Stuck

"Stuck" is a bit different from most documentaries because a celebrity narrates this film (Mariska Hargitay). It's a heartbreaking account of the insanely long, difficult and often arbitrary process of completing foreign adoptions. On average, the film indicated it takes about 2 1/2 years but some of the examples in the film took three or even four years to complete. During this interval, the kids languish in overcrowded, understaffed and sometimes filthy orphanages--orphanages where the kids are rarely touched and receive very, very little affection. Through my job as a social worker and psychotherapist years ago, I saw firsthand how damaged these kids were--kids who often had attachment disorders (they were unable to bond with anyone and were completely asocial) or serious medical problems (in the most severe cases, they just die to to emotional neglect). The worst part about this film is that it is apparently NO ONE'S problem. In other words, in bureaucratic institutions in the US and these foreign countries, unaccountable non-elected officials have no incentive to do their jobs swiftly or efficiently.

While this film MIGHT serve as a wakeup call for change, it might also serve to dissuade young adoptive parents who simply don't want to be used and abused by a faceless system. All in all, a well made, sobering and super-depressing film.