Wonderful movie. It was a Disney telemovie, of all things, and Woodard walked away with a much-deserved Emmy nomination for it, which was and is rare for a Disney TV movie.At this time, Woodard could have done a commercial and she would have received recognition, she was that good.By far, the best part was the ending, showing the real Mary Thomas and her sons, including Isaiah, talking about her. It seemed to all be in stride for all of them.They mostly talked about when she pulled a shotgun out from under the sink to run off some gang members who wanted Isaiah."I didn't know she had that gun under there! Did you know she had it under there?" They can all laugh about it now.I was thinking about this today. Two remarkable women.One lived it and the other superbly and believably portrayed it on film.

This is the story of Mary Thomas, mother of basketball superstar Isaiah Thomas, and the things she did to ensure a good life for her children. It chronicles their family's life in the projects and the struggles they went through, such as lack of money, health issues and even violence (one of her sons being involved with a vigilante group and also the drive-by shooting of a friend of Isaiah's are dealt with). It shows how strong Mary Thomas' love for her children is and follows, to some extent, the life of Isaiah as he progressed through high school and on through graduation at college. This is a thoroughly enjoyable movie and I hope to see it again some day!

The story of a devoted mother's efforts to keep her children on the straight and narrow, despite the many temptations facing them on the streets of their squalid neighbourhood. Dramatisation of real events, as they say.