Nimble-Bird

The premise seemed a little too straightforward at first glance: Doctor becomes patient. But it is so well executed, you can't help but be drawn in. I kept suspecting it was going to turn sappy at any moment, but director Randa Haines does not hold back on the emotional awkwardness that comes from difficult situations. There is much less sentimentality than Haines' best-known film, Children of a Lesser God. And although Hurt is far less "charming" in this film than he was in that one, he actually is more watchable. The more difficult he becomes, the more interesting the film gets.

Another intriguing aspect of the film is the feelings Chritine Lahti's character experiences, from sympathy to anger, to jealousy, to feeling shut out, you name it. In fact, the film could have delved even deeper into their marital discord and it would not have lost me. For some this film may go down a little too easily, but I think the accessibility of the subject matter in this case is an asset.

Natasha Henstridge doesn't stray too far from the role that made her famous in this Lifetime based-on-a-true-story thriller. Once again she's stopping at nothing to get what she wants. This is an attempt to find the real-life subject guilty in the court of audience opinion. It makes the most of Natasha and James Brolin's sex appeal. (Even if Brolin didn't have a dime, he could still land a hot blond.) And it definitely makes a great case for prenuptial agreements. There's nothing out of the ordinary, but it's watchable for what it is. And did I mention that James Brolin puts the SEX back in sexagenarian? There's also a hot younger man too, for those who tune in for more obvious aesthetics. Grade: B-

This film is not groundbreaking, but it is a good film about coming out nonetheless. It does not tread lightly on how cruel peers can be to gay and lesbian teens, not to mention parents. It is hard to believe Stockard Channing, who would later play the compassionate mother of Matthew Shepard, plays a mother who reacts in the exact opposite manner in which you would want a mother to react, despite the fact that she has a gay friend herself.

I would just like to point out that there's a scene in this TV movie where Jane brings her mother to a P-FLAG (Parents and Friends/families of Lesbian and Gay people) meeting. I have been to a meeting, and it was not like the one in this film. Thank goodness they didn't stick my nervous parents in front of a microphone!!! (That may, however, be a necessity at larger meetings, but the one I went to was thankfully a small group thing.) Other than the meeting, many of the elements may seem predictable to gay and gay-friendly viewers, but to younger viewers and the average parent, it'll hold their interest. I'm sure they will find common ground with many of the characters. And the narration (by Jane) works.