MovieChat Forums > Foster (2012) Discussion > Cruel Story

Cruel Story

posted 13 years ago by DaliParton
2 replies | jump to latest

Just watched this based on Toni Collete's name in the credits and the one-line plot description.

I really didn't like it, at first it had that "abc family movie of the week" vibe and then the reveal at the end seemed exceptionally cruel and even arrogant, despite all of the happy music and sunny pictures. Getting a grieving couple to love a "child" just to yank the kid away once the couple's "problems" had been solved seems like the action of a capricious god with no empathy.

It isn't like children are interchangeable and now that they had conceived they could just forget the emotional bond they had with Eli. I admit, I was tearing up at the end, but not because of their scripted happiness, but rather because of how cruelly the couple had been treated just to satisfy this angel/faerie/god thing's opinion of "good." It was almost like a supernatural "white man's burden" going on here.

[–] dvikibra 11 years ago

I completely disagree. I loved the film.
Little Ely helped his foster parents deal with their personal and financial problems so they could be open to love again.
He told them they were going to have a baby girl of their own in his letter before going to help another couple.
The parents had been stuck in their past grief and unable to move forward until Ely came along.
I thought it was an upliftIng film about how we should all remember the past in our hearts but try to live in the present.

[–] strangenstein (683) 5 years ago

Wow, did you even watch the same movie? I find it hard to believe that someone could misunderstand such a simple, sweet movie. Eli was not there to be their child, he was there to help them fall in love again - and remind them that God loves them.

I suppose everyone comes at a movie with their own biases and pre-conceived notions, but to find this movie cruel is way off the mark. Heal whatever it is that’s hurt you, then give this movie another shot.