Return to Zero

Christy - I am a mother of a stillborn child, having lost my son 12 years ago. I can honestly say in all my years of my own experience and helping TONS of other parents, I have NEVER heard of taking the stillborn child home for a night! Wow! It was brutally hard to leave the hospital without my son, but I think it would've been 1000x harder to try and take him home. I may be wrong, if this loss has taught me anything it's that you really can't say for sure about anything unless you've lived it, but I just can't fathom it. In a bereaved parent's shoes, I will say I don't find it morbid. Before my loss I probably would have, but you see it differently when you love that child with a mom's heart. I do know hospitals try and give you as much of a "normal" experience as possible. They will bathe, dress, swaddle, take pics, etc. It really is healing in an odd way. But taking them home? I can't imagine.

I truly appreciated the making of this movie, and believe everyone should see it! I find the arrogance of a previous reviewer appalling. This movie was made to break the silence for EVERYONE who suffered pregnancy or infant loss! The central theme of the movie was about still birth because that was the individual experience of the creators but it was not meant to isolate any one, nor was it made to diminish the grief people like me felt losing a baby at 23 weeks. I'm not sure if my review has any value as I'm not part of the elite stillbirth club, shucks if only my baby had hung on 1 more week her death would have held the correct medical term! *rolls eyes* I followed and promoted this movie because I believe it's important. If you have never experienced a loss watch it, chances are pretty good you will know someone who will and it does a excellent job of telling you what not to say/do! This movie shares a truth that you can not understand if you've never been there! I saw my pain, my anger and my fear on screen, imagine that ! My favorite part of the movie is expressed in the quote 'it's not just the loss of the baby, it's the loss of the possibility of what could have been' ! Too bad some people still don't get it! Sad really! It's a tough movie to watch but so important. Minnie Driver did a amazing job as did all those involved!! I may have expressed a little more than a review but I feel it's important that NO ONE is made to feel like their loss has no value.

I finally feel validated!! This deeply personal movie was needed! You see, my husband I lost our daughter at 41 weeks. It was a healthy, uneventful, normal pregnancy! One day all was fine, the next day I went into labor and all was lost! When you hear the words "there is no cardiac activity", all the world comes to a standstill. Nothing is as it used to be. Normal is gone, a new normal is beginning. It starts with giving birth to a lifeless, beautiful, healthy looking, but oh so lifeless child, and "ends" with living every day with the truth of having birthed this beautiful girl. Missing her in every way! Being "just fine" for hours, then days, weeks, and months, only to feel overwhelmed by this grief again, this sadness, anger, all stages of grief! This movie validates and puts words to my thoughts, my emotions, and those of my husband! We were lucky enough to donate to this movie, so we could see our gorgeous daughter's name in the credits. I cried the entire movie. This truly did happen to me! Yes it did, almost 11 years ago. And though it has been so very long, this pain is still raw at times. This story needed to be told! Thank you, Sean Hanish for giving us a voice. Us as parents, us as a community, and our babies. Thank you Minnie Driver, Paul Adelstein, and all you wonderful actors for the extremely true to life portrayals! Thank you, from the bottoms of our hearts!

We somehow missed this fine movie nine years ago when it came out, but presently found it on DVD at our public library.

It is about a couple who are expecting their first child, a boy, they will name him Arthur, they paint his room blue and prepare for the job of raising their son. But something happens, tragedy strikes, and they have to re-evaluate their whole lives.

The story is based on a real couple who went through this, the DVD extras include remarks by the husband who wrote about it and directs this movie. So what is presented is highly authentic.

Paul Adelstein is the husband, Aaron Royal, and Minnie Driver is the wife, Maggie Royal. Both are excellent in their roles. Driver even co-wrote and co-sings the song over the closing credits. She has a very nice singing voice.

It is not a pleasant subject, on the surface, but turns out to being a good movie.

Don't get me wrong it hits all the made for TV sappy points. It's appropriately condescending to men as all pregnant women movies are supposed to be. The dialog is little too snappy repartee though. But not a bad effort. We've seen this a thousand times. Check all the boxes, men bad women good. But mostly it's a movie about pregnant women and babies for women who don't have kids and likely never will. Why? Because it doesn't really work this way. Sorry but no. In the real world the doctors want to walk away from this sort of thing asap. And in the real world it doesn't split up couples any more than any other medical shock. People without kids think it does but it does not.