In true 1980s fashion, The Child Saver is another "save the kids from becoming punks" movie. Alfre Woodard stars as a successful businesswoman on track to a promotion and life in the fast lane. She has a chance encounter with a seven-year-old Deon Richmond (the oldest, most loquacious seven-year-old I've ever seen) as he tries to peddle drugs on a street corner, and she immediately feels compelled to help him. Alfre's close friend, Constance McCashin, makes some valid points as she argues to let the boy live his life on the street. There have always been homeless kids or poverty-stricken kids who turn to crime and fall in with bad people; why is Alfre moved now? Is it a coincidence that she's at the top of her business game, or is she perhaps afraid of getting everything she wants so she starts to sabotage it by prioritizing a strange child over her career? Constance is not supposed to be the smart one in the story, though, so if you don't like Alfre's motivation, you're out of luck. You're supposed to root for her.
I initially rented it to see Martin Balsam, in a couple of scenes as Alfre's mentor and old boss, but I always like to see Alfre in a solid role. This tv movie derails pretty quickly, though. It gets melodramatic about "bad guys" and "bad neighborhoods" and Alfre makes some remarkably stupid decisions when she's in danger. I wouldn't really recommend it unless the subject matter speaks to you, as it obviously spoke to Alfre's character.
