Yesterday's Children

Looking back to a life which is partly your own and partly shared by people from another time stretches the imagination -- one has to feel for these desperate souls trying to relate, drawing a strong parallel with the struggles we go through in relating to those within our own lifetime; the notion of reincarnation allows us to feel and empathize with souls reaching across time, a wonderful concept whether you can accept the idea scientifically or not. Be brave... jump out of science and let your soul discover the light fantastic! The acting was fine, the pace was perfect, the location scenery was charming, and the characters were positively Shakespearian...the oldest son spoke with his eyes, even though he was very old and his body had almost died, and he made aging feel what it is...powerful, wise, understanding and compassionate, qualities in aggregate which youth can only reach toward.

The book dealt with the reincarnation of Mary and how Jenny is compelled by the love and concern for her children felt the strong need to go back to her former family and how she finally brought the scattered family together. The film plays the reincarnation on a low key.This spoils the story and changes the full meaning of the main theme. The film ignores many important facts from the book.The book has a haunting grip on you and establishes many points in reincarnation. I cannot imagine Jenny Cockell allowing the changes that had been made to her story.

The priest plays a important role in the film whereas in the book he does not get involved in Jenny's research after the preliminary info. This does seem strange. The idea of Mary's spirit contacting Jenny does not get much importance in the book. I felt that the whole purpose of the book was lost in the film story. I do commend Jane Seymor on her moving performance.

Truly touching movie that will leave you in tears about an Allentown PA. career woman Jenny Cole somehow getting in touch with a long deceased Irish housewife Mary Sutton both sensitively played by Jane Seymour.

Jenny Cole getting these dreams at night and visions in the daytime about this women in Ireland back in the 1930's that become so traumatic that Jenny at the insistence of her mother Maggie,Clair Bloom, goes to a psycho-therapist Dr. Garrison, Stanly Anderson, to undergo treatment.

Put under hypnosis Jennys description of her life as Irish mother and housewife Mary Sutton is so profound and, what to Dr. Garrison seems to be, so accurate that the idea of reincarnation comes into mind even though Jenny is almost totally ignorant of that strange and unscientific phenomena.

Drawing a number of sketches of her dreams and visions Jenny sub-consciously drew a map of some strange town and when Maggie shows her a map of Ireland she without a second thought points out the obscure little town of Malahide. Later ordering a map of Malahide from her local book store the map of the town is exactly like her drawing of it! Jenny as well as her mother Maggie now know that the only way to cure her obsession of her life, before she was born as Jenny Cole, in Malahide is to travel to the Emerald Isle and find out the truth, if there is one, about her previous life as Mary Sutton for herself.

One of the best made for TV movies ever made that is also the best documented example if there is such a thing in life, and death, as the enigma of reincarnation. After a number of false leads Jenny and her teenage son Kevin,Kayle Howard,were just about to give up and go back home to Allentown when she's approached by an elderly man who knew her, as Mary Sutton, and her family when they lived in Malahide back in the 1930's.

"Yeasterday's Children" makes you into a believer even if you don't want to be one because it's so emotionally charged, as well as heart-lifting. The movie override whatever you disbelieved about the theory of re-birth to wanting it to be true just in order for the film to have the happy ending that it does not caring at all if the film is based on truth or is a work of fiction. Even the acting by those in the movie seems to be driven more by inspiration and belief then by reading ones lines and doing his, or her, best to make them come to life.

This is a true story. Living in the middle US with her loving husband (Clancy Brown) and her teenage son (Kyle Howard), Jenny Cole (Jane Seymour) was pregnant with her second child. At the same time, she started having vivid, recurring dreams about a poor, big family living in Ireland about half a century ago. Jenny's memories became more and more intense. She talked about it to her mother, who showed Jenny her drawings about that small town, Malahide when she was a little girl. Jenny also went see a psychologist in hope to find out more about the Irish woman's life which constantly appeared in her dreams. In her memories, the woman, Mary Sutton had four children, one still born baby and soon later another baby girl. As well as her abusive husband. Jenny was determined to track down all the children, so she went to Ireland and her search began. She set out to make the Suttons reunite, after all these decades...

Mary Sutton's life was short misery. She died at the age of 37 due to ill health. Throughout her life she had never been treasured by her husband. Now Jenny believed that she was Mary in her past incarnation and that her mission was to bring Mary's children together, so Mary's last wish could be fulfilled...

The acting, the score are heartbreaking. The tale is simply touching. Now, the question is: Do you believe in reincarnation?

I gave this a film an 8 because although it is beautifully done and acted and the locations scenery is superb, I object to how names and locations are changed when it is supposed to be factual. She should be Jenny Cockell in England ...not Jenny Cole in USA . WHY change it ? Jane Seymour gives a remarkable performance and as always knows how to act with her face as well as her words. The children in Ireland are beautifully evocative. Hume Cronyn makes an appearance ...But again ...why ? when there are so many Irish actors ? The main line for me seemed to be , ''yes, we believe that one soul can reach out and touch another''.

A lovely film that is truly unforgettable because of it's haunting and painful subject matter. Just let factual mean factual please!!