Based on a true story of Iowa farm wife Lucile Fray. Ann-Margret plays a dying mother of ten whose last wish is to find loving families for her children.Based on a true story of Iowa farm wife Lucile Fray. Ann-Margret plays a dying mother of ten whose last wish is to find loving families for her children.Based on a true story of Iowa farm wife Lucile Fray. Ann-Margret plays a dying mother of ten whose last wish is to find loving families for her children.
- Won 1 Primetime Emmy
- 3 wins & 9 nominations total
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I saw this movie so long ago, but it remains in my memory as the saddest movie ever. I cried non stop. My mother will not ever watch this movie again because its almost painful to watch. Anyway, apart from that the story isn't exactly complex...Ann Margaret is dying and has to give away her 10(?) children. As if that isn't bad enough, it is during the depression and she has to break up the close siblings one by one. I guess this was very sad to me because I too am from a very large close knit family and could identify with each child's pain of leaving their mother and siblings.
Maybe I am a masochist but I would like to see this movie again because it was well done and the end, surprisingly, is slightly happy (so at least we could smile and sob simultaneously). It should come on TV sometime so I can see it again.
Maybe I am a masochist but I would like to see this movie again because it was well done and the end, surprisingly, is slightly happy (so at least we could smile and sob simultaneously). It should come on TV sometime so I can see it again.
10kengewa
I have nothing but praise for this movie and cast, especially Ann Margaret. But more importantly I have praise for my in-laws who were (are) the adoptive parents of Warren and Frank in real life. I met most of the "children" at Warren's wedding in 1989. This is an amazing story and is even more incredible to me knowing the family and what everyone went through. It is also enjoyable for me to see how my in-laws were portrayed in the movie. It was pretty accurate. My wife even enjoys seeing some little details such as a toaster that she remembered from her childhood. Yes, it is a hard movie to watch, but so amazing and heartfelt.
The beauty of this story for me is how many of the children passed through my in-laws lives and, as a result of marrying their daughter,and having Warren as a brother-in-law, how many I have met in mine. For the past 20 years this story has been a part of my life because of what my mother-in-law has shared with me. That and knowing Warren. For what it is worth, Warren lives in California with his family. He married his high school sweetheart, who he reconnected with at his 20 year high school reunion.
There was a show in the 1980's called "That's Incredible." They had a reunion of the family who also got to meet the cast of the show.
For anyone's interest, the DVD is available in Great Britain and Australia. It is a tough video to come by here in the United States and I have not been able to find a DVD here, yet.
The beauty of this story for me is how many of the children passed through my in-laws lives and, as a result of marrying their daughter,and having Warren as a brother-in-law, how many I have met in mine. For the past 20 years this story has been a part of my life because of what my mother-in-law has shared with me. That and knowing Warren. For what it is worth, Warren lives in California with his family. He married his high school sweetheart, who he reconnected with at his 20 year high school reunion.
There was a show in the 1980's called "That's Incredible." They had a reunion of the family who also got to meet the cast of the show.
For anyone's interest, the DVD is available in Great Britain and Australia. It is a tough video to come by here in the United States and I have not been able to find a DVD here, yet.
I saw this movie when it came out on ABC. That was about 19 years ago. It's a heart-breaking true story. A mother finds out she has cancer and tries to find homes for all of her children before she passes away. I've been trying to find out how I can see this movie again.
A single mother has a terminal disease and has to give away all her children. This is officially the saddest film ever made - a real tear-jerker.
This is one of the best tv-movies I ever saw. What makes it so gut-wretching is that it is a true story. I cannot imagine living this in real life like these people did. But what makes me angry is at the 1983 Emmy Awards, Ann-Margret lost to Barbara Stanwyck in the category for Best Lead Actress in a Special. This was the first inclination to me that Ann-Margret could really act. Up until then, I always thought of her as the glitzy Las Vegas performer.
Did you know
- TriviaAt the Emmy Awards ceremony, Barbara Stanwyck won the award for best actress for "The Thorn Birds" over Ann-Margret for "Who Will Love My Children?" In accepting the award, Stanwyck said, "This is an honor. But the woman who should have won this award is sitting over there," pointing to Ann-Margret. "I think she gave one of the finest, most beautiful performances I have ever seen. Ann-Margret, you were superb."
- Alternate versionsTwo different variations exist: the opening on-screen disclaimer is read by Ann-Margret, but in the international theatrical version, it's in a different alignment and her voice is not heard. The ending credits are featured over a still image of the Fray family and in the international version, the end credits roll against a simple black background.
- ConnectionsFeatured in The 35th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards (1983)
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