Tuesday, November 10, 2015
You Have His Eyes Adoption Movie Review
Throughout his childhood, Christopher Wilson had only one
letter from his birthmother Neomi. The letter was heartfelt and honest, and in
it, she expressed her mixed feelings, her fear that she would never see him
again, and her contentment and gratefulness to know that he is safe. Neomi had
hoped to receive regular updates about Christopher’s life, but shortly after
his adoption, the agency that facilitated his adoption and that was to
facilitate the ongoing contact was forced to close. Christopher and his
birthmother were lost to each other.
In 2010, Christopher’s family worked to track down his
birthmother, and two years later, he moved in with her for a season. There, he
learned some of her history, some about his birthfather Lionel, and the way in
which he came to be adopted. Christopher then decided to seek for Lionel.
Although he has found some of his relatives, Lionel hasn’t been heard from in
over a decade. Christopher hires a private investigator and sets out, camera in
hand, to find Lionel.
The Adoption
Connection
Christopher was adopted as an infant. His adoption was
intended to be semi-opened, with contact being facilitated by an agency;
however, the agency closed unexpectedly. Christopher appears to have a positive
and supportive relationship with his adoptive family, and they support – and
even assist – him in his quest to find his birthparents.
Strong Points
A lot of love is portrayed in this film. Christopher’s love
for all of his parents is persistent. His adoptive parents support him in his
attempts to find his birthparents, and his adoptive father speaks glowingly of
Christopher, telling him how very proud he is. Christopher’s birthmother is
able to express her love for Christopher as well, even though she acknowledges
that she “wouldn’t recommend” adoption to other mothers.
Christopher is able to hearing and accept positive and
negative information about his father. Like Angela in Closure, Christopher set
out looking for one relative, but found a whole family, and a considerable
amount of information. He acknowledges that, although he is hoping to learn about
his father, he is also hoping to learn about himself.
For much of his search, Christopher is accompanied by a
good, supportive friend. Searching with the help of friend or family is less
daunting than doing it alone and unsupported.
Because Christopher is both the subject and the director of
the film, we are able to have direct insight into his thoughts at certain
points.
Christopher is hopeful throughout his journey, and is
supported by his adoptive parents. He finds that his regard for them grew as a
result of his search
Challenges
One of Christopher’s relatives is kind, but continually
expresses doubt that Christopher is actually a relative.
Christopher dedicates the film to his father, and then
specifies that he means his adoptive father. It’s a touching reaffirmation of
the value of his adoptive father in his life, but some viewers might
misinterpret it as a slight against his birthfather.
Weak Points
Christopher consults with a psychic who doesn’t seem to have
the healthiest understanding of openness in adoption. She asks Christopher,
“Why would you do something like this to your adoptive parents? It’s hurting
them. They want you to do what you have to do, but they’re not happy about
this.” She also tells Christopher about his birthfather, “You wouldn’t like
him. Something demonic took over his soul.”
Recommendations
You Have His Eyes is an interesting, engaging documentary
that allows us to tag along with Christopher on an international journey of
self-discovery. It will largely appeal to the same audiences as Closure, and is
probably best suited to audiences ages 14 and up.
Similar Films
Christopher’s first-person journey to reconnect with his
birthparents mirrors similar voyages documented in Closure and in In The Matter
of Cha Jung Hee. When Christopher meets his relatives, he must process the gap
between his expectations and what he actually finds; a similar experience is
portrayed in Antwone Fisher.
Questions for After
the Movie
When Christopher’s adoptive parents agreed to a semi-open
adoption facilitated by their agency, they didn’t anticipate that the
relationships would become functionally closed as a result of the agency going
out of business. How can adoptive families protect themselves against their
eventuality?
Putting yourself in Christopher’s position, how do you
imagine you would feel upon meeting each relative?
Christopher pursues a relationship with his birthfather even
though the odds of finding him are very slim. What made him try to find Lionel,
in spite of the odds?
Some of the information Christopher discovered was hard to
process. Would it be better to know everything, including the hard stuff, or
would it be better to have everything remain a mystery, and why?
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