Adoption and fostering can change the lives of many. It not only affects you and your family but also touches the little ones you have vowed to look after, love, and make a part of your family. Adopting or fostering a child can have its challenges initially, but eventually, it all ends well. Thus, it is no wonder many directors have tried to capture and portray it on the big screen. If you are looking for some movies that tell the story of adoption and foster care, here are some heart-touching ones you must watch.
They are tear-jerkers and show all the possible challenges of adoption and foster care along with how rewarding it can be at the end. However, just a heads up, some of the scenes might make you super emotional. So, keeping a tissue box nearby might be a good idea before you get exploring with these works of art.
Annie (2014) – PG
Academy Award nominee Quvenzhané Wallis stars as Annie in this movie about adoption and foster care. She is a happy, young foster child who lives with a young but mean foster mom, Miss Hannigan (played by Cameron Diaz). However, her life changes for the better when New York mayoral candidate William Stacks (played by Jamie Foxx) decides to adopt her. This musical comedy-drama is great to watch with your kiddos as you can get your other children used to the idea of welcoming an adopted sibling into their household.
Manchester by the Sea (2016) – R
This is a heart-touching movie that has its moments that will surely make you teary-eyed. The story revolves around Lee Chandler, who is shocked to learn that his deceased brother, Joe, has made him the sole guardian of his son Patrick, a spirited teenage boy. He reluctantly returns to Manchester-by-the-Sea to care for his teen nephew. However, the duo struggle to adjust to a world without Joe.
Lion (2016) – PG-13
A five-year-old Indian boy, Saroo, is adopted by an Australian couple after he gets lost miles away from his original home. However, 25 years later, Saroo returns to India to look for his biological parents. Dev Patel as Saroo and Nicole Kidman and David Wenham as his adoptive parents will impress you with their acting skills. The star-studded cast does justice to the plot, bringing it to life so it pulls at your heartstrings. This movie about adoption received six Oscar nominations at the 89th Academy Awards, so you just know you have to catch this one whenever you have some free time on your hands.
Adopt a Highway (2019) – NR
This movie about adoption stars Ethan Hawke, Elaine Hendrix, Mo McRae, Chris Sullivan, Diane Gaeta, and Betty Gabriel. The film is about a convict, Russ Millings, who is released from prison after serving 20 years. However, after finding an abandoned baby in the dumpster, he finally finds a connection with another human. The baby forces him to come out of his shell and retrace his steps from his childhood days. This movie is warm and compassionate and will surely get you in your feels.
The Book Thief (2013) – PG-13
Based on the bestselling novel of the same name by Markus Zusak, this movie tells the inspirational tale of a courageous young girl, Liesel Meminger. After the death of her biological parents, she transforms the lives of everyone around her when she lives with her foster parents, Hans and Rosa Hubermann, in World War II Germany. Despite the horrors of living in a war-torn era, she finds solace in books, which she steals from the mayor’s house to learn new words.
“Immediate Family” (1989), “Instant Family” (2018), “The Blind Side” (2009), “Mali Marsovac” (2007), and “Foster” (2018) are a few other movies about adoption and foster care that will be great to watch with the family. So, grab a bucket of popcorn and watch these films with your loved ones if you are considering adopting or fostering a child. They are also a great watch if you don’t have plans to welcome a new addition to your family and simply are looking for a heart-touching movie. Also, do let us know which film you loved the most in the comment section below!
