Love, Danielle

Love, Danielle is a film that resonates on a profoundly personal level. Devin Sidell, who stars as Danielle and lives with the BRCA1 mutation, brings an unmatched authenticity to her role. As a Lynch syndrome previvor, I found her portrayal incredibly moving; it's rare to see the realities of hereditary cancer risks portrayed with such vulnerability, honesty, and depth. Devin's firsthand connection to her character infuses the film with an inspiring authenticity, reminding us of the importance of embracing life fully-even when faced with genetic challenges.

Love, Danielle is a must-watch for anyone in the hereditary cancer community or anyone who wants to understand the courage required to navigate this journey. This film goes beyond storytelling; it voices solidarity, strength, and hope.

Much of the film's grounding in hope and resilience comes from the influence of its producer, Amy Byer Shainman. Known as "The BRCA Responder," Amy is a passionate advocate for those dealing with hereditary cancer syndromes. Her goal has always been to empower individuals with knowledge and a sense of control, and that spirit shines throughout the film.

Amy's influence balances the movie, keeping it from feeling overwhelmingly heavy. Love, Danielle portrays pain, fear, and grief but also reminds us of the strength in taking charge of our health. For Amy, knowledge is power, especially when it's actionable, and making these tough choices is a profound act of self-love. Her vision allows Love, Danielle, to be emotional and empowering, honoring the challenges while celebrating resilience. Amy has been a tremendous positive force in the hereditary cancer community, and her resilience and optimism shine through in the film's message. This film is essential viewing for previvors, survivors, their loved ones, and medical professionals in the hereditary cancer field.

What is the experience of a person who is advocating for her own health so that she can reduce her risk of cancer? Love, Danielle takes us on that rollercoaster, the good, bad and ugly of advocating for your own life. Throw in some levity with a messed up family dynamic, and you have a story that runs us on a full ride of diagnosis, treatment and finally healing. It is a beautifully told story that lets the audience walk away with knowledge that can help save so many peoples lives.

Devin Sidell masterfully moves with every scene partner she has on the screen. She carries this mammoth of a story on her back and carries us with her through every conflict and eventually joy. Most notably her relationship with Jamie King is joyful to watch. King plays the sister with cancer and at no point do you feel she is milking the sadness of the experience. She brings humor and the light of someone who is truly fighting to live.

This is such an incredibly well written film about a tough topic that deserves more air time! It's perfectly cast to balance humor with insight, education and awareness. It's a raw perspective of Devin's own personal journey that will keep you riveted and wanting to know more. The relationship between the two sisters is so endearing, inspirational and real. Whether you're a cancer survivor, a previvor or family/friend of one, this movie is a must-see! It's not just about cancer, but also about owning our own healthcare journey and the choices and consequences many women face and endure silently.

Knowing the content in advance, I was pleasantly surprised to find the delightful mix of humor and meaning. This is an important topic that needs to be seen and presented in an inviting and digestible format. I particularly loved the lead actress. She was both honest and entertaining. Her husband's role was beautifully portrayed with full support for his wife and confusion about how to do it! Great acting by familiar and new actors that genuinely nail their characters. Thank you for portraying the sister relationship in a "real" and heartfelt way.

Please watch this movie; it will touch your heart and mind.

You know you've seen an impactful film when you and your spouse have an hour long talk about how it affected you afterwards. That is exactly what happened to us after we saw it screened at the 11th annual Nevada Women's Film Festival where it won - deservedly so - the 'Best Feature Film' award.

This glorious film is not only both funny and moving (hard to do either well much less both simultaneously) but taught us a lot about cancer, treatment, family history, and spousal issues. Without giving anything away, the family dynamics, to include husbands and wives, mothers and daughters, fathers and daughters, siblings, etc - its all there. And each was handled well and represented themselves fairly (and intelligently).

In short, if you're looking to watch something that makes you laugh + cry + think then this is it!