The movie, adapted from Jodi Picoult's bestseller with the same title, is about a family living with a cancer-stricken daughter, Kate. To keep Kate alive, her parents decided to conceive a 3rd child (Anna) through IVF to be a blood and bone marrow donor for her. Story begins when Anna, at the age of 11, decides to sue her parents for "medical emancipation" - legal rights to decisions about her own body.Apart from the storyline, what I liked most is the way the story is told through a series of flashbacks and narrations. It allows viewers a glimpse into the character's thoughts and see the world through their perspectives. I thought the director's extensive close-up shots and eye-level focus on the characters worked well to draw viewers into the family's life.
For a poignant movie that is sure to pull at one's heartstrings, this one has equal doses of happy moments which kept me engaged through to the end. Overall, I loved the cast, the storyline and the filming - easily one of my favourite movies this year.
Note: Who would have guessed that Cameron Diaz, whose resume includes "The Sweetest Thing" and "Charlie's Angels", could play a convincing role as a dedicated loving mother of three?