Like Dandelion Dust (2009)

I love this movie so much

Blending excellent reporting and strong storytelling, this is a disturbing film truly stranger than fiction

if their story seems completely bonkers, almost like a feverish work of fiction, you ain't heard nothing yet.

what a terribly boring film. I'm sorry but this is absolutely not deserving of best picture and will be forgotten quickly. Entertaining and engaging cinema? No. Nothing performances with flat faces and mistaking silence for subtlety.

After watching this powerful movie, I asked aloud why it wasn't nominated for any awards. It was only after I checked further that I discovered why: It is the product of a Christian movie production company and had limited distribution. The fact that I didn't know that, in itself, is a testament to the greatness of this movie. I'm a grown man who is usually not very emotional, but this movie had my tear ducts working overtime. I can't say enough about the cast, the script, the direction, the music and everything else. The story, about two sets of parents on the opposite ends of society, successfully avoids clichés and provides a realistic and painfully emotional story. This is a tour de force that came in completely under the radar. I highly recommend it.

There were so many things to like about this movie and so many talking points.While the movie was a little too stereo typed for my liking, stereo types exist for a reason.I thought the Porter side of the story was extremely well done. Wendy Porter played the abused wife brilliantly, acting as abused and battered women often do. I was perplexed as to why Wendy would want her biological son to live with her though. Perhaps the fact that her husband wanted the boy influenced her. After all, what is in the best interest of the child? What they went through with the boy, and their experiences was so well done it was very difficult to watch.The Campbell's were the boy's adoptive parents and they were portrayed as such the perfect family, that you couldn't help but want the boy to stay with them. I found the way they acted, especially the way Holly Campbell reacted was a little too unrealistic but then again, I've never been in the position of potentially losing my child.This is a powerful movie. Definitely one to stir the emotions.

When the father is an alcoholic abuser and the mother can't stick up for herself, there's always hope that the son will get to a better home. "Like Dandelion Dust" explores that hope and the powers of wealth, love and family.The strength of the film lies in its story-telling. The characters were all painted extremely realistically and even sympathetically, and every scene in the film advanced the plot. Written by Oscar-nominated writer Stephen J. Rivele and Michael Lachance, it certainly comes across as a film driven by the writing. But no matter how interesting the story was, they couldn't completely keep my attention. When we have gritty scenes, we get drab shots. The story really wasn't brought to life."Like Dandelion Dust" is less like a film and more like a novel. And unsurprisingly, it is a novel with the same name by Karen Kingsbury. As I have just learned, Kingsbury is known as a Christian novelist. Although religion is an element in this film, it's presented in a very subtle, questioning way. See "Like Dandelion Dust" because it's a novel, not because it's a Christian novel.

After 7 years in prison Rip Porter (Pepper) is released and comes home to find out he has a son that was given up for adoption. He sets out to get him back. A father who never knew his son (Pepper) wants a chance to raise him. The only father the boy has known (Hauser) fights to keep him. Due to a flaw in the prison system the adoption of the boy turns out to be fraudulent and a fight begins. I have a feeling this kind of thing really happens. This is not as good as I want it to be. It was good, but TV movie good, like a really good Lifetime movie. This movie is very emotional and you feel for the little boy the entire time and wish for his ordeal to be over. This is yet another movie with a lot of potential but also falls flat. It is a good movie just, again, could have been better. When you watch make sure you give your lady Kleenex. I give it a B.Would I watch again? - No