possibly moving halfway around the world?  I don't know...it really raised some questions in my head.  In some situations, it seems adoption is the only answer for the numbers of unwanted children (I'm thinking of Vietnam and China specifically--Vietnam has the highest number of abortions in the world and China still practices forced abortions), but in this case, these children had a place they called home and woman that loved them and protected them.  Anyway, it really raised some questions in my own mind and about the rights of children.  It was inspiring and I have included the website here: http://www.botshabelo.org/index.html And the movie trailer: