good back-story, and good acting

Brilliant and touching

If the ambition is to provide two hours of instantly forgettable, popcorn-munching escapism, it succeeds.

It is not only a funny movie, but it allows a great amount of joy for anyone who watches it.

This odd outing by LeGrand productions is one of those borderline movies that seem to be on the verge of very serious comment with leanings towards exploitation. The story has its beginnings in truth and it's ending in supposition. It's well acted by most all, well photographed, well written with a keen sense of character and suspense. Direction is better than average, if not perfect but, very good in terms of its television origins. The premise is strong - locking into the nature of vulnerability and the desire for something to be true regardless of the accompanying possibilities. The characters are drawn from the sad situations we see happening around us daily and the outcomes are in line with their difficult situations. There are lessons to be learned from this tense situation, especially for those contemplating sharing their home and families with others from a troubled background (not that this cant be a rewarding experience). Just be aware the road to recovery can be fraught with challenges. Recommended for those who appreciate stories emulating from today's headlines.

A really enjoyable film that feels more like an edgy indie character driven thriller than Lifetime fare. Writing, Cast, and direction are all top notch. Terrific gem of a suspense film with plenty of twists and thrills that kept me guessing. I particularly was drawn into Virgina Madsen's characters journey-- her loss then acceptance of (spoiler alert) the young man coming into her life claiming to be her lost son. It was a fascinating turnaround of events which kept making me guess and wonder based on the unfolding clues-- (spoiler alert) whether he is or isn't really her son... and was finding the son's character journey equally as compelling -- whether he was or wasn't the true son... and how much did that matter if there is the same experience and loss in their lives and they match up like damaged puzzle pieces. Fascinating character stuff explored here.

This movie is a watchable storyline and it does leave you wondering the whole time if he is or is not their Son, the cast all play good parts. Matthew Fahey plays his part quite well, he's basically a very damaged young man, due to years of abuse at the hands of people who took/raised him...is desperate to fit in with a good family, which is exactly what you would expect from a boy who had been taken, had years of abuse thrown his way and then finally see's a family which could be his. The Mother pretty much reacts the way you'd expect (considering she never gave up hope) she's just extremely happy to finally have her Son back, which is what blind sights her, but again, understandable. The Father warms to his Son a little more easily than I expected (I thought he'd at least be sceptical) considering in previous scenes he shows disinterest in keeping up hope or with the search for him. Carly Pope's character shows a more sensible approach to the initial situation (but given that she's not a parent to the boy, it'll be easier for her to think more logically) by suggesting a DNA test and providing the boy with much needed therapy-which for some reason does not happen!! Why?? He shows signs early on of needing this and even if he didn't, it would still be a responsible thing to do. Abused children DO NOT just slip right in to a normal happy family situation as easily as they seemed to attempt it. Finally, the ending....is what kills it, why wouldn't you open that letter??! Yes, he showed many signs of abusive behavior and dangerous...but wouldn't you still WANT to know if he was your Son, any normal real parent would not be able to keep themselves from at least knowing for sure. Fair enough, if you see the result as not a match for DNA, walk away, but if he was their Son, after years of waiting for him to come back, you could not just walk away....you'd want to get him help/therapy! So, as watchable storyline as I found it, it only gets a 6/10 from me, purely because of that ending

Not a particularly bad or good film. The only character that interested me was the 2nd wife, who seemed to be trying to behave responsibly and concerned. The ending really made me angry, in a sense they abandoned the "son" was abandoned again. As he is presented at the beginning of the film, as turning "tricks' to survive, one assumes that he will be back working the sex trade at the end, until drugs/ death or Aids gets him. If he survives then h will find the market drying up as he gets older.Admittedly he exhibits anti-social and frightening behavior. But the DNA questions I viewed as his uncertainty that if he turned out not to be the missing son, then he would be abandoned, so rather than run the risk he tried to ensure the result by trying to get DNA form the younger brother. The anger and resentment displayed at the end. Well, as they never bothered to try and deal with the past- even though the father at least was presented with some of the details of his sexual abuse and torture, he was not given counseling-it was not even mentioned. We don't know at the end if he is really the son or not, but when both parents make the decision to just not pursue it or him, the feeling of emptiness and hopelessness I felt for the boy's character was upsetting. "Ok he's a problem let's just abandon him" was the message I got.