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Reviews
Blackout (1985)
Really excellent quality for a made-for-TV film - (POSSIBLE SPOILERS)
I think that many of the complaints leveled against this movie are mostly due to the fact that it is similar to the theatrically-released film "Jagged Edge". Because "Blackout" was made for television and because most people saw "Jagged Edge" first, "Blackout" is seen as derivative. Nothing could be further from the truth. If anything, "Blackout" is the superior film, in my opinion. The performances are wonderful. Quinlan & Carradine give the best performances of their careers & Widmark was one of the best actors ever, bar none. Because the solutions to the crimes are similar in both movies, "Blackout" suffers by comparison. If "Blackout" had been released theatrically a few months earlier, nobody would remember "Jagged Edge" now.
Kids Like These (1987)
Obviously made for television, but nice!
While the earlier reviewer is correct in that this made-for-TV movie lacks a certain amount of depth, it is still a very lovely and hopeful look at the problems and rewards of raising a child with Down's Syndrome. The screenplay, written by Emily Perl Kingsley, is a largely autobiographical account of the experiences she and her husband had raising their son. Perhaps the most touching moment of the film is when Tyne Daly, speaking to a group about Down's children, reads Ms. Kingley's seminal "Welcome to Holland" essay.
There were many wonderful performances in the movie, most notably Ms. Daly and Richard Crenna. While this film doesn't dwell on the myriad problems facing those who care for the mentally-impaired, I think it does present the ways in which love and faith can make wonderful things arise out of the most tragic circumstances. And I don't think you can ask more of a movie-of-the week.