My Flesh and Blood (2003)

People are voting emotionally.

Good concept, poorly executed.

It's entirely possible that sending the audience out feeling lousy was intentional

Actress is magnificent and exudes a hypnotic screen presence in this affecting drama.

I was on NetFlix and clicked on "My Flesh and Blood", expecting another uplifting story like "Who Are the DeBolts and Where Did They Get 19 Kids?" This is most assuredly not the DeBolts.Susan Tom is a lonely woman who seeks to fill the emptiness inside her with needy children. And while she's an apt physical caregiver, and seems able to provide a loving home for most of the children, two of them wind up utterly lost: Martha, upon whose slender shoulders Susan piles enormous burdens, and Joe, who struggles to find someplace in the world where he belongs.Martha, old beyond her 18 years, cries out to her mother for some understanding and is shut up even as she melts down. Joe, who for most of the film had been lashing out in impotent rage at everybody around him, took a quiet moment to express concern for his sister. Rather than nurture this attempt to connect, Susan shut him up. And he shut down. My prayers for Joe throughout the film proved to have come too late as he finally gave up and died, leaving Martha bereft of perhaps the only person in her life who could have understood her profound loneliness.I still pray for Martha, who may yet find a place in the world where there's room for her. All I can do for Joe is cry.

This incredible documentary brought me back to reality. I just happened to be browsing channels on Mother's Day when I caught a glimpse of Anthony. I called in my daughter, with whom I sat and watched it to the end. Sadly, it didn't go into all the details about all the children, but, it still shows that there are truly noble people, who are willing to help. There are an extraordinary number of persons who have been dealt a bad hand in their lives, unfortunately, many of them are children and hopefully they will come across someone like Susan. Where would these children be if there weren't women like Susan Tom in this world. This woman is a saint. Those of us who have healthy children tend to forget that others are not as fortunate. I truly look forward to seeing this documentary come out in DVD, and hopefully soon.

If not for bumping into the filmmaker at another SXSW Film Festival screening, I would have dismissed this as potentially a tear-jerker freak show. The synopsis did not grab me. Mr. Karsh did--he is as passionate as his subject matter.Don't make the mistake I almost made--see this and prepare to meet some of the most indelibly etched characters life has ever created on screen. HBO/Cinemax has apparently agreed to pick this up for showing in late 2003/early 2004 so you should have a chance to see it there, but I really hope it finds release on DVD.Karsh creates and incredibly moving portrait of a family like no other, built on the solid foundation of one amazing mother. With an engaging, suspenseful dramatic arc that could not possibly have been scripted, the film shows laughter, fear, anger, rage, love, frustration and difficult resolution. As in any family, there are no easy answers to life's daily challenges. With unique access and a "cast" of dreams, it is an absolutely unforgettable slice of life that should make each of us aware of how much we have for which to be thankful. Part documentary, part cinema verite, it is 100% engaging till the last frame. See it and prepare to meet the Toms.

It helps to have such great screen presences. The mother, Susan is a great center for the story and for the audience's benefit. Perhaps with the existing footage shot over the year-and-a-half, there could be a series made out of this. I would like to see more of some of the children who were not featured very much due to reasonable constraints.Woven in inspiring, dramatic, comedic and tragic scenes, this is a powerful piece of film. And you can't help coming out of it full of hope, sadness, and understanding. This movie is a celebration of life at its physical roughest and as deep a love as imaginable.