Custody

I rarely comment on shows I watch but for some strange reason I felt I had to. I think all of the actors and actresses did an awesome job ! It is not an action movie so if you're looking for that, you're out of luck. I enjoyed the story and each person cast seemed to fulfill their role brilliantly. Especially Viola Davis, wish they would have focused a little more on her issue and Hayden's we never really got closure . . . . Overall excellent, can't really say a bad thing about it.

Award winning writer/director James Lapine pulls out all stops with this full on study of the US Family Law Court: its employees, several various related services, & families involved with some of its outcomes. This quite powerful production has the look of a made for Cinema feature that went straight to TV. Performances are first class, as is the cinematography and music score. Lapine has included many story elements (too many perhaps?) giving it the feel of a pilot for yet another upcoming endless series (thank heavens it was all wrapped up in a feature) & while there are unresolved situations, we know enough to fill in the spaces. Good looking and absorbing - can recommend 'Custody' for any lover of dramatic studies that deal with contemporary social issues.

I guess people don't read the information given here about films, but this was not a Lifetime movie. It was shown on Lifetime, to be sure, but it was edited to fit in their time frame. The movie is 1 hour and 44 minutes long. Lifetime condenses movies to under 90 minutes to fit in all their commercials. So we who saw it on Lifetime did not see the complete movie. Also, the movie was made in Spain, which should have made it obvious it was not a Lifetime production.

Anyway, aside from the reviews from people who didn't understand the origins of this movie, I have to agree with most of the reviews of the movie itself. The acting was good, even if Catalina Moreno was a bit over the top sometimes. The story line was good, too, showing how family courts are often overworked and understaffed, leading to all people being treated the same, regardless of their circumstances.

My only complaint is that I wish I could see the entire movie, instead of the edited one shown on Lifetime.

I watched this film today because I could relate to the description. This movie has a lot of emotion especially if you have a connection with the actresses. There are examples of just how easy it is for CPS to take your children away based on lies, assumptions or allegations.

I must say that I was more than pleasantly surprised by the production quality of this film, together with a compelling story line superbly acted. I even enjoyed the soundtrack, which emphasized emotion at just the right time.

With names like Viola Davis, Hayden Panettiere, Ellen Burstyn and Tony Shalhoub, I was wondering why I missed it at the theaters. However, it was premiered by Lifetime and was never released theatrically (although it certainly should have been).

Catalina Sandino Moreno turns in an excellent performance as the mother of two children facing a dilemma, the outcome of which is uncertain, causing pain nearly impossible to endure. The children and their friends all contributed very believable performances along with the rest of the cast. There was not one moment in this movie where I sensed a fake, forced or unbelievable character.

Although the plot is multi-faceted and highlights the lives of a number of the characters, it remains interesting and compelling throughout. It is a film with a great deal of character, feeling and emotion. In the end you will feel glad that you watched this movie. I am pretty harsh when it comes to TV movies, yet this is a rare exception that deserved to have a much wider audience. 9 of 10 stars!