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JAG and I paid $20 to go see this movie. Movies are so ridiculously cheap when you go during a weeknight or even a matinée on the weekend. But damn. Go on a holiday night or a Friday or Saturday and be prepared to be jacked.

I thoroughly enjoyed the movie, although I felt it only touched superficially on the themes of race, class and gender and the paradigm through which people from different backgrounds see things. The movie was very heavy on humor and fluff. Tim McGraw wasn't asked to do too much in his acting debut. Overall, I'd recommend the movie as light hearted holiday family friendly fare but as far as insight into the 21st century racial divide in America, I'd recommend a Spike Lee joint, instead.

That most definitely was not Tim's movie debut...he was in Flicka, Four Christmases, Friday Night Lights....

Having read the book I enjoyed the mom in the book much more than Sandra Bullock's character of her. I like Sandra Bullock normally but not in this roll.

That said, I enjoyed the movie.

I went thru 3 kleenexes during it - could have been more but I was really trying to not make a spectacle of myself. I did not read the book - I seldom read nonfiction - but I have seen interviews with Leigh Anne Touhy and feel that Bullock did a good job. Keep in mind it is not a documentary!

And while it may have "only touched superficially on the themes of race, class and gender and the paradigm through which people from different backgrounds see things" I believe it fairly portrayed THEIR experience - which, after all, the story is about.