A Step Toward Tomorrow (1996)

User Rating:

6.6/10   

Director:

Deborah Reinisch

Writers (WGA):

Tom Nursall (written by) &
Harris Goldberg (written by)

Release Date:

10 November 1996 (USA)

Genre:

Drama

Plot:

A divorcee moves her family cross-country to take her paralyzed son to a pioneer neurosurgeon. |

Plot Keywords:

Paralysis | Wheelchair | Brother Brother Relationship | Independent Film

Awards:

2 nominations

Cast

Judith Light	...	Anna Lerner
Tom Irwin	...	Dr. Decker
Christopher Reeve	...	Denny Gabriel
Alfre Woodard	...	Dr. Sandlin
Kendall Cunningham	...	Georgie Lerner
Tim Redwine	...	Ben Lerner
Brad Dourif	...	Kirby
Nick Searcy	...	Jim
Lee Norris	...	Perry
Joey Stinson	...	Kevin
Amanda Minikus	...	Terry
Van Hughes	...	Derek Hastings (as Van Michael Hughs)
Michael Ayers	...	Lawrence
Christopher Fennell	...	Joel
Rasool J'Han	...	Teacher

Runtime:

93 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Certification:

UK:PG

Company:

Cap Pictures

Trivia:

This was Christopher Reeve's first role after the accident that left him paralyzed.

A true "family" movie...

This movie is about a single mother, who has two sons, one of them is in a wheelchair because of an accident which happened two years earlier. They all move to a new town, where they try to establish themselves, and tries to find a new doctor who maybe can help the boy, so that he can be healthy again and live without so much pain.

Judith Light is excellent as the mother, Anna Lerner, who tackles every situation with a good sense of humor, and seems to be a very good and loving mother, who just wants the best for her sons.

Tom Irwin plays Dr. David Decker, who does everything he possibly can to help the family, and....well, I won't reveal too much of the plot, but he certainly likes them all, and is very likeable himself.

Fans of Christopher Reeve and Brad Dourif (whom I am one of) will probably be a bit disappointed because they don't have much time in this movie, but they seem very believable and act great in the short time they do get on the screen.

-I couldn't avoid laughing when Dourif was introduced by the kid's as "Kirby, the gravedigger...people say he's insane and has buried 10 people alive!!"... because he almost always plays psycho-roles like that, but this one was quite different, and not at all mentally deranged (well, maybe a little bit, but in a good way).

Chistopher Reeve is Denny Gabrial, a man in a wheelchair (of course), who becomes very good friends with the little boy in the wheelchair. It is a very sympathetic role, and it is nice to see him make a comeback to the screen again, although his role is somewhat small and not really a part of the plot.

When all adds up, this is a movie who kids may like (because it shows the relationship between two brothers, and how hard it is to cope with the fact that ones brother is disabled, and so forth). Parents will probably also like it, because it shows how hard it can be to be a single parent, having a handicapped child, etc.

Even though I mostly watch action-movies, this one was good in another way, and I give this movie 7/10, because I felt good watching it, and had a good feeling after it ended, and also because I liked the cast.