i actually enjoy this movie portrayal of life with a severely autistic child . i love the mom mouthy way of deal with her life and her reality . i could easily relate to her life and the way she be handle thing . i could also understand her amazement at find that her son could do more than she think he could . but have the movie end with her put her child into an institution and walk out the door . and her final speech to her son where she tell him that she have be hold him back . that spoil it for me a bit . this movie very unfortunate message seem to be that it be the mother fault that her child be autistic and the best thing for autistic child be to go live in an institution and the best thing for mom of autistic child be to put their child in an institution and get out and have a life . there be also a point make that mom who do not want to put their child into an institution be just use their kid to make themselves feel special . i believe that this movie be a very good representation of 1994. kirstie alley do a fantastic job of convey the complex emotion involve in raise a child who simultaneously need her desperately and barely acknowledge her existence . the speech that she give when her husband be leave her be exactly right . we do what we have to do no matter how hard it be to do . and the unfortunate truth be that most father of special need kid do leave . they can not handle it and they give up and leave it all to the mother to handle on her own . and by the time some actually nice man come along who want to accept and help and be part of the family the mother be so worn out she can not feel anything except what must be do . the complex combination of hope and despair be beautifully portray here . i would love to see this movie make again with the same cast but with a different end . i would like to see the mom find a school that be during the day only to take care of and teach her son and then she could have her day free to pursue her own interest . she could see her son progress and learn how to help him learn life skill at home . a she begin to relax and have more hope and less despair on a daily basis she become able to reconnect with her own self again . of course i love kirstie alley and stockard channing and sam waterston so much i would watch those three do just about anything . it be such a treat to see all three of them together and do a show about a subject so close to my heart .