Flesh and Blood

I just love this film. It handles the delicate subject matter mental disability very carefully, but also without pulling any punches or being too politically correct about it. It's raw, tender and very realistic.

The parents of the main character Joe (wonderfully played - as always- by Christopher Eccleston) are not played by actors, but by real people with learning disabilities. This was obviously a very daring choice. It could have very easily turned out badly, but in this film it works beautifully. I never got any sense that these two people were being taken advantage off in any way.

great and genuine little film, 10 out of 10!

Excellent handling of a very delicate subject. Full marks to the director. And the cast led by Christopher Eccleston and all supporting actors, gave extremely touching performances. The film is an eye-opener, and i felt that the final scene, the most significant and touching in my opinion, sums up the fact that even prejudice may be overcome. It was interesting and amusing at the same time, to see how the work colleague tried to interact with Harry, the male birth parent. It is very easy to fall into the trap of turning such scenes into a comedy, but this film certainly did not make fun of the disabled or handicapped and instead helped one respect and admire them.

A very touching movie about a man finding his mental disabled parents. All elements of the movie fitted together in this really emotional movie. Julian Farino delivered a perfect movie. When 'Joe' gets to know his parents, it has impact on all aspects of his life. It also perfectly shows that mental disabled people can still have a happy and meaningful life!

I have looked-out for this movie since it stopped me in my tracks, over a decade ago. Truly enlightening, emotional and riveting. British drama at its very best. At the time I was far removed from any such domestic drama that did not reflect my circle of people or culture, however the human experience is a universal language... Beautifully expressed, and poignantly captured in a naturally evolving story of new relationships for all; including the viewer. This drama has inspired me to write from the head and heart, and to watch dramas with an invested determination for better days ahead, It has restored my faith in the BBC.

BBC movies for TV in this era really suffered from poor scripting and even worse audio. The movie begins with a confusing opening scene about which the viewer has little understanding. Much of the script dialog seems to be improvised.