I remember watching this movie as a teen, of course very sensitive subject matter. What's so heart-wrenching about it is that is a true story. And I can't imagine what it's like to look for the child you gave up years ago all to find out he was killed by a sick abusive parent! It really makes you think. And you wonder how often does sick things like this happen! This is not a movie you want to watch over and over especially if you're emotional with subject matter like this, which I am. Beverly D'Angelo's acting skills as, always were spectacular.
12 Reviews
He's... dead?
SusieSalmonLikeTheFish9 December 2014
Warning: Spoilers
During the 1970's, Jerry Sherwood was arrested and gave birth in jail, forced by a welfare agency to put her child up for adoption. Dennis was a defiant child, but he most certainly didn't deserve the psychological and physical abuse he was put through by his religiously nutty adoptive mother.
In the present day, Jerry has made herself a respectable parent with other children of her own. Deciding after eighteen years to finally meet her long lost baby, she discovers to her horror that her son never had the chance to live past three years old. Dennis supposedly died from a disease... but Jerry persuades the cops to investigate further, and with the help of a news reporter she learns of just how dangerous Dennis' adoptive mother really was.
Jerry Sherwood's story is true, but this film highly dramatizes it. Nevertheless it is able to convey a powerful message and it was interesting to watch. It's a typical Lifetime movie and the acting was pretty good, not much more to say.
In the present day, Jerry has made herself a respectable parent with other children of her own. Deciding after eighteen years to finally meet her long lost baby, she discovers to her horror that her son never had the chance to live past three years old. Dennis supposedly died from a disease... but Jerry persuades the cops to investigate further, and with the help of a news reporter she learns of just how dangerous Dennis' adoptive mother really was.
Jerry Sherwood's story is true, but this film highly dramatizes it. Nevertheless it is able to convey a powerful message and it was interesting to watch. It's a typical Lifetime movie and the acting was pretty good, not much more to say.
Really, really good!!
sugar-bear4 December 2004
I remember watching this movie when I was about 14 years old on Lifetime. Beverly D'Angelo plays a young mother who is forced to give up her newborn son for adoption. Her son gets adopted by this older Christian couple. They already have a 4 year old son(Miko Hughes). The wife and husband seem normal, kind, etc. Then one day the adopted son(Cortland Mead)who's about 4 now acts up one day at the dinner table. The mother(Dana Ivey) gives her adoptive son a beat down while the father and brother sit at the table and act like nothing is happening. Then that night, the mother makes the boy kneel on a broomstick and makes him say prayers repeatedly. It isn't until about 20 years or so later that D'Angelo tries to see what her adopted son is up to when she recevies the tragic news of her life. Very good movie!!
Heartbreakingly Wonderful
SabrinaMBowen13 June 2019
I first saw this film when it originally aired and it affected me so deeply that decades later, when I myself became a parent, I found myself with a real need to rewatch it. After more than a year of searching, I finally found it. All these years later it still breaks my heart, still touches me, still terrifies me. Excellent story, it's too bad it's largely true - no one deserves this!
Bad vehicle for a poignant story
m.p.8 January 2003
This story of yet another small child, abused and battered to the point of death, is heartbreaking and poignant. Unfortunately, the actors and the movie itself just aren't up to the task. Almost everyone seemed like an amateur acting in a high school production, reading their lines in strangely stilted tones. Beverly D'Angelo's portrayal of the birth mother was so shockingly off-balance that I began to wonder why I never noticed what a poor actress she is. When trying to enlist the help of a reporter to investigate the possible murder of her son many years earlier, she reverts to flirting and teasing. When he asks her who the murder victim was, she answers with a big smile, bright eyes (still flirting) and a strangely triumphant grin on her face, "My son!" It was grotesque and repulsive. Initially the assistant D.A. who is going to prosecute the case is hostile and unsympathetic to the birth mother - the next thing you know, the A.D.A is trying to convince the victim's surviving brother to be a witness for the prosecution because she (the A.D.A) was "adopted too" blah, blah. We are never told or shown how this turn of heart came about. Eh...why go on, it's a heartbreaker but the acting was so bizarre and annoying it's almost unbearable to watch.
Almost total garbage
mhy2 February 2001
The acting in this movie left a lot to be desired. With the exception of the wicked stepmother, the others seemed to give no real effort, and thus their characters had very little life to them.
At some points the dialog is laughable, which is the case of this film, is not a good thing.
At some points the dialog is laughable, which is the case of this film, is not a good thing.
Based on a true story
lolizerz5 January 2003
A teenage mom is forced to give up her baby boy for adoption. 19 years later, as she tries to find her son again, she learns that he died in his foster home at the age of three. Nobody thought relevant that the birth mother be informed. She discovers that he has in fact been murdered at the hands of his foster mother.
Based on "A death in White Bear Lake" book, this movie stays close enough to the real story, but fails to bring out the fact that the whole community knew and covered the abuse of this child for years (before, and after he was murdered).
It was a great TV movie, way different than your usual abused-kid-of-the-week afternoon flick, and I really wish somebody would release it !
Based on "A death in White Bear Lake" book, this movie stays close enough to the real story, but fails to bring out the fact that the whole community knew and covered the abuse of this child for years (before, and after he was murdered).
It was a great TV movie, way different than your usual abused-kid-of-the-week afternoon flick, and I really wish somebody would release it !
The path that the script takes here leads nowhere.
mark.waltz23 November 2021
Warning: Spoilers
Another supposedly true story brought to life as a TV movie (on Lifetime no less) that unfortunately wasted talent of two superb addresses, Beverly D'Angelo and Dana Ivey. It's not their fault. It's the fault of the with the weak script that never completely rings true. D'Angelo is an underage young lady in some kind of reformatory who sneaks out to tell her boyfriend that she's pregnant with his child, gets eight weeks of solitary and is forced to give her baby up.
Years go by and after working as a go-go dancer, she's a multiple times divorced woman with three other children who discovers out of the blue that her son died at the age of three, and after basically looking at some microfilm in a local library decides out of the blue that the foster mother (Ivey) killed him. We actually see her abusing him but not the actual death, and it's certainly true that Ivey's character is a religiously obsessed woman who abuse the late young boy by making him say the Our Father over and over again while kneeling on a broom handle.
It's rather bizarre that the character that D'Angelo plays would just decide out of the blue that her son was murdered and that Ivey should go to prison. The only other real witnesses were Ivey's husband and naturally born son who shows up out of nowhere and barely remembers anything. Even if the story is true, it is very depressing to watch and the script truly needed some major editing to really show all the sides rather than just the assumptions of the leading character. As the evil reform school matron, Mary Pat Gleason is forced to play a very one-dimensional character that makes Hope Emerson in "Caged" seem subtle.
It's also obvious that the late boy was mentally troubled and needed to be in some sort of facility rather in a foster home, so a lot of key details are missing. D'Angelo and Ivey (in her very limited role) do their best to create believable characterizations, and while the footage of Ivey with the child makes it appear that Ivey could be cruel, she wasn't completely evil. Overall, the point of this movie really makes no sense and why it was made in the first place only shows bad judgement on the lifetime network producers for greenlighting this tactless project.
Years go by and after working as a go-go dancer, she's a multiple times divorced woman with three other children who discovers out of the blue that her son died at the age of three, and after basically looking at some microfilm in a local library decides out of the blue that the foster mother (Ivey) killed him. We actually see her abusing him but not the actual death, and it's certainly true that Ivey's character is a religiously obsessed woman who abuse the late young boy by making him say the Our Father over and over again while kneeling on a broom handle.
It's rather bizarre that the character that D'Angelo plays would just decide out of the blue that her son was murdered and that Ivey should go to prison. The only other real witnesses were Ivey's husband and naturally born son who shows up out of nowhere and barely remembers anything. Even if the story is true, it is very depressing to watch and the script truly needed some major editing to really show all the sides rather than just the assumptions of the leading character. As the evil reform school matron, Mary Pat Gleason is forced to play a very one-dimensional character that makes Hope Emerson in "Caged" seem subtle.
It's also obvious that the late boy was mentally troubled and needed to be in some sort of facility rather in a foster home, so a lot of key details are missing. D'Angelo and Ivey (in her very limited role) do their best to create believable characterizations, and while the footage of Ivey with the child makes it appear that Ivey could be cruel, she wasn't completely evil. Overall, the point of this movie really makes no sense and why it was made in the first place only shows bad judgement on the lifetime network producers for greenlighting this tactless project.
Quite forgettable
Zoooma3 October 2014
What might be considered a made-for-TV "Lifetime movie" was actually produced by and shown on NBC originally. But it's definitely the type of movie that would show up on the Lifetime Network.
Beverly D'Angelo stars as a mom who wants justice for her adopted son's death. Based on a true story, it covers all the main points in the saga but blatantly appears quite abridged. Not that it matters. Acting is meh and it's just a straightforward story that's told with no twists or turns or nothing' like that.
Not the worst 85 minutes ever but nothing memorable.
5.0 / 10 stars
--Zoooma, a Kat Pirate Screener
Beverly D'Angelo stars as a mom who wants justice for her adopted son's death. Based on a true story, it covers all the main points in the saga but blatantly appears quite abridged. Not that it matters. Acting is meh and it's just a straightforward story that's told with no twists or turns or nothing' like that.
Not the worst 85 minutes ever but nothing memorable.
5.0 / 10 stars
--Zoooma, a Kat Pirate Screener
Good TV Drama.
rchaney1015 October 2000
Beverly Deangelo was very good in this movie about a mother's fight for the memory of Her Baby.
Ivey was really scary as the adoptive mother Who beat and Killed the little boy. I used to like Max Gail on Barney Miller, But I couldn't understand why His Charictor didn't put a stop to the Abuse of His adopted son. But all in all it was a good TV Drama. I'd rate it a Seven out of Ten.
Ivey was really scary as the adoptive mother Who beat and Killed the little boy. I used to like Max Gail on Barney Miller, But I couldn't understand why His Charictor didn't put a stop to the Abuse of His adopted son. But all in all it was a good TV Drama. I'd rate it a Seven out of Ten.
A Tremendous Lack of Justice - For the Movie & the True-Life Story
nramsay-1736813 January 2018
The movie in no way, shape or form even begins to do the true-life story justice. I just finished reading the book "Death in White Bear Lake" and then watched the movie. The movie is very poorly put together, and far too many important details missing. If I hadn't read the book first, I'm not sure I would've gotten much out of the movie.
As for the true story that the movie was based on, I have to agree with the judge. Lois Jurgens should've been locked and the key thrown away. The 8 years out of her 25 year sentence that she served was FAR too lenient for the horror she inflicted on Dennis. And that sorry excuse for a husband Harold, he should've been strung upside down on a tree. Neither of them should've been approved for adoption. Harold wasn't man enough to stand up for his innocent little boy, who was terrorized by Lois. And I understand why he didn't...my mom (God rest her soul) was a great deal like Lois, and my dad (God rest his soul) a LOT like Harold. HOWEVER, having said that, Harold had a lot of options for getting help for Dennis without Lois EVER finding out that he reported her. Now Lois' brother Jerome, he should've been tossed in prison right alongside his sister. I am certain that he destroyed witness statements and threatened his siblings.
Dennis was 10 months younger than I am. To think that he never really had a chance in life just makes me sick beyond words. As a Christian, it is my duty to forgive others as Christ has forgiven me, but when someone takes their anger and hatred out on innocent children, that is almost more than I can stomach. I hope that both Harold & Lois made peace with God before they died.
As for the true story that the movie was based on, I have to agree with the judge. Lois Jurgens should've been locked and the key thrown away. The 8 years out of her 25 year sentence that she served was FAR too lenient for the horror she inflicted on Dennis. And that sorry excuse for a husband Harold, he should've been strung upside down on a tree. Neither of them should've been approved for adoption. Harold wasn't man enough to stand up for his innocent little boy, who was terrorized by Lois. And I understand why he didn't...my mom (God rest her soul) was a great deal like Lois, and my dad (God rest his soul) a LOT like Harold. HOWEVER, having said that, Harold had a lot of options for getting help for Dennis without Lois EVER finding out that he reported her. Now Lois' brother Jerome, he should've been tossed in prison right alongside his sister. I am certain that he destroyed witness statements and threatened his siblings.
Dennis was 10 months younger than I am. To think that he never really had a chance in life just makes me sick beyond words. As a Christian, it is my duty to forgive others as Christ has forgiven me, but when someone takes their anger and hatred out on innocent children, that is almost more than I can stomach. I hope that both Harold & Lois made peace with God before they died.
Extraordinarily talented cast - soap-sud story
trpdean16 March 2002
I am not the audience for Lifetime Channel movies but just happened to see Beverly D'Angelo (always beautiful and here looking gorgeously plump) in this, so stayed to watch. When I saw Dana Ivey appear, I was sure I was in for something wonderful - but I wasn't.
I am not that familiar with Lifetime Channel sorts of movies - and as a conservative middle aged man, don't think I'm the intended audience. This is a social issue, soapy victim succeeds against the odds movie. I'm not a fan of such movies.
The movie is very strange. I kept awaiting a twist or series of twists because: a) the direct evidence against the stepmother is very slight (she's presented as a nightmare mother but there's no eyewitness at the time of death, no instrument of death, etc.), b) an actress of the caliber and eminence of Dana Ivey had thus far been given hardly any lines (and allowed only a sort of Hammer Films wicked stepmother look), and c) the "victim" (biological mom) repeatedly asked about how much punishment the wicked stepmother would receive - and how soon it could be inflicted.
Amazingly, there's no twist at all! The victim was simply eager! The disappointment is strong! The dialogue is truly terrible - the judge actually says "why if I could, I would throw away the key" when passing sentence! (Yes, this was first heard in a drama in 1908 - B.C.).
So, except for the (quite real) pleasure in seeing the over-ripe curves of Beverly D'Angelo in skirts and dresses made with more slender women in mind, this movie's a bust.
I am not that familiar with Lifetime Channel sorts of movies - and as a conservative middle aged man, don't think I'm the intended audience. This is a social issue, soapy victim succeeds against the odds movie. I'm not a fan of such movies.
The movie is very strange. I kept awaiting a twist or series of twists because: a) the direct evidence against the stepmother is very slight (she's presented as a nightmare mother but there's no eyewitness at the time of death, no instrument of death, etc.), b) an actress of the caliber and eminence of Dana Ivey had thus far been given hardly any lines (and allowed only a sort of Hammer Films wicked stepmother look), and c) the "victim" (biological mom) repeatedly asked about how much punishment the wicked stepmother would receive - and how soon it could be inflicted.
Amazingly, there's no twist at all! The victim was simply eager! The disappointment is strong! The dialogue is truly terrible - the judge actually says "why if I could, I would throw away the key" when passing sentence! (Yes, this was first heard in a drama in 1908 - B.C.).
So, except for the (quite real) pleasure in seeing the over-ripe curves of Beverly D'Angelo in skirts and dresses made with more slender women in mind, this movie's a bust.
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