In the Best Interest of the Children (1992 TV Movie) User Reviews

In the Best Interest of the Children

[mrforrest · 10/10 · 11 April 2005]

This movie is one of the best if not the best for accurately portraying the roles of Human Resource Departments all over. I am a social worker and this movie hit home in several areas. The actors and actresses all did a wonderful job. Sarah Jessica Parker's portrayal of a conflicted mother with mental problems was believable and wonderful. The girl who played Jessica did an outstanding job as the oldest child who was the "adult" to her younger siblings. This movie was just outstanding all the way around. The supporting actors and actresses strengthened the title roles. Sally Struthers was brilliant as a foster mom who wanted children. Her portrayal was true to life in that in my job I have experienced similar tactics by foster parents wanting to adopt the children placed with them, even though reunification is trying to be worked for with the biological parent. It happens all the time. BRAVO! We need more realistic portrayals like this movie.

I grew up with the real Cooper children

[megzy_2007 · 31 March 2007]

I'd just like to write this and tell all those who have watched the movie that the real cooper kids did end up with their aunt and uncle and they grew to love them very much! The movie portrayed their lives very well and I was only born a year before the court ruled for them to live with their aunt and uncle. So yes, that makes them a lot older than I am but I was good friends with the 3 youngest. But mostly the youngest girl and the boy. Now the only people I have contact to in the film are the aunt, and her sons. The youngest of there sons has a daughter who I love very much. I guess I just wanted to let everyone know that the family is still doing OK. 4 of the 5 children are still around and they are OK.

In The Best Interest of a Selfish Mother

[barbellspell · 10/10 · 5 February 2016]

Wow what a fun way to start a movie, singing in the car. 3 or 4 minutes of happiness, then boom reality sets in. I thought this movie was so awesome and so sad. One thing positive was all the siblings got along. I admired the strength of the oldest girl when she tells the deadbeat bf to get out or she'll kill him. I was wondering how close to reality that was, but very cool. And the birth control scene, wow. Must be horrible to be scolded by your own child. I read the other reviews. It's nice to hear about the kids who acted in the movie and that it was fun. I can relate to the siblings in the movie, multi fathers, step-fathers, mother puts man before her kids, having to be more independent. I love how the oldest girl referred to her mom by her first name near the end, but then it was nice that she she wished her mom luck with getting better. I was like "don't hug", and they didn't. I hate it when they show ppl being forgiven too easily. fave lines Callie goes "Give me another chance" daughter "I gave you ten years" It had a happy ending too. Nice!

Children taken away from their mother...for their best interest

[Lorina N. Subega · 10/10 · 27 December 1999]

I saw this movie a while back..I enjoyed it....Its about a single young mother with many children....a mother who has been going through a lot of boyfriends.....most of the kids are from different dads.....and the only thing that helps the mother take care of all her children is a welfare check.......the boyfriends that she brings home...don't always treat the kids that well....when the mother is to weak to fight...its up to the eldest child to fight for her siblings......as the mother gets too weak and crazy to care.....her kids get taken away to live with foster parents.......the kids struggle to stay together......and pray that they will never get separated.......

A good plain tearjerker!

[Darlawood80 · 11 December 2003]

This movie makes me cry everytime. I truly wish the children's court would look beyond "for the best interest of the children" and look from a child's point of view. I know people who were in child protective custodies as children and who have not fully recovered from being shipped from home to home. Some who ended up with messed up lives, and some who came clean. This movie I think was very good. It reminds me alot of the book "Homecomming" which about four children trying to run away from the system and end up living in their grandmother's home, but this movie has a sad ending. If I were the kids, I'd keep on running to that loving home that every child dreams about.

Frustratingly Real

[musicallover · 25 March 2003]

This is unfortunately what really happens in the so-called child protective services in this country. The movie is well acted by all, kids and adults alike. It's frustrating to watch though. The court system in this story seems to think that these kids who have been neglected and abused by their mentally ill, drinking, smoking, sleeping-around mother should be with her at all costs. The kids finally find people who love them and even want to adopt them, and the system takes them away!! Sorry, didn't want to give stuff away, but it's infuriating to watch. Anyway, if you can stand it, the movie is almost worth it. 6.5 stars.

I was an extra in this movie!

[vande01 · 26 May 2004]

I was an extra in this movie. I was nine or ten at the time. Making this movie was a wonderful experience. I'm in the carnival shot, standing in front of the Sally and the rest of the cast (accident). I was supposed to be a home-made super mouse. But I lost my ears half way through production. We (the extras) were supposed to dress like it was fall in the mid of summer.

The my scene should have been cut, it dragged on to long and didn't have a point, but hey I, the earless mouse will forever play on cable. So cool!

The movie itself is sad, so I usually fast forward to the carnival!

In summary watch the movie..a lot of extras sweated all day for that 2 second carnival scene, and enjoyed every minute!