Warning: spoilers.
This film drama is factually based on the surrogate birth of what the media and justice system opted to call "Baby M" - The film is set in the 1980's. The surrogate mother in real life was Mary Beth Whitehead, and the receiving parents (who donated US$10k EXPENSES) were Bill and Betsy Stern.
Mary Beth agreed to become artificially inseminated by Bill Stern. Mary Beth, by contract agreed to carry the child, and at the time of birth, give the baby up to the receiving infertile wife Betsy.
All parties signed surrogacy contracts.
BUT - Although as soon as the baby was delivered it was handed to Mary Beth - uh uh - as she held it, you could see in her heart she had decided she was not about to go through with it all.
Then after much emotional wrangling and pleading, Mary Beth was allowed by the Sterns to have the baby for the 'weekend' - this was the begnning of a dash to Florida to M.B.'s family, where a year avoiding and court battles came about, eventaully, after a court order, which culminated in the court order demanding she give up the baby. Mary Beth's husband sneaked off with the baby out of the window, during the commotion.
I hope that's enough spoilers! (and to get you into the film of course) but it does show equally all parties involved in the mess, and warns of the problems that the depth of the human soul can be embroiled.
The above is but the START of the film! - Do give it a chance - I guess we were lucky here in the UK as we get chunks of such films even on commercial channels in half hour slots - we can obviously see that its pieced together from a mini series with fade to blacks.
The film is driven by pure emotion and inner turmoil, it was a success being nominated for many awards - and winning one.
This film drama is factually based on the surrogate birth of what the media and justice system opted to call "Baby M" - The film is set in the 1980's. The surrogate mother in real life was Mary Beth Whitehead, and the receiving parents (who donated US$10k EXPENSES) were Bill and Betsy Stern.
Mary Beth agreed to become artificially inseminated by Bill Stern. Mary Beth, by contract agreed to carry the child, and at the time of birth, give the baby up to the receiving infertile wife Betsy.
All parties signed surrogacy contracts.
BUT - Although as soon as the baby was delivered it was handed to Mary Beth - uh uh - as she held it, you could see in her heart she had decided she was not about to go through with it all.
Then after much emotional wrangling and pleading, Mary Beth was allowed by the Sterns to have the baby for the 'weekend' - this was the begnning of a dash to Florida to M.B.'s family, where a year avoiding and court battles came about, eventaully, after a court order, which culminated in the court order demanding she give up the baby. Mary Beth's husband sneaked off with the baby out of the window, during the commotion.
I hope that's enough spoilers! (and to get you into the film of course) but it does show equally all parties involved in the mess, and warns of the problems that the depth of the human soul can be embroiled.
The above is but the START of the film! - Do give it a chance - I guess we were lucky here in the UK as we get chunks of such films even on commercial channels in half hour slots - we can obviously see that its pieced together from a mini series with fade to blacks.
The film is driven by pure emotion and inner turmoil, it was a success being nominated for many awards - and winning one.