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This glossy, at times harrowing, heart-tugger is dominated by the towering performance of Susan Sarandon as the determined and bolshie Michaela Odone, who takes on the medical establishment when her young son is diagnosed with a rare and normally fatal wasting disease. But Nick Nolte is less successful as the boy's father, Augusto, sporting a bizarre Italian accent. You'll either love or loathe this intelligent, well-made wallow that's ably directed by Mad Max veteran George Miller. It's based on a true story — the boy, although still profoundly handicapped, is now a man and living happily in New York.

"...[A] cinematic wonder....An exhilarating experience akin to watching a breathless mystery thriller unfold..." -- 4 out of 4 stars