This is a difficult movie that explores the relationship between mother and child--both biological pairs, and mothers who choose to raise other people's babies. Annette Benning and Naomi Watts are remarkable as biological mother and child. It is hard to say how much of their brittle personalities and emotional distance are related to genetics and how much is related to their having been separated at Watt's birth, or whether it is a combination of the two, but they have a heck of a time with intimate relationships. There is some progress as the film progresses for both of them, but the conclusion is somewhat tragic (and the ob/gyn needed to work a lot harder on the C-section option!).
The movie is painful one to watch, but I think it does speak to a lot of truths. Adopted children do struggle. It is not inevitable, but it is common. You can't ignore that as parents who choose that option. Then there is the fact that children change everything--in so many ways. The tough topics don't often get to the silver screen, and certainly not with this much star power behind them. This is worth watching.
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