Martian Child

Chip and I watched Martian Child last night on our dvr's Video On Demand. It starred John and Joan Cusak as brother and sister (which was neat to see!). I was so moved by how patient John's character was with his adopted son, 100% committed to helping him overcome his fears of abandonment and teaching him to open up and learn to love.

Here is a synopsis from imdb.com:

What's the nature of being a parent and of being a child? David is a widower grieving for two years. He writes science fiction and was considered weird as a boy. He meets Dennis, a foster child who claims to be on a mission from Mars, stays in a large box all day, fears sunlight, and wears a belt of flashlight batteries so he won't float away. David takes the six-year-old home on a trial. His sister and his wife's best friend offer support, but the guys are basically alone to figure this out. Dennis takes things, is expelled, and is coached by David in being normal. Will the court approve the adoption, and will Dennis stay? Can a man become a father and a child become a son?

This movie touched me more at this time in my life than it would have before, because of our own pending adoption. It encourages me to have a positive attitude toward raising our future adopted daughter; that we may very well come up against problems associated with abandonment, but that we will face them together, and we will get through them.