A Family's Decision (TV 2002)
"Too Young to Be a Dad" (original title)

When 15-year-old, Matt Freeman, gets his girlfriend, Francesca, pregnant her family decides to put the unborn baby up for adoption. Matt agrees to the decision, but begins to rethink it. This movie is taken from the father's point of view.

Director:

Éva Gárdos

Writer:

Edithe Swensen

Stars:

Kathy Baker, Paul Dano, Katie Stuart

1 nomination.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Kathy Baker	...	Susan Freeman
Paul Dano	...	Matt Freeman (as Paul Franklin Dano)
Katie Stuart	...	Francesca Howell
Bruce Davison	...	Dan Freeman
Terra Vnesa	...	Alex Freeman
Nigel Bennett	...	Dr. Howell
Sherry Miller	...	Juliana Howell
Shadia Simmons	...	Blair
Martha Irving	...	Hanna Berg
Kim Roberts	...	Mrs. Bennett
Andrew Church	...	Zach Marshall
Jeremy Akerman	...	Attorney
Mauralea Austin	...	Lorrie Kline
Juanita Peters	...	Grace Chapman
David Christoffel	...	High School math teacher

Storyline

Businessman Dan Freeman and his wife, teacher Susan, realized their brat daughter Alex (19) wouldn't do well in life, but expect better from model son Matt, an honor student. Yet classmate Francesca Howell, daughter of an MD, seduces him to sex and gets pregnant. Unlike the much richer Howell family, who insists on adoption and financial help, Matt wants to take responsibility and is prepared to any sacrifice. Gradually his parents' protective attitude matures into understanding support, some of which even rubs off on Alex.

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Plot Keywords:

adoption | responsibility | decision | overprotective father | teenage father | 

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Genres:

Drama

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Certificate:

Unrated

Details

Country:

USA Canada

Language:

English

Release Date:

10 June 2002 (USA)

Also Known As:

Too Young to Be a Father

Filming Locations:

Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada

Company Credits

Production Co:

Lifetime Television, Jaffe/Braunstein Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

120 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color

Did You Know?

Quotes

Dan Freeman: Are you sure son? It's for life.
Matt Freeman: It's already for life, dad.

User Reviews

Horrible horrible mediocrity

I had been subjected to this movie for a relationship class in my school. As figured it was nothing captivating and nothing new. Though it tries to be original by focusing on the teen father instead of the mother showing the problems that the dad would go through. It had an interesting side to it but it just doesn't live up to its originality due to the fact nothing else in this movie was original. We have the main character who has the older sister who like in every other movie like this has a thing against him, we have the stay at home mother who expects too much and when he gives more she feels offended and leaves him in the dust, then we have the father who is always gone. Then the girls side we have the parents who want everything and expect her to be perfect at all she does. On to the story like I said it was interesting but the lack of good acting from the entire cast and the lack of any good writing or storytelling. Everything about this fell into cliché the little nerd kid in school starts studying with girl, they get together, have sex and then boom we have a little kid. Perhaps it could've been better had the writing been well better and had the acting been improved I've seriously gotten more emotion out of Leatherface and his chainsaw than I did out of any actor in this film and that's pretty bad seeing as the Leatherface movies are crap and horridly acted. So far the only interesting teen pregnancy movie I've seen was Juno. So far the comical side of this serious situation has proved more entertaining while still giving the same message. Like I said the idea was original most of these films focus on the teen mother but this one chose not to instead it focuses on the drama of the father but again the originality does not save this movie from mediocrity. I really hope someone decides to either re-make this movie with a better cast and a better writer or just make another similar film because this one was wasted potential.