Tammy Frasier (Tracy Nelson) decides to have her downs syndrome son Jesse adopted by Peggy and George Young (Susan Blakeney and Marshall R Teague), against the wishes of her mother Lucille Jenkins (Patty Duke), owner of a Memphis Craft Store and wife of airline worker Lamar (WG Bailey. Tammy refuses to let Lucille take Jesse so Lucille blocks the adoption process, and a family is divided by a court hearing.
At times Duke looks very beautiful, aided by her wealthy woman's clothing eg a pink suit and white stockings. Her Lucille is an abrasive somewhat unlikeable person, Duke uses the southern accent and Lucille's jump in her step suggests a manic physicality. Duke is funny raising her eyes with `I keep thinking this is our second chance', intimidating a doctor with `Why didn't you say they were fine too' and `I saw you when you were a baby in the tub. Don't you act like some high and mighty doctor'. In her childish resentment with `They didn't wanna stay. And after I made a whole supper and everything', pulling a face at Jesse, re the Young's house of 15 children `I'm not criticising. I'm just saying I find the place depressing'. To a lawyer about the Young's `Don't get me started'. Her reaction to news of the pregnancy of her daughter-in-law Donna (Morgan Brayton), to Lamar `I guess that's why everybody's afraid to tell me things', and pushing him away with `Get outtahere' when he compares her to Joan of Arc.
The teleplay by Selma Thompson, based on a true story, includes cliched lines like `The lord doesn't give us more than we can handle' and `We did the best we could. I guess that wasn't good enough', but also an hilarious scene where Lucille and Tammy go on a tabloid television show. The Young's house being referred to as an `institution' seems odd since it is more like a hippie live-in play centre. Thompson's decision to demonise Lucille as a grandmother is an interesting choice, in lieu of painting Tammy as weak for not being able to provide for Jesse, and when Lucille is more considerate but Tammy is unable to forgive her.
Director Michael Katleman creates a false expectation when we see a male window washer and hear a woman saying `He's the cutist thing' when she is actually referring to Jesse, though the use of the song Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas over a montage of Christmas at the Jenkins and Young households is perhaps unwise. Surprisingly, Bailey in a change of pace role, and Nelson are both strong.
