Yesterday's Children

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?

They say you can't please everyone but with this movie Jane Seymour may have succeeded. What was there to not love about this movie? Absolutely NOTHING. It was sheer perfection from the beauty of the Irish countryside, the haunting gaelic music, the excellent script and direction to stellar acting by all especially Jane herself. This is the kind of movie Jane Seymour shines in! I was moved to tears throughout and riveted to my screen the entire 2 hours. Chemistry among all the cast was excellent and Jane was definitely at her finest here. Someone please tell this woman she doesnt need action movies to attract the advertisers, all she needs is an excellent movie like Yesterday's children! Kudos to all involved in this one, Writer, Director, Cast and Jane Seymour herself. I've now watched this one 5 times and it just gets better!

Seen on French TV under the title "Les Ombres du Passé", and now available on DVD in France for under 6$, this is a highly worthwhile purchase ! Picture quality is excellent, and the story itself send shivers down your spine at times and at other moments fills you with orgasmic joy. Acting is first rate and the Irish countryside is beautifully filmed. The final "reunion" of the film filled me with an undescribable sense of joy. The story, though in the domaine of the paranormal is highly plausible, and we follow with pleasure and anticipation Jane Seymour's research of her Irish Family. I would highly recommend the film to anyone the least bit sentimental and who at the same time is fascinated by things para-normal! Excellent !

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.