Foster Boy

A 19-yr-old boy has been in a series of troubles with the law, to the extent that the judge recognizes him. He is a failed product of the foster system, starting when he was 8.

Now he is suing the large corporation that has been running the placement system. He doesn't want a financial award, he wants the company and its guilty to be prosecuted and the system cleaned up. But he can't afford a lawyer.

Set in Chicago, the judge corrals a high-profile L.A. lawyer to be his pro bono lawyer, against his will. First just wanting to settle the case and get home for Thanksgiving, he gradually learns what all the boy has been through.

The movie is "inspired by real events" but the closing credits state that parts of the story were fabricated and some characters are composites. Still it is a good look at how the foster system can fail the kids when money is paid out without enough regard to the health and safety of the kids.

My wife and I watched it at home on DVD from our public library.

Please watch this film. If you enjoy courtroom dramas it should at least interest you although you wont find the thrilling battles you find in Goliath or other of the same ilk. The story forcuses more on the pitfalls of the foster care system and the broken corporations that back it.

The characters are a bit one dimensional outside of Jamal. His pain and performance is undeniable and the main reason I stuck around.

Definitely worth a watch.

The premise of this film is the sick side of the foster industry, which got my blood boiling; personally it could of used more of that context, painting us a more gruesome picture of that reality.. but I don't think I will chip away at the rating for the director's discrepancies. Overall it's very uplifting and makes you want to join the fight - I know I have!

My wife and I have watched a lot of movies, and noticed a trend: newer movies often don't portray known actors. So we rate movies in three categories (to allow horrible B- glitches): story, acting, dialogue (flow). This movie scored 9+ in all three. Sure, in this case the story is (hopefully) predictable, but it's a true one, which makes it all that much more pertinent (relevant). It's a good movie. The first for which I'm writing a review (yeah, I've watched better, but nothing better in all three boxes, atI least recently), and the first I'd offer to to friend on a USB stick (um, thank you?)... It's a good movie, through and through.

This movie was very enlightening. I wasn't at all surpised that this kind of stuff happens, but its good to let the world see how trashy a supposed care system for children can be. This is based on something that actually happened. Granted, I am sure not all foster care businesses are this shady, but you know there are definitely so many businesses of all shapes and sized that are comprised of soulless individuals who hold the almighty dollar way above human lives. Its especially bad to choose profit over the well being of a child. The movie was fantastic and I hope that maybe this movie will motivate the appropriate types of authorities to monitor foster care systems and make sure that no kid has to suffer and become scarred and traumatized all because someone wants to make another buck.