Based on a novel by Karen Kingsbury, "Like Dandelion Dust" recounts what happens when the "white-trash" birth parents (Mira Sorvino, Barry Pepper) of a happily adopted young child (Maxwell Perry Cotton) decide they want him back after he has lived his whole life with his new mom and dad (Kate Levering, Cole Hauser), who are loving and financially secure. What makes the case against the birth parents even more compelling is that the father is an alcoholic abuser who has spent seven years in prison for brutally beating his wife. But because he never signed off on the adoption—indeed, never knew he had a son—he has a legal claim to the child. He further asserts he is a changed man and wants a second chance at being a husband and father. His wife reluctantly agrees. A brutal tug of war between the families ensues.
The performances are splendid. Pepper's birth dad is every bit the creepy sleaze even as he tries to transform himself and do the right thing. Hauser is equally fascinating as a highly successful man experiencing helplessness for the first time. Levering is spot on as the dependent wife, never doubting her husband's ability to solve all problems, who suddenly realizes she has to come up with a plan for the family's survival. Cotton is a revelation as the sensitive child torn between the two sets of parents.
But in the end, the film is Sorvino's. Hers is the true victim here, anguished as she grapples with her love for her son and her moral conviction that she must let him go. Credit must be given to the creative team—screenwriters Stephen J. Rivele, Michael LaChance, and especially director Jon Gunn—for allowing Sorvino's to be a simpatico figure without confusing the larger issue. There's never a moment's doubt as to what's in the best interest of the child.
Genre: Drama. Directed by: Jon Gunn. Written by: Stephen J. Rivele and Michael Lachance. Starring: Mira Sorvino, Barry Pepper, Kate Levering, Maxwell Perry Cotton, and Cole Hauser.