La dernière chance d'Annie

First of all I was quite intrigued to see that at least 2 of the 3 comments submitted so far (the other a nom-de-plume) were from men. Good to see that such a wonderful film as this is being seen by an audience that might not have been the target one, as this would be considered a woman's picture in old Hollywood.

Unashamedly a tearjerker, anybody that is a loving parent or has any affinity with children will be well advised to have the tissues handy. Men not quite as in touch with their emotions in public might actually wish to watch this alone. From about 10 minutes in when I saw all the unwanted babies in the hospital I could not control my tears flowing relentlessly, whether they were tears of sadness or of joy (yes there are some wonderful joyful moments but I won't say when and spoil it)

Undoubtedly a great showcase for actors, the four leads are about as perfect as one could want. Like another reviewer, I was amazed at the performances of Parker and Noseworthy, mainly because Spacek and to an only slightly lesser degree Plowright, are renowned for their work and have the accolades and awards to show for it. But the formerly lightweight teen actress and the unknown youngster more than hold their own against the formidable twosome.

The writing and performances masterfully achieve it's desired aim, to entertain (if that's the word) and inform without unneccessary grandstanding. Yes the son does seem a little too good to be true, but there are such species still left in this world, and anyway his character is not perfect and still has his teeneage insecurities and traumas.

All in all, not to be missed and reaffirmation of the human spirit

Sissy Spacek was outstanding in this movie, as was the actress that portrayed the babysitter. However, the way the Child Welfare agent handled the case for the mother who had previously abandoned her baby, Annie, was so unrealistic! I might addd, what judge would award custody to a crackhead who passed her HIV to an innocent child, and then totally abandon that child? Also, why was no home visit conducted on the biological mother, and the foster mom who wanted to adopt this child? That is something that is always part of the process to ensure a child has a clean decent environment in which to live, before a judge hands down a decision whether or not to award custody to a biological mother or allow a foster mom to adopt the child. By failing to order home visits, the judge had nothing to compare as far as home environments for the child. If the judge would have ordered home visits to be conducted by a Child Welfare agent the agent would have seen firsthand the trashy place that that Annie was going to be forced to live in, versus the healthy environment provided by the foster mom who wanted to adopt Annie, and there would be no way the judge would have granted custody to the biological mother! This whole situation concerning the way this custody decision was handled was totally absurd! I think the writers should have done more research on the process that a Child Welfare Agency actually follows in real life, to avoid misleading the viewing audience. The storyline was quite heart wrenching however. It clearly shows the devastation that occurs to those who get involved in the habit, and the innocent ones in their lives as well!

I was sitting at home last Saturday, bored to tears, turned on the t.v. and for the next two hours sat entranced by this powerful and moving film that really did justice to the HIV-babies and their mothers that we hear so much about.

Top-billed Spacek and Mary Louise-Parker really shine in this film...Parker (who has full blown AIDS) comes back to reclaim Annie, her child, who she was forced to give up when the baby was six months old. Spacek adopted Annie and the film shows the tensions and struggle that the two ladies go through to see eye to eye in the care of Annie. The end may surprise a few people; the entire film is top-notch!

A Place For Annie is one of those special films that takes a very sensitive subject like AIDS and does justice too it. Absolutely outstanding performances by Sissy Spacek, Mary-Louise Parker, Joan Plowright and Jack Noeworthy. Annie is a baby with the AIDS virus who is sent to a local hospital in which Sissy Spacek works as an RN. When the child is going to be sent off to die elsewhere, she decides to care for Annie herself, with the help of Joan Plowright's character. The mother of the child, now clean for 6 months, decides to come after the child. A powerful story of love.

I grew up watching films produced by the Hallmark Hall of Fame. Their quality was often varying, but the general approach allowed for a certain dedication to storytelling. This is one such example. It's a straightforward story on the surface, something that could have easily been produced as a cheap, tear-jerking, disease-of-the-week movie. It's not as though this type of story is inherently cheap or meaningless, it's just that the potential for overwrought melodrama is only too often realized.

Here, the actors prevent that from happening. Sissy Spacek, Mary-Louise Parker, and S. Epatha Merkerson (three of my favorite actresses) perform with a level of real conversational interaction that I really appreciate. I must state, emphatically, that the script offers no individual brilliance whatsoever. This is a slice-of-life type story, one that is held together by performances and the direction of John Gray. I felt like I was watching real lives here, and maybe I was. In so much as film can ever be real, "A Place for Annie" is.