Highly Overrated But Still Good

Great Film overall

Exactly the movie you think it is, but not the movie you want it to be.

Although I seem to have had higher expectations than I thought, the movie is super entertaining.

Giving one of the most amazing performances of her incredible career, Emily Watson brings compassion, love, and beauty to this otherwise mediocre film. As is almost always the case, Watson rises above the material and essays a character that in unforgettable in its depth, realism, and passion. There is no debate as to Emily Watson being the finest actor of our time and this film serves as another showcase for her astounding talent and artistry. In even minor roles, Watson captures a film and makes it her own to the extent that other actors in a piece strive to give exceptional performances themselves. Anyone who truly appreciates cinema and recognizes genius when they see it will see Emily Watson's name in the credits and make a point of seeing the film. Watson is a divine gift to any director and an artist that touches the very souls of audiences whenever she graces the screen with yet another masterful moment of cinematic greatness.

Based on the bestselling novel of the same name, The Memory Keeper's Daughter is an emotional TV drama dealing with a family secret that eventually destroys a family. The film's cast includes Dermot Mulroney as David, Gretchen Mol as Norah, and Emily Watson as Caroline. The adolescent and adult Phoebe is played by Krystal Hope Nausbaum, an actress with Down syndrome.David and Norah are the perfect couple.He is a highly regarded physician and she is his beautiful, young, blond wife. Unable to get his wife to the hospital during a blizzard, David delivers their twins himself. A boy is born first but the baby girl is has Down Syndrome. There's a saying that some doctors suffer from a God complex, and it would seem that David is one of them.Instead of sharing the news with his wife after she wakes up, he makes the decision that he will tell her that only their son survived. He orders his nurse Caroline to take his daughter to an institution. There is a feeling of unrest and uncertainty as the characters sense that something isn't quite right. Norah, who never got to say goodbye to her baby, has never been able to get closure and is in a constant state of grieving. David lives with the guilt of what he has done, but doesn't really think he did anything wrong. Even their son feels that something is missing from his life. Caroline, who had always been a loner, winds up having the most complete life. Defying David's orders, she takes the little girl, Phoebe, and runs away with her to raise the girl as her own.Over the next 25 years, his disabled daughter grows into a beautiful adult while David watches the rest of his family fall apart, knowing he can never reveal his darkest secret. This TV movie offers some excellent acting by the leads. Watson in particular shows depth and compassion. To a certain extent, she is the moral compass of the film, but she also is its heart. The film is a far from being a great one but the message about acceptance of people with Down Syndrome - children and adults - is an important message to impart to viewers.

Someone asked about a song that the son was playing on the guitar...It's called: "Romance: Juegos Prohibidos." The composer is an anonymous Spanish guitarist.However, you can find the song on iTunes played by other musicians.A few scenes later, Paul and his son are in the truck arguing about music and there's another song playing.It follows the son as he's running on the beach.It's called "Asturias" by Juan Quesada and it's on the Vicky Cristina Barcelona soundtrack.From the little bit I saw of the movie, I really enjoyed the soundtrack! Wish it were available to buy.

Does anyone know the name of the song that Paul is playing on the guitar when the family is vacationing at the beach???I really enjoyed the book, but I wasn't entirely thrilled with the way the movie turned out. The book kept me turning the pages... I really thought that the movie didn't portray the struggle that Caroline went through with Phoebe growing up and her passion for her as a mother.It really only touched on many of the aspects of the book and in my opinion the movie was sort of a quick synopsis of the book. The acting was OK... not Oscar-worthy or anything, just OK.It was, however, entertaining, but I'm glad I read the book first!