J.T.

I saw this movie when I was 9 yrs old and to this day it is the saddest movie i have ever seen. I even remember crying when it was over, but I haven't seen it for 35 yrs. The movie made a lasting impression on me, especially since I myself just found a stray cat in a warehouse and nursed it back to health. I wish I could find a copy for my kids who are also cat lovers. It is a must see movie, whether you're an animal lover or not. If you ever have the chance to see this movie, do not pass it up. Its a great family movie, despite how old the movie is an I, personally, think it is one of the best "made for TV" movies ever. I would give this movie my highest rating. Once again, its an excellent film.

J.T. debuted on CBS in 1969 and won a Peabody Award that year. I probably saw it in 1969, but I know for sure I saw it during the 1970s as it was rebroadcast several times, usually around Christmas.

Although a bit of a sentimental weeper, the acting and portrayal of life in a tough urban neighborhood are gritty and believable. I doubt that today's tastemakers would approve of anything so realistic being offered as fare for children.

It is too bad J.T. is no longer broadcast and is not readily available on VHS or DVD. To my mind, J.T. is as much of a Christmas classic as It's A Wonderful Life or A Christmas Story.

There are no words fulsome enough to describe "JT." I remember seeing it many years ago, the first time it was shown. Seldom had I been moved so much by anything. Apparently scores of other viewers felt the same way, because it was run again a week later. I remember that Doris Day (a great animal lover) introduced this second showing, saying that the first had been "a happening." And so it was. JT, a little black boy being raised by his mother and grandmother, trying to bring him up right despite all the odds against him, finds a purpose in his life when he finds, adopts, and cares for a scroungy black and white alley cat. "JT" has a kind of double ending, the first so tragic, so sad, and the other hopeful. One gets the impression that JT will finally grow up, because of the responsibility he took for the cat and that the cruelty of his life, the fate of the cat, will make him a man that his mother and grandmother can be proud of. I always associate "JT" with Christmas and, thankfully, I taped it. Watch "JT" if you ever get the chance. Trust me--you will cry--

They showed this movie to us in school when I was 7 or 8 years old and it was just so sad. Having grown up in a rough part of Chicago I connected with the settings and characters in the film right away and this film has stayed with me for the last 38 years. The film pulls you back and forth between joy and sorrow. between anger and sympathy. It will pull at you heart only to be devastated at the climax of the story. Even the villains in the film seem to realize what they have done and they suddenly go from being characters to hate to just people playing their role in the urban jungle. There are some very valuable lessons to be learned from this film for people of all ages and I would recommend it to anyone.

I saw this movie when I was about 10 and it had a profound effect on me. Growing up in a white, middle class neighborhood, I had very little exposure to people of different races and cultures. Seeing how a boy about the same age as I lived so differently prepared me in a small way in dealing with people from different backgrounds later in life. When I saw how JT got so much happiness from a simple thing like adopting a kitten and caring for it really made me appreciate what I had and put things into perspective for me. I think this movie made in 1969 would still hold its own today. If anyone from PBS or Nickelodeon reads this, there are a lot of 30- and 40-somethings out there who would love to see this re-released and watch it with their children. If this ever happens to come on in your area, DON'T MISS IT and make copies of it.