Sacrifices of the Heart

Excellent film with Melissa Gilbert giving a wonderful performance as a young girl, a successful lawyer, who returns to her father's farm, when her brother informs her that there is something wrong with her father.

When she returns, she is confronted with her past-finding her mother dead from carbon monoxide poisoning. The film nicely attempts to deal with the adverse affects of depression.

I was surprised that the brother was startled to hear the diagnosis of the father's problem as Alzheimer's since the movie did a very good job of showing the usual symptoms associated with the illness.

The Gilbert character is called away from a case where a young girl abandoned her baby. Gilbert immediately suspects incest upon the stepfather with the girl, but the latter refuses to open up. Tragic consequences follow this part of the story.

Ken Howard gives an excellent supporting performance as the stricken father, but the entire cast is excellent, especially Gilbert's brother, the girl who was raped, as well as her mother.

An excellent film dealing with human relations and the power of forgiveness.