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17 of 18 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Strong, realistic acting & inspirational story, February 23, 2003
The acting begins on the solid footing of an adorable "poster child" eight-year boy who develops a deadly brain tumor. This boy's charm alone would have garnered the film three stars. The mother and father could have been his real parents--they played their parts so naturally. Mom won't give up when treatment becomes more aggressive and less likely to succeed. Dad believes it is best to be realistic and make the boy's last days comfortable and peaceful. Additionally, the struggle over pursuing "the miracle in the cards" was most realistic. The main physician, Dr. Middleton, proved a master at being a compassionate but professional medical man, while communicating with a mother who believes he is destined to save her apparently doomed child. Richard Thomas may not conjur up an image of brain surgeon in most people's minds, but he did play the role of counseling the sick child and his parents well. Perhaps he came across more as a hospital chaplain than a surgeon. Nevertheless, the role worked, and rounded out the story smoothly. Finally, there is Kirk Cameron as the skeptical "hard news" journalist assigned to a feature story. He seems most comfortable in the role of feature journalist--much more than his attempts at hard news, such as in the Left Behind movie. He does not pan out as much of a skeptic. Nevertheless, his role added a sweet touch, that closed the film nicely. Concerning the plot, there is a fair amount of tension in this film--though it aims more to inspire than tease. Towards the end, I started to wonder if there was ever going to be an upward turn in this downward spiraling medical tale. Then, right at the end there is the abrupt medical update...one I will not divulge. My one complaint is that the ending came rather suddenly--though the actual story may have been the same. The bottom line is that this is a sweet, inspirational tale of a rather unique miracle. The acting is realistic, and you will conclude your viewing with a smile.
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