forget all those sappy romantic movie involve notebook and lip lock couple who somehow manage to go to the great beyond together after a screen lifetime of over simplified unrealistic romance . forget all those shameless dog give it life to save it family flick ( although i have to admit that i have a soft spot for them myself ) . forget ricky schroeder already display his propensity to overact at a tender age ( now that one be shameless . ) . this tv movie and which unfortunately never seem to get air anymore and be the all time champion of tear jerker and hand down . and a well write and well acted story to boot . ann margret take a big chance in take this role . nothing flamboyant or sexy about her here and and that a monumental achievement in itself . base on a true story and she play lucile fray and a terminally ill mother who choose to struggle till her die breath to find good home for her ten child and instead of leave them in the hand of unpredictable government agency . frederic forrest do a great job a her husband and the good hearted but unreliable breadwinner whose cripple arthritis and personal demon make him unable to care for the kid . the film take u through lucile heart wrench process of interview prospective parent and then watch her kid leave home . it also give u the perspective of the child themselves and and of the father grieving over the tragedy take place now and the one sure to follow and and frustrate over his inability to do more . the scene in which the young of the child ( steven ) be take to his new home be the most heart break i have ever watch . now and i grow up a a hopeless romantic and and have spend the many year since then grow myself a hard and more cynical shell . i usually find more to mock than to empathize with in the sentimental cinematic tripe foist upon u these day . but this gem from the early 1980 still slay me . i really wish that someone with a lick of marketing sense would release a dvd version of this drama . among the special feature one need to include the emmy award telecast the following year . a m be nominate for this role and but the award for best dramatic actress go to barbara stanwyck for thorn bird . in what have to be one of the great moment in what be now a truly drab award show and stanwyck break into tear during her acceptance speech and gush out and ann margret and i love you . and which bring ann m to tear . one final note . the imdb rating for who will love my child be 6 . 4 a of this writing . however and over 75 % of the rating be in the 8 10 range ( mostly 10 ) . whatever kind of handicap system this site use to modify the overall rating of the movie list by imdb and it completely miss the mark on this one . this one be the weeper of all time and and a darn good tv movie to boot .