The Children Nobody Wanted

Frederic Lehne stars as the real-life Tom Butterfield, a college student distressed by the plight of homeless children. He'd like to adopt a few of these kids, but Missouri law prohibits such a circumstance for an unmarried man. At great personal cost to himself both financially and emotionally, the 21-year-old Butterfield becomes the youngest single adult ever to be granted a foster-parent license, using this privilege to set up a Boy's Town-like home for unwanted youngsters. Lehne's costar is Michelle Pfeiffer, on the threshold of bigger things. Tom Butterfield, the subject of The Children Nobody Wanted, died less than a year after this TV movie's debut. I wonderful real life movie, showing the difference one man can do.

This movie is one that will touch your heart. Tom Butterfield a young man in living MO adopts a orphan and then another and then another until he has a house full of kids. Saving them from the terrible orphanages they live in and abuse, with the help of his girlfriend, played by the wonderful Michelle Pfeiffer, in one of her best roles ever. It is a loving story of how one mans drive and open heart saved many young lives and continues to do so even today.

My mom worked with Tom Butterfield at the mental health institution where he worked. I went to school with many of the kids from the ranch, including the real "Zim." Another kid from the ranch invited me out to the ranch for a Saturday of horseback riding (each kid had their own horse at the time) in 1963 when I was 8 and I met and was quite impressed by Tom Butterfield. The movie was not over-dramatized at all as these were pretty much how events transpired. In Marshall, I was close friends with the family of Joey Turley, who played Tom's first kid in the movie and even remember his birth. This movie depicts a very interesting time in Marshall, though I was too young to understand all that was going on at the time. It always seems strange for me to see in it many of the real people that I knew in town, as characters portrayed by actors and it was quite interesting to see the filming of the movie in our fair town. I do have many memories of the kids at the original ranch, including Johnny Kates and the great work that Tom Butterfield was performing and what he stood for. Tom's passing was a very sad occasion.

If Tom lived and did what he did here in England he would be Sir Tom now. What a wonderful man I watched the film and was extremely moved. If there were other great men/women like Tom the world would be a happier place. We should hear more about Tom although the film says it all. The USA should have given him The Con Medal of Honour. Plus any other honors they could find. What a great, great man. Such courage and determination I will always be a great admirer. I have recorded the film it has been shown in the UK on 01 January 2013. I am sure many many people here in England were moved by the film too and will write many comments. Here's to you Sir Thomas

So many courageous people like Tom go unnoticed. Until this film I had not heard of Tom. He should have been recognised as an outstanding person. It takes courage to stand up to the intimidating threats of bully's, hypocrites. Worse still is Bureaucracy that is chin-deep in red tape and useless unnecessary procedures and regulations made up by people who do not have a clue about the people they are supposed to be protecting and refuse to budge when those same rules cause worse situations and danger. YET! He still carried on his amazing work, both he and Jennifer sacrificed and gave up so much of their own lives. As someone says here already "in England he would have been made a 'Sir' ". This film was so very emotional that I cried. Tom truly was an astonishing person to have achieved all he did in his very short life. I feel for Jen and her loss, the first boys too must have been devastated. They must be so grateful for the better start in life he gave them. It would be very interesting to know what lives they have led after they left his care. I would have been very humbled to have met him and Jen, I would have felt honoured.