“Loving our own children is an exercise for the imagination,” writes Andrew Solomon, psychologist and author of Far From the Tree, a book recently adapted into a moving and challenging documentary.
“Though many of us take pride in how different we are from our parents,” Solomon explains, “we are endlessly sad at how different our children are from us.”
Solomon’s wisdom from the book carries into the film — a consideration of how several different families live with and love children who have been deemed different.
… The film develops a handful of stories, each complex and endearing. The stories are woven into the broader narrative, but never become confusing or blurred.
… “How do we decide what to cure and what to celebrate?” Solomon wonders. By allowing subjects to narrate and show us their own lives, he and the filmmakers place that power where it belongs.
… We ride along with the rising and falling emotions of these families, and while the film does offer a few pleasant surprises at the end, it’s true gift is authenticity. Difference, Far From the Tree argues, is a gift of life.
(To read the full review, please visit U.S. Catholic.)
