My Flesh and Blood


My Flesh and Blood is a 2003 documentary film by Jonathan Karsh chronicling a year in the life of the Tom family. The Tom family is notable as the mother, Susan Tom, adopted eleven children, most of whom had serious disabilities or diseases. It was nominated for and won several awards, including the Audience Award and the Director's Award at the Sundance Film Festival.

Plot

The documentary takes an in-depth look at the Tom family, which mostly consists of children who were rejected by their birth families due to mental or physical disabilities. The film is broken up into seasons, starting out with the family taking part in Halloween in the fall, and ending in the summer of the upcoming year. The family's unconventional home life becomes a foundation for the supports, challenges, and successes that they face daily.

People

There are six other children of whom viewers do not see as much due to the constraints of keeping the film to a reasonable length.

Reception

The film currently has a 90% on Rotten Tomatoes based on 30 reviews.

Awards

Received

Amsterdam International Documentary Film Festival
Florida Film Festival
International Documentary Association
Sundance Film Festival
International Documentary Association
Sundance Film Festival
Golden Trailer Awards
Satellite Awards