It seems some people are rating the movie based on what they think of the mother. And in doing so completely miss the point of the film.
Clearly it is a film that doesn't use the usual music, or other goto's to make the mother seen 'romanticized' etc, purposely drawing light to the cold stark problems with the situations the kid is put through, and yet people upon seeing that the child is put into bad situation time and time again, and as a result they rate the movie poorly.
Poverty is about the lack of choice, poverty is about not having had role models in their lives to show them what good choices look like, poverty is about lack of education to help figure out better decisions, it is about never had opportunities to again gain a practical perspective, and poverty is often about mental health issues, about cooping mechanisms that seem to solve an immediate issue, but cause more problems long term, and poverty is about being looked upon with distaste, and judgement from people who care more about punishment than helping people.
The people rating this film poorly because they dislike the mother or the situation for the child are completely missing the entire point of the film which is to draw awareness to the way that these situations often unravel in real life, this film does a great job portraying the complications, and the frustrations around these issues. And it clearly once again showed that people would rather punish the parent and the child along with them, then help them out of the situation, feeling somehow that 'they would get one over on them' if they didnt' suffer because of the parents choices.
The parent was making horrible decisions, but she clearly loved her child, and by the attitude of anger and distaste for the mother, the child will often get sent from a mother who clearly is above all else, deeply protective and loving of her child, and then these same people criticizing the film will not bat an eyelash as CPS comes in and the child ends up in an abusive household for the child, recreating now an even worse perpetual cycle of poverty and now abuse.
The end determination of what should happen in these situations, is instead of the state spending money to give to a foster family, they should determine that if there is no sign of physical abuse, and it is clear the mother for instance is deeply protective and wants the best for their kid, the solution at worst is find a way to help the mother get on her feet again, as long as they are not drug addicts, that is the best possible outcome. Enough with the judgements on the parent(s) that end up screwing a kid for life.
Stop judging, that doesnt' help solve the issue, and start figuring out how to make that kids life better, and if the mother gets to make bad decisions and still end up being able to provide shelter and food for her kid, honestly, the world is better off for it. Tired of the hate, and anger, that ends up just making the kids in these situations live horrendous lives, and the people forcing that to happen pretend it is the parents fault entirely, when they are supporting a state that is pushing the foster home above a loving but flawed parent.
