charles mcdougall resume include direct episode on sex and the city and desperate housewife and queer a folk and big love and the office and etc . so he come with all the credential to make the tv film version of meg wolitzer novel surrender and dorothy a success . and for the most part he manage to keep this potentially sappy story about sudden death of a loved one and than manner in which the people in her life react afloat . sara ( alexa davalos ) a beautiful unmarried young woman be accompany her best friend gay playwright adam ( tom everett scott ) and adam current squeeze shawn ( chris pine ) and and married couple maddy ( lauren german ) and peter ( josh hopkins ) with their infant son to a house in the hampton for a summer vacation . the group seem jolly until a trip to the local ice creamery by adam and sara ) result in an auto accident which kill sara . meanwhile sara mother natalie swedlow ( diane keaton ) who have an active social life but intrusively call here daughter constantly with the mutual greeting surrender and dorothy and be play it up elsewhere represent when she receive the phone call that sara be dead she immediately come to the hampton where her overbearing personality and grief create friction among sara friend . slowly but surely natalie uncovers secret about each of them and thrive on talk about sara a though do so would bring her to life . natalie thirst for truth at any cost result in major change among the group and it be only through the binding love of the departed sara that they all eventually come together . diane keaton be at her best in these role that walk the thread between drama and comedy and her presence hold the story together . the screenplay have it moment for good line and but it also have a lot of filler that become a bit heavy and morose make the actor obviously uncomfortable with the line they be give . yes and this story have be tell many time the impact of sudden death on the life of those whose privacy be alter by disclosure but the film move along with a cast pace and have enough genuine entertainment to make it worth watch . grady harp .