A Lion in the House

When I was a child I spent years with my grandfather while he tried to battle cancer. I then spent a summer with him at 9yrs old while he lost the battle and my mother, his daughter, took on the role of his hospice nurse. I can only imagine what these parents went through, and the many parents who are currently going through it. This isn't just about the kids, but their whole family.

Some of these reviews are atroc, especially the ones judging the parents. Imagine judging people who are trying to do their best while living their worst nightmare. This documentary spans years, and they call it amateur. So what if it is! It's honest. In a world full of instant gratification this documentary was instead a long journey, as it should be. Most people who give terrible reviews no jack all about filmmaking.

This was honest, and beautiful, and heart wrenching and ugly. Ignore the 3 or less ratings, and take a chance on this.

It invite us to visit the universo of childhood cancer with proposal to make us debate. A sensitive work.

As a young father of 2 (both under 4) and also a cancer survivor who is 3 years + into remission...I think this film must be seen by as many people as possible.

For those of you who have been introduced to cancer either by fighting it yourself or having a loved one (family member or friend) deal with the reality of "life" that this disease bestows upon us...or are a parent of a young child...watching this film will be hard and tears will flow...but hopefully after watching it you will come away with a renewed sense of love for those in your life and will quietly remind yourself what I hope you already know.

If you have not been introduced to cancer or have not had the pleasure of being a parent...then be prepared to for a heart wrenching emotional journey that at its conclusion will hopefully have your heart and mind opened to their fullest extent...while most importantly giving you a reason to comprehend and bring forth into your own lives what those of us who have been touched by cancer or are parents of young children should already know...what the important things in life really are!

I watched it in two sittings since it was released on Netflix. A heart breaking documentary that goes though rollercoaster of emotions. You naively hope for the "happy endings" but life is not a Disney story. Prepare tissues.

I first heard of this film on NPR, and I was intrigued based on the sole the fact that it's a documentary. (I'm a huge fan of documentaries.) Then I found out that it was playing on PBS and I got to watch it.

This film is by far the most captivating film I have ever seen. The director(s) did a wonderful job of letting the story tell itself, and I appreciated the fact that they gave minimal commentary and just let the camera role. Sort of the "fly on the wall" perspective. They also did an amazing job in integrating the human element into the film as by the end of the film I felt I had a direct connection with every character in the film. I felt I was there with all of the children as they battled with cancer, and I felt for the families having to go through the battle that cancer is. It helped me deal with a lot of the pain I locked up inside when my family went through the same ordeal over ten years ago with my young cousin and later with my uncle. It was by far the most difficult film I have ever watched.

Prior to watching the film I would often get into these meaningless debates about whatever on the IMDb message board as well as other "blog" sites, but after watching this film it made all of that seem trivial and thus a waste of time. The film forced me to get my priorities straight, and my respect for what the doctors, nurses, and volunteers do at the average Children's Hospital has increased five-fold.

I believe everyone should watch this film because it brings a sense of reality. Sometimes we become too comfortable with our lives and forget about everyone else. It's a true reality check, and that's exactly what a documentary should always be.