What Makes a Family

Plot

Based on a true story, the movie involves a lesbian couple living in Florida who choose to have a child. Janine Nielsen (Brooke Shields) and her partner, Sandy Cataldi (Cherry Jones), elect to conceive a baby via artificial insemination with Sandy as the biological mother. After the birth of their daughter Heather, Sandy is diagnosed with systemic lupus when she collapses at the baby's christening. The couple handles the disease for several years until Sandy dies. Following her death, Sandy's parents (Anne Meara and Al Waxman) sue to gain custody of the child. Addressing moral, legal and ethical issues, Janine's lawyer (Whoopi Goldberg) wins the custody battle after a video tape surfaces in which Sandy expressed her love for both Janine and Heather and her wish for them to stay together.

Production

The movie was directed by Maggie Greenwald, with the screenplay written by Robert L. Freedman. The executive producers were Barbra Streisand, Whoopi Goldberg, Cis Corman, Craig Zadan and Neil Meron.

Cast

Reception

Ron Wertheimer from The New York Times praised several aspects of movie and stated: "Dripping with good intentions but enriched by performances of genuine depth, What Makes a Family, tonight on Lifetime, rises several notches above the usual based-on-a-true-story television movie." Andy Webb from The Movie Scene gave "What Makes a Family" three out of five stars, concluding: "What this all boils down to is that "What Makes a Family" was not the movie I expected and in some ways a far better one. Instead of being the legal drama about rights what you get is this pleasant drama about being a family and it works."

What Makes a Family won one GLAAD Media Award in the category of "Outstanding Television Movie". The film was also nominated for one Humanitas Prize in the category of "90 Minute or Longer Cable Category".