Blessings (2003) (TV)

User Rating:

6.3/10   

Director:

Arvin Brown

Writers (WGA):

Anna Quindlen (novel)
Joyce Eliason (teleplay)

Release Date:

5 October 2003 (USA)

Genre:

Drama

Tagline:

One abandoned baby will give these two lonely people a second chance at life.

Plot:

Plot Keywords:

Memory | Handyman | Abandoned Baby | Ex Convict | Based On Novel

Awards:

1 nomination

Cast

Mary Tyler Moore	...	Lydia Blessing
Liam Waite	...	Charles 'Skip' Cuddy
China Chow	...	Jennifer Foster
Kathleen Quinlan	...	Meredith Blessing
Janaya Stephens	...	Young Lydia Blessing
Ralph Waite	...	Sheriff
Joris Jarsky	...	Chris
Laura Regan	...	Shelley
Marcus Hutchings	...	Sunny
Diego Klattenhoff	...	Benny
Cory Bowles	...	Joe
Nikki Barnett	...	Paula
Joseph Rutten	...	Dr. Benjamin
Simon Henderson	...	Tommy
Joseph McKibbon	...	Pat the bartender (as Joe McKibbon)

Runtime:

USA:120 min (including commercials)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Filming Locations:

Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Company:

Carlton America

Excellent Film

I gave this film one of my rare 10 points.

I just really like it. I don't know whether younger viewers would like it or not--it has kind of a sweet, old-fashioned way about it. Its not explosions and heavy action, etc.

I love films about feisty oldsters, and Mary Tyler Moore (looking older than God, in this make-up) plays Lydia Blessing to the hilt.

Although I don't think the flashbacks on Lydia's very interesting life and relationships necessarily tied in with what was currently happening in her life, I didn't care. I thought the story in the past was even more intriguing than the present one - although both were interesting.

In the past we make some discoveries about the "friendship" between Lydia's brother, Sunny and his best friend, Benny.

In the present, we're dealing with a young handyman, nicknamed Skip, but whose real given name is Charles - and he is called Charles by Lydia.

Charles inadvertently gets into a bit of trouble from hanging out with the wrong kind of people, but once he's out of jail and encounters Lydia, she takes to him right away.

Charles really does want to turn his life around, and he's willing to put up with an eccentric old lady to do so.

Charles life (and before long, Lydia's as well)gets a bit of a shaking up when a new mother abandons her baby in a box in front of the garage on the Blessing property. Charles is living in the garage, and he discovers the little baby girl.

While I admit it was a bit of a stretch to imagine a young man with Charles background being that taken with a little baby, again, it didn't matter to me, and I was completely taken in by Charles bonding with the baby.

I was rooting for him and Lydia to be able to get it all worked out so the baby will never get taken away from them.

To say whether they are able to do so or not, would be giving away the plot, so I will say no more.

But if you like stories about good people caught up in circumstances, and like character-driven movies -- this one is great.