Jewel

My review for this movie is way up there. Farrah, as usual, delivers an excellent, realistic performance. I always said she was and is a great actress. The husband was a bit weak, but, overall, a fine performance from him as well, and let's not forget the young lady who played Brenda Kay, either. I caught this movie on late night LMN, started watching it and was quite moved at many points throughout the film. I feel it shows the plight and decisions a poor struggling family in Mississippi had to make for the love of their retarded daughter, their move to California, and their ultimate decisions that needed to be made. Their is a real evolution in the family, and Brenda Kay is not the only member with problems. Farrah's performance is superior; don't miss this "jewel" of a movie; it's a gem. Excellent.

The title character, Jewel, is a mother of four, and is happy about her upcoming fifth child. But her housekeeper has strange prophesies that this child will not be like others...and soon enough Jewel realizes there is something different about her baby daughter, Brenda Kay. Jewel consults two doctors and finds that Brenda Kay has Down Syndrome and might not live past two years old. Jewel is determined to give Brenda Kay all the love and care she can; determined that her daughter will live past two years and feel loved. Brenda Kay does live, and she is shown much love by her family. But Jewel's other daughters have problems of their own, and there are tensions that worsen over the years. Will Jewel learn that there's a letting go to loving?

There are a couple of negatives to this movie, mostly just the swearing/using the Lord's name in vain, which occurs four or five times.

This was a beautifully told story that anyone can appreciate, but those parents of children with special needs will find particularly emotional viewing. It conveys the challenges well, and treats a sensitive subject with great tenderness. It's also a reminder that the world has come a very long way in a relatively short period of time when it comes to acceptance, but - and this is not related to the movie - it's worth noting that over 80% of those with Down Syndrome are terminated prior to birth. So perhaps we're not that 'inclusive' after all.

I pre-screened this before suggesting it to my wife, but decided against suggesting it after all. It would feel too raw. So be warned, if you have a child with DS or similar, this is a beautiful movie but may tug at your heart strings too deeply for comfort.

'Jewel' the title character,played by Farrah Fawcett,is a mother of four children who now middle-aged awaits her fifth child.Her newborn baby girl is named Brenda Kay and soon after doctors discover that Brenda Kay has Down Syndrome.They give her 2 years to live but Jewel is undaunted.She believes that if she loves Brenda Kay enough everything will be alright.

That is the basic story and Fawcett handles the character of Jewel well.She plays a woman who has resolved to give up anything and everything to ensure the happiness and well-being of her daughter,even if it means that she does so at the expense of her other children and her husband.The story and the characters were handled well enough but personally,it did not make as much of an emotional impact as it could have and the ending was rather disappointing.

The movie is listed as factual but is only partially factual. The main character Jewel went by Myrtis as it is her 1st name and Jewel is her middle name. The part about them moving from Mississippi to California is true she did this and the majority of the family moved with them. The character Brenda Kay did not go by that name she was just Brenda and Kay is actually a granddaughter of the main character. Can't remember if they show it in the movie or not but within seconds of meeting Brenda she would tell you you were fat even if you were not. It was almost like her term of affection. The character Raylene (also not her real name) in the movie tries to kill herself. The actual person never attempted suicide and her name was not used because she would not sign the release after reading that.It is a very touching story to see what she sacrificed for her daughter at the time and continued to all for Brenda throughout her life.