Jewel (2001) (TV)

User Rating:

6.0/10   

Director:

Paul Shapiro

Writers (WGA):

Bret Lott (novel)
Susan Cooper (teleplay)

Release Date:

7 February 2001 (USA)

Genre:

Drama

Tagline:

The world refused to help her special child... but she never gave up hope.

Plot:

In the 1940s a 40-year-old woman with five healthy children gives birth to a girl with Down's syndrome. |

Plot Keywords:

Based On Novel

Awards:

2 nominations

Cast

Farrah Fawcett	...	Jewel Hilburn
Patrick Bergin	...	Leston Hilburn
Cicely Tyson	...	Cathedral
Ashley Wolfe	...	Brenda Kay Hilburn - Age 16
Robin Dunne	...	Wilman Hilburn (Age 18-26)
Peter Donaldson	...	Nathan White
Laura Mercer	...	Brenda Kay Hilburn (Age 8-9)
Kelly Harms	...	Burton Hilburn (Age 19-27)
Ron Payne	...	Dr. Basket
Kristin Booth	...	Annie Hilburn (Age 19)
Natalie Radford	...	Raylene Hilburn (Age 22-30)
Sonia Lynn Kerr	...	Brenda Kay Hilburn (Age 4)
Alexis Vandermaelen	...	Annie Hilburn (Age 3-4)
Rachel Skarsten	...	Raylene Hilburn (Age 14)
Kyle Fairlie	...	Burton Hilburn (Age 11)

Runtime:

USA:120 min (including commercials)

Country:

Canada | UK | USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Filming Locations:

1116 King St. W., Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Company:

Alliance Atlantis Communications

Goofs:

Continuity: Jewel removes Brenda Kay's hair ribbon from her hair before her bath, then after a camera switch the ribbon is back in her hair.

A typical, conservative TV movie

"Jewel" is a typical TV movie about a subject that will make a lot of housewives cry their eyes out. It's about a large, very Christian and happy family in the 1940's that will soon be "blessed" with a 5th child. But of course there are some complications. The child appears to have the Syndrome of Down, and will ask all her mother's attention. Mom does everything for her daughter but forgets that there are other people around her as well...

All in all it isn't the worst movie I've ever seen, but it never stands out above the average. This isn't much more but typical TV pulp. The acting is quite good (for this kind of movies), but the actors aren't able to give an extra touch to the uninspired script.

I'm sure this movie will be loved by many, especially by women in their 40's, 50's or older, but personally I find this movie nothing special and not worth a second watch. It's message like "you can run but you can never hide from your problems" and "you have to take your life the way God has intended it to be" is much too conservative to my taste, but I'm sure the average American will love it. The only problem: I'm not average and certainly not American... I give it a 5/10.