Mark, I Love You

This made for TV movie is about my family, so I am biased. (If it weren't I would have forgotten it by now.) Mark is my cousin, and the grandparents portrayed in the movie were my grandparents. I hate how they are portrayed as cold and stereotypical Midwestern hicks. In fact, my grandfather was the editor of a newspaper and my grandmother had a degree from Grinnell. I never saw her without nylons, much less in a house-dress. I agree that the judge in the case who assigned custody based on "lifestyle" was out of line. Having a Made-for-TV movie made about people I know and love shows me first hand how simplistic these things are and how much they rely on stereotypes and soundtracks to tell their story. The story told from my Grandmother's perspective could have made a wonderful film, but I am sure if it had been a TV movie (or a Lifetime production) it would have been stupid as well.

Based on the book by the same name, Mark, I Love You is about a young widower's battle for custody of his son Mark. After the death of his young wife, Hal Painter allowed his in-laws to care for his son for a time, but they refused to return the child to him when he had settled into his new home. Because he was not only a single man, but something of a hippie, Painter's in-laws felt that they had a plausible case for keeping Mark-- and at the time, they did. The actors in this small, serious film do a good job and avoid "movie of the week" histrionics, despite the emotional subject matter. An interesting look into old prejudices concerning child custody and family ties.