Two Mothers for Zachary

This is the best film I have ever seen. For some reason I can't find it to buy on video or DVD but I have it taped twice and watch it most weekends. The acting is all great with the possible slight exception of vanessa redgrave's accent. The story is very sad but America seems rather backward in accepting homosexuality and this portrayal is a great way of telling people that the situation needs to change. 10/10.

I've seen this movie several times,and it always makes me angry when it comes to the scene of the grandmother and the policeman yanking the little boy out of his mothers arms.i really wished i had been there during that scene,i wanted to tell jodys meddling mother exactly what i thought of her.i didn't think the court system was fair to her,her sexual orientation is nooone else's business,what did that have to do with raising her son?the state of virginia needs to have their laws changed,next thing you know,theyll be taking kids out of their homes because the parents play monopoly or something.the virginia legal system really stinks.i hope she eventually got her son back.

This was shown on channel 5 in england on 5/9/03 and channel 5 not normally being a very good channel i was going to skip this movie, even though it sounded quite 'interesting'. But then I decided i was going to watch it and i was glad that I did. I felt so sorry for Jodi in the way that her mother is basically a Nazi German commander! And Zachary was so sweet. This movie really pulled at my heartstrings and I'm normally a hard hearted person! Made for TV movies aren't normally great, but I really quite liked this film and I'd watch it again. I'd quite like to know what happened in the end though! The character of Maggie Fergus was a good and likeable character too, I liked her fiery and funny nature.

I saw this comment here - quote "looking at it from the moral point of view, the Bible, which is the ultimate moral authority, teaches us that homosexuality is wrong, so wrong it is and the matter cannot be up for discussion" this is the worst comment I ever read on this site. Narrow minded zealotry from the arrogant believers in the book who cannot think their own thoughts outside the straight jacket of fundamentalism. This was a good depiction of a true horror story of bigotry (a view of a straight male). How was what happened the best outcome for the child, or natural justice? This was on TV here in the UK today. It is hard to accept society has not advanced to accept things without reference to religious considerations.

When I first saw this film, I was sure it had to be fictional because I found it incredible to believe in a country supposedly as advanced and civilised as the US that such a court could actually sanction separating a loving mother from her own child.

The film revolves around Jody Ann Shaffell, a decent, law-abiding woman who just happens to be a lesbian. But when her little son Zachary is born, her bigoted, vile-excuse-for-a-mother Nancy Shaffell takes her to court to sue for full custody of the child, citing that a lesbian household is not a suitable environment to raise children in. Valerie Bertinelli does a good job as Jody Ann, portraying her determination and unyielding love for her son while Vanessa Redgrave is just perfect in her role as Nancy, depicting the character's vindictiveness, prejudices and moral blindness.

This is a film not just about Jody Ann's plight as a mother who has lost her infant child for no justifiable reason but also one that questions just what goes through the minds of the judges who serve in US courts that their own personal beliefs are allowed to cloud their rulings, decisions that have an impact on people for many years to come. This is not a film for those with high blood pressure because it just leaves your blood boiling when Jody Ann and her son are continually failed by both the courts and the selfish Nancy. One can only hope that when Zachary is old enough, he realises what a hateful grandmother he has that she kept him away from his devoted mother and he goes on to sue the judge who made such a disgusting, bigoted ruling in the custody battle.