This touching movie is based on the lives of John & Aileen Crowley, played by Brendan Fraser and Keri Russell. They have three children, and two of them have a rare genetic and fatal disorder called Pompe Disease. Children with the disease are generally expected to live no more than 9 years, and the Crowley's daughter has just turned 8.
Enter Dr. Robert Stonehill, played by Harrison Ford. He does research at a Nebraska University, with much of his research pertaining to a treatment for Pompe Disease. John hunts the good doctor down and together they embark on a a journey to try to get funded by a major drug company for their research. Together - the cranky, anti-establishment scientist, and the business man, who is also a desperate father, fight against the politics of drug companies and the bottom line of "making a profit".
The movie is rated PG, and I did take my 9 year old son to see it. While it was a bit long for him, he did follow the story and it was pretty clean, with the exception of a few words.
Brendan Fraser and Harrison Ford are outstanding actors and, as expected, did a great job in these roles. Since we are dealing with a story about terminally ill children, there were a few gut wrenching moments. But mostly, it was a triumphant story, filled with hope and the love that drives a mother and father to do anything they can for their children.
