Movie-"Losing Isaiah"

IT'S ONE OF MY FAVORITES. I THOUGHT AND STILL THINK IT'S A GOOD MOVIE. IT SHOWED ME THAT A BMOTHER DOWN ON HER LUCK CAN TURN HERSELF AROUND. SHE SHOWED ME WHAT I WOULD WANT THE BMOTHER OF MY CHILD TO DO FOR HER BABY/CHILDREN. IT ALSO SHOWED ME YOU HAVE TO MAKE SURE EVERY AND I MEAN EVERYTHING IS LOOKED INTO BEFORE YOU GO FORWARD IN ADOPTING. I WAS CRUSHED AT SEVERAL PARTS IN THE MOVIE- HOW SHE PUT HIM IN THE TRASH, HER READING THE BOOK AND THINKING WHAT SHE DID TO HER BABY, HER RELATIVE LIFESTYLE AND HOW SHE TREATED HER KIDS- THE WHOLE ENVIROMENT, THE COURT INCIDENT WHEN THE AMOTHER FOUND OUT ABOUT THE INFIDELITY OF HER HUSBAND AND THE WORST OF ALL WAS WHEN THEY CAME AND TOOK THE BABY AWAY THAT HURT ME TO MY HEART, I CRIED FOR HER. THE BEST PART TO ME WAS HOW SHE DECIDED TO ASK (THE BMOM ASKED THE AMOM) TO HELP HER WITH HER SON. THAT SHOWED ME SHE WOULD DO ANYTHING AND I MEANT ANYTHING TO MAKE SURE HER CHILD WAS O.K. AND HAPPY. IT WAS A DIFFICULT (NOT REALLY DIFFICULT BUT IT WAS A HEAVY STORY- CAN'T REALLY COME UP WITH A WORD TO DESCRIBE IT) MOVIE TO WATCH BUT IT'S SITUATIONS THAT CAN BE WORSE (SIMILAR TO MY STORY). I LOVED IT. IT SHOWED ME THAT SOME BMOTHERS CAN GIVE LOVE TO THERE KIDS EVEN WITH A SECOND CHANCE. SOON TO BE AMOTHER :D :D :D :D

IT was a hard movie to watch as a cc mom to two aa boys. I know I certainly do a better job than that amom did to be sensitive and aware of her children's cultural issues. HOWEVER, saying that I also adopted older children. What tore me up as I watched that poor little guy grieve the loss of his mommy (amom) was that is what I was doing to my sons. For all the right reasons, tearing them away from everything they knew so that they could be with me -- their well intended, well meaning "new mom". (their foster parents chose not to adopt them, bparent rights were terminated). I've heard all those same screams, I have seen all those same behaviors. Saying that, NO CHILD should ever be removed from their family (birth or adopted, after placement and bond has occured) for ANY reason, other than safety. To put a child through needlessly, what my sons had to go through (and my boys today are doing GREAT!) is unforgivable except in the most exceptional of circumstances. In these situations, the right of the child to stability out weighs any parents right to parent. Just my two cents. But I am all for openness!!!

I read the book (I believe the author is named Sal Margolis). The plot of the book is somewhat different from the movie... if I recall correctly, Isaiah was not left in a dumpster in the book but simply abandoned at the hospital. The adoptive mother was a hospital volunteer who held premature infants, and this is how she came to adopt Isaiah. The movie was much more "black and white"... by which I mean, the issue seemed much more cut and dried in the movie. In the movie, the "correct" answer was obviously supposed to be that Isaiah would be better off with his white a-family. In the book, things were not nearly so clear. I can't say that the story aroused much emotion in me one way or the other... to me, both the birthmother and the adoptive parents seemed equally self-involved and unsuitable to be raising a child, lol. ~ Sharon

Well, I posted the original thread because the movie really bothered me...and it sounds like Hollywood had to make it more drastic, for the drama-hungry audiences! It may just be because I have worked for the state w/ foster kids. But the whole situation on Losing Isaiah is unlikely to ever happen----in their specific story, the social worker took the baby home, which would be a huge conflict on interest and illegal.....and, I highly doubt this case would been seen in court because when CPS can't reach the parent to serve them adoption papers or court papers, the case is published in the newspapers, and if the birth parent does not come to court or contact her attorney, their rights are terminated, and the child can be adopted. It happens all the time. Birth parents cannot reverse these adoptions. But all the unlikely details aside, I felt pretty strongly that the adoption should have still been honored. To uproot a three-year-old child is too traumatic to do for no good reason. If the birth mom popped up out the woodwork suddenly, it would be my hope that the adoptive parents would want to maintain some kind of contact. But to vacate the adoption and pull the child away from who he's bonded to, in my opinion, is not the right thing to do. Hippiechick, bmom to twins born 11/14/01 mom to daughter born 6/6/03

Has anyone else seen this movie? It came out in 1995 and stars Hallie Barre.

i've seen it and I was furious that the child was removed from the adoptive home (the only home he'd ever known) to be returned to his birth mother. I thought it was selfish of birth mother to expect the adoption to be overturned and the child returned to her because she realized she had made a mistake. I would hope that the ideal situation would be for the birth mother to ask the adoptive mom (now his MOM) if she could be a part of the child's life. I was sickened to see the race card being played to determine who would be most appropriate to raise the child. What a joke. Race is only a part of one of the cogs in the wheels that turn to raise to a child. I'm glad that thinking is changing in this aspect as people learn that any race can raise children of a different race. The things that make each race special can be learned and taught to the children so they learn to embrace not only their own heritage but the heritage of the family who loves them and is raising them as their own child. As for the Amother having to come to terms with the Afather's infidelity, hey, that happens in ANY relationship regardless of whether there are children involved or not. It was a difficult time for the Amother but to use that as a strike against her was not fair. All being said, I hope this movie is more sensationalized than the reality of adoption because it's just the type of movie to scare would be adoptive parents away or to focus on only foreign adoption. It took alot of discussion and reading and talks with our caseworker to convince my husband that adoption is not the scary/risky event that the media would have us to believe. His greatest fear was that the birth mother would change her mind and come back. Thankfully, our caseworker is great and went over everything with us and explained it all. From a movie standpoint, it was a real tear jerker and I did cry quite a bit while watching it. I think Jessica Lange and Halle Berrie did a great job and the little boy was terrific. THANKS HIPPIECHICK for reinforcing what our caseworker explained to us. It's great to hear from someone who is actually working in the system and has the inside scoop.

I've watched the movie and read the book....I agree with Sharrons sypnosis, the movie itself was not portraied as the book was. The book was far more riviting and much easier to digest. The movie did make me sick to my stomach. I suggest you read the book Hugs Melissa ps Is this not a true story???please correct me if I am wrong, Shar if you have read the book can you clarify? I thought that the mother did keep the adoptive parents in his life for a long time after she overturned the adoption? Again please read the book before making judgement the movie was meant for hollywood ONLY