Million Dollar Babies

I've always had a fascination with any information on the great depression and this movie is set during that time period. However, the focus is not on the depression at all. Does the Dionne Quintuplets ring a bell? This is a movie depicting their life story, almost unbelievable at times.
The Dionne quintuplets as I've said were born around the great depression so it gave people something to think and talk about. They were born to a young couple who already had 5 children; the young mother was just 25. This couple was poor, but happy and the children loved and cared for.
In steps the powers that be: The family doctor who delivered these preemies(2 lbs each and they came 2 months early)gets in cahoots with the Canadian government to get these babies away from their parents siting they cannot properly care for these children. A special sterile nursery with full time medical care is built for these children who are promptly removed from their own home. The mother is not allowed to hold/care for these children, but is told she may visit any time.
For five years, these children are kept in this environment and call the doctor Papa. But you've heard nothing yet!
The government/doctor get the bright idea that parading these little girls out into the public to be observed twice a day would be good pr, not to mention raise a little dough on the side. Sponsors began to contact the doctor to have these quints endorse various products and everyday, people would come from all over and line up outside a screened in area to view these little girls playing, etc. They built a little area around the hospital/nursery called "Quintland" with little sideshow presentations. I'll leave the rest for you to see.
While we were watching this movie, we kept saying this can't be true~Hollywood must really be adding some stuff here to over-dramatize the plot. Actually, the doctor is played by Beau Bridges and when he was handed the script, he said people will never believe this and then he found out it WAS true! If you watch the movie, be sure to see the documentary at the end where the producer talks with three of the quintuplets who are still alive; they also share real photos of Quintland.
As a mother, my heart was in agony for the mother in this story. She was a woman who loved her children and wanted the best for them. It is so sad that a government robbed her of knowing her babies and loving them as they grew up.
I recommend this movie and give it 3 stars. There are a couple scenes we fast forwarded where a vaudeville style show is shown when the doctor visits New York.
Reviewed by Rhonda Devine