My Sister's Keeper

Film (with rating): My Sister's Keeper (PG-13)

Studio: Warner Home Video

Summary: A young girl (Abigail Breslin) who was created with the sole purpose of saving her older sister (Sofia Vassilieva) from cancer, gets fed up with the process and hires an attorney to become medically emancipated.What results is an emotional roller coaster of a court battle as everyone fights to do what they think is right.

Review: Being a parent, I feel an incredible sense of sorrow whenever I see a child ill or hurt. I'm sure I'm not alone in this. So it was with difficulty I watched "My Sister's Keeper." I couldn't even finish the book by Jodi Picoult, on which the movie is based.

Director Nick Cassavetes (alumnus of the heartwrenching and tear-squeezing "The Notebook") does his best to place viewers in front of this emotional train wreck. At times, he plays it too heavily and manipulatively, but at other times, the drama is just right and heartfelt. There's no way around it: "Sister's" is good, but it's a weepie, mainly because of the amazingly touching and real performance by Vassilieva (from the television show "Medium"). Cassavetes pulls no punches when documenting what an illness like cancer can do physically to a person, and Vassilieva rises to that challenge. She even shaved her head to play Kate.

Cameron Diaz also shines in her role as the uber-strong lawyer-turned-crusader mom. It's hard to turn her into a monster when we see that she's doing what she does out of love. The film, as was the book, is filled with numerous ethical minefields. Unfortunately, Cassavetes sidesteps some of them. It would have enhanced the film if he faced them as squarely as he did the emotional aspects.

Aside from the director heavily pulling our emotional heartstrings, "Sister's" is a good film filled with amazing performances. It brings up difficult subjects and even more difficult "what-if" scenarios. The movie is a tough view, but one that's worth seeing.

Extra highlight: Additional scenes

What to serve for dinner: Let's honor Vassilieva,  the major star of this film and a vegetarian since 2004, by serving up a vegetarian dish like  Garlic-Ginger Tofu Stir-Fry (vegcooking.com).

      1 small Thai pepper, minced

      1 tsp. minced ginger

      1 garlic clove, minced

      1 Tbsp. olive oil

      3 Tbsp. soy sauce

      1/4 cup water

      1 Tbsp. arrowroot powder or cornstarch

      2 Tbsp. vegetable oil

      1 16-oz. pkg. firm tofu, drained and cut into 1x1/2-inch pieces

      1 tsp. soy sauce

      2 carrots, cut into 2-inch strips

      1 red pepper, sliced

      1 large bok choy (or 4-5 baby bok choy), cut into 1/2-inch pieces

      1/2 medium onion, sliced

      1/2 cup yellow squash, sliced into 1/2-inch-thick pieces

      Cooked lo mein or soba noodles

Sauté the minced pepper, ginger, and garlic in the olive oil for two to three minutes over medium heat. Add the soy sauce and water, stirring until well combined. Stir in the cornstarch and simmer over low heat until the tofu and vegetables are ready. Heat the vegetable oil over medium-high heat in a nonstick 12-inch skillet. Add the tofu and cook, stirring frequently (stir-frying), until heated through and browned on all sides, about 10 to 15 minutes. Add the soy sauce and stir-fry for 1 minute. Transfer to a bowl. Add the carrots, red pepper, bok choy, onions, and squash to the skillet and stir-fry until the vegetables are tender but crisp, about 3 minutes. Add the prepared sauce and tofu and stir-fry until all the ingredients are coated and heated, about two minutes. Serve immediately over the lo mein or soba noodles.

What to talk about over dinner: What lengths would you take to save your child? Would you create another life just for that purpose? Why or why not? Is it right to have a baby just to save another? Could you love that child as much as you do your other children, namely the one you're trying to save? Do you think medical technology has outpaced ethical safeguards and legal boundaries? Do you think young Anna was correct in finally saying no to her family's request at her body? Would you be able to make that kind of decision, knowing that the person your marrow/blood/kidney could help might die without you? What was the hardest part of the film for you to watch? Have you ever watched a loved one's health deteriorate? What would you have done to ease the suffering?