vchimpanzee While talking on the phone about the novel she is writing, Vicki Miller must answer the door. She sees her nephew Bobby, who has run away from home and looks dirty and frightened. Bobby eats like he hasn't seen food for days, and he flinches quite easily when touched. When he sleeps, he has nightmares and tosses and turns, and he has a difficult time waking up during the day. Vicki's mother Vera calls, frantic that Bobby is missing.In flashbacks, we learn how Vicki, her parents, and her sister Ruth picked up Bobby as a baby from his parents Rob and Priscilla, who didn't want him and don't seem capable of caring for a child. In fact, Rob and Priscilla met in a mental hospital.Vicki visits lawyer Ned Alvarez to find out what options to take. She explains that Rob fought for custody after his domineering father died, and Bobby went back to his disturbed parents for 10 years. Temporarily, Bobby moves in with Ruth and her husband Chet (Kevin Kilner), but that doesn't work out. Bobby trusts Vicki and is determined to live with her. Vicki finds a solution for Bobby and tries to make up for all the abuse he has suffered.Meanwhile, Vicki attends an event related to her novel (her first, by the way) and meets Aiden. She also has an awkward moment with Nora Cantata (Marian Seldes in a brief but memorable performance), a member of a selection committee. Vicki has two dogs, Nick and Nora, who were named for the "Thin Man" characters.Helping Bobby proves to be a challenge, but Vicki is determined. One obstacle: Bobby is happy to have friends, even if they do look like punk rockers. But they are not really friends. People who look like that (unless they are just changing their look to rebel) tend to take advantage of others.Marcia Gay Harden does a capable job here, and Taylor Handley is outstanding in a role with more obvious challenges. I was disappointed not to see more of Thomas Gibson (I guess the movie was promoted with the idea people would want to see a star from a popular show, but he wasn't that important in reality). In some scenes I noticed he had an Irish accent, which was distracting to me. I don't know if he had the accent in all his scenes.Other fine performances came from Lauren Tom and Regina Taylor as therapists who discovered exactly what was wrong with Bobby and came up with ideas for solving his problems. The movie's one big weakness, in my opinion, was the fact we saw little of Priscilla, though Mageina Tovah succeeded in a mere five seconds (in the present) in making her appear quite demented. She was shown more in flashbacks looking spaced-out as Bobby was taken from her, and behaving wildly later (as Bobby hid). Mackenzie Astin did an okay job as Rob in a later scene from the present where he appeared under control, but not really able to cope with a child. It may be just as well that we saw so little of the abuse, because we certainly saw its results.Another weakness: we hear at one point that Vicki is a teacher, but we see very little evidence of this. I suppose one of the scenes was taking place in her school, but it was hard to tell.Overall, this was worthy of the Hallmark Hall of Fame.

Pearlangel2291 Marcia Gay Harden plays Vicki, a woman who has cut herself off from her dysfunctional family in order to write. One night, she gets a very unexpected visit from her 16-year-old nephew Bobby (Taylor Handley). He looks tired, hungry, and depressed. So begins the journey of Vicki and Bobby.I didn't think that I was going to like this movie. It seemed like just another boring Hallmark movie. However, after not being able to get the previews out of my head, I realized I needed to watch this movie. So I did. I was most pleasantly surprised.Both Marcia Gay Harden and Taylor Handley are perfect for their roles. The transformations of the two, especially Bobby's, are timeless. It's a very sweet story of two people trying to find themselves.Props to the cast. The acting was superb. I really enjoyed this movie (I'm glad I taped it so I can watch it again!).I give it 9 out of 10 (I took off because I believe that some of the characters needed more screen time, i.e. Thomas Gibson's character).

seguime Dear Hallmark, I really did love this movie,partly because my own son suffers from 'bipolar' illness. It reminded me that EVERY teen stands the chance of recovery if only someone will care enough to give of themselves. THANK YOU SOOO MUCH for showing such love and compassion for a difficult issue and problem. We need more like you and your movie team. I do hope that you will continue to make movies like this that will speak to our personal experience and needs. The actors did a wonderful job! Good casting! I LOVED HALLMARK'S commercials, too. Oh, they touched my heart, and made me cry. Your cards can be powerful! Sincerely, Barbara

bjmart This movie is an excellent story about a writer whose nephew comes to her after moving around from family member to family member. Taylor Handley plays Bobby, who has been abused by his mother, and his father (Mackenzie Astin) did nothing to stop her. Always knowing that his Aunt Victoria (Marcia Gay Harden) had always treated him well, he called her to see if he could stay with her. She took him in, having no parenting experiences of her own, and helped him to treat his newly discovered severe sleep apnea, as well as get emancipated. Bobby then proceeds to find an apartment in her neighbors garage. She signs the lease so that she is renting it out because he doesn't have a job. Soon, however, his friends start freeloading and when things get out of hand, he moves back in with her. The two of them go through therapy (one of the agreements on him getting the apartment) and find out that when he was living with his parents he developed a way of defending himself in which he numbed himself and shut out everything around him. He used this so much, however, he lost control of it, and this numbness came to him whenever he was angry, anxious, or scared.I absolutely love Handley in the role of Bobby. His acting is phenomenal, as is Harden's. The two make a stunning pair and their chemistry is amazing. i recommend this film to anyone who is looking for a good emotional, witty, and enlightening film.