Times flies. The last time I saw Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio--well, was when she was Tom Cruise's girlfriend in "The Color of Money". Now, she is playing a mother. Without giving the plot away, the movie deals with guilt, denial, grief, and loss. Secrets are lethal, and they seem to abound in so many families.This film is a sumptuous production. Only the likes of Hallmark and Playhouse 90 could offer such a magnificent presentation. There is a stellar cast, brilliant direction, and fine editing. The story is true to life, and naturally slow as the arduous events pull at your heart strings. This is a tearjerker, and you will need at least one box of tissue. Generously pass the Kleenex around because all of the viewers will need them. The timing is just right for some serious issues, there is actually some resolution, and the ending is a myriad of emotional fireworks. I cannot praise this film enough, and rank it a 10 out of 10. This movie is a definite award winner, and a must see. But, it's not just a film for families. It's a film for singles, and everyone. But, to really appreciate this movie, you must be open to feelings, and be willing to deal with issues. Yes, life can be as difficult, as it can be rewarding. But, with just the right measure of love and support, we can rise to life's joys and its challenges. Bravo!

If there was a plot, it took more than 30 min to unfold and I was unable to watch any longer. The acting and production was fine but it was such a shame to waste the talent and money to produce this boring script.The Russell girl (Tamblyn) comes home to share some bad news, presumably that she is about to die of leukemia, and runs into a brooding next door neighbor harboring some grudge from another time. Sarah's mom (Mastrantonio) is so clueless about listening to Sarah's mood that Sarah starts brooding too. Tamblyn's natural brooding is so over used by this script that the first 30 minutes has enough brooding for three or four movies. As scene after scene goes by without disclosure of the root problems, my snooze level rises. After 30 minutes or so I was done. I was very BORED, and angry that my time and the talents of this great cast were wasted by this director and producer.

If the news is not good ...Of COURSE the news isn't good. This is a Hallmark Hall of Fame production.Sarah Russell is a buyer for Macy's in Chicago. She wanted to go to medical school, but so far she has not been accepted anywhere. But now she may not get the chance to go to medical school anyway. She has Acute Myelogenous Leukemia, and while it can be treated, she needs to act quickly.Sarah goes home, since she has vacation time coming. Once she has returned to her hometown, she meets former boyfriend Evan, who works at his father's gas station. Evan is actually an investment banker in Dallas, but when his father had a stroke, he had to come home temporarily to help out, doing what he could in his other job by means of technology. After a minor accident, Sarah has an excuse to spend time with Evan, who can do the necessary repairs to her car.When Sarah returns to her parents' house, Lorraine from across the street sees her, goes inside and tells her husband "The Russell Girl" is back, in a tone that makes it appear Sarah was part of some scandal years ago. Lorraine, who restores furniture and related items, soon becomes depressed and bitter, and almost incapable of functioning because of migraines. She won't even watch her teenage son playing in an important baseball game.Sarah's parents are happy to see her, and they have a telephone message she believes they would rather not have heard. No, it's not that. She actually has been accepted to Northwestern's medical school. Sarah can't give them the bad news now. There may be more to her refusal to say anything, though.The movie has important messages about forgiveness and dealing with guilt. Amber Tamblyn and Jennifer Ehle both give superior performances. Ehle has the greater challenge because of her wide range of moods, but she also delivers some unexpected moments. Tamblyn also has to show a wide range. Fortunately, a movie that could have been quite depressing has some pleasant moments and even some humor. For example, the girl at the karaoke bar would never make it past Simon Cowell.Young children may be upset by one scene (although the references to cancer would be enough to discourage them anyway), but the event is critical and only implied (the tragic result is mentioned explicitly several times). Brief flashbacks, and one longer one, look like a World Book Encyclopedia illustration of one type of color blindness. It is the long flashback that is the key to the whole movie.It was worthy of the name Hallmark.

As the movie opens in Chicago, we see the "Russell girl" Amber Tamblyn as Sarah Russell, college graduate who aspires to medical school but has not been accepted yet and is working in Chicago in retail. But we also see her going to a clinic to get what turns out to be some bad news, she is sick with a form of leukemia. So she travels home to Staunton, Illinois, to "burn off" some of her vacation. But her real reason was the illness, and she wasn't sure how she would handle or even tell her family.Across the street lives Jennifer Ehle as Lorainne Morrisey, with her family which includes two teen-age sons. We find out there had been a tragedy about 6 years earlier, Lorainne lost her young daughter and had never gotten over it.The movie has two main stories, how Sarah deals with her illness, and her old boyfriend whom she wants to be with, but doesn't want to burden him with her problems. The other is how Lorainne can get over her loss and live life again. Not a great movie, but a good enough one.SPOILERS: Sarah had been involved in the tragedy, she was the babysitter, trying to quell a fight between the two sons when the daughter fell down the stairs into the basement, and dying from her injuries. Lorainne had never forgiven Sarah, and was mean to her when she saw her. She was also angry at her husband for not fixing the basement door to prevent what happened. But finally we learn that Lorianne had bought the wrong screws, that is why the door was not fixed. The tragedy was really no one's fault, sometimes bad things happen to good people. Sarah eventually told her parents and friends, and was also accepted into medical school, but as the movie ends she is focusing on her treatment.