Rosie's a bad talk show host and a terrible actress. I tried to watch this movie with an open mind but from the very beginning Rosie overacted her role. I realize that retardation takes on many different characteristics but none of them fit what Rosie was playing. She was definitely a normal brain trying to play a disconnected brain and it was futile from the beginning. I gave it a 3 but that was generous. This wasn't Dustin playing Rainman, it was Rosie playing a normal person trying to look retarded. God, I hope Hallmark sets its standards a little higher in the future and I hope the networks won't keep giving up production control to "names" with no talent.

I did not like the movie because it did not have much of an ending. And because there was no real resolution between Beth and Rachel. Rachel went back to new york and got on with her life while Beth stayed where she was and her life remained the same. It would have been a better ending if Beth and Jesse moved in with each other and lived together. And if Rachel would have done something to help her sister to have a real life. Some of the people on the bus were right in a way. Beth should have got a life. There likely something she could have done as an occupation. She needed to learn if possible when to keep quiet and not say certain things. There is a lot she needed to learn and the system was not helping her learn. She had a case worker. But no indication she was helping her get a life.

This movie is based on a biography (book) by the same name. If you're reading this review, you should go read the book whether or not you have seen the movie. Once you've read the book, you can better judge the screen adaptation. It will give you an idea of why Rosie acted the way she did. Beth's mannerisms and speech patterns were similar to those portrayed in the book. Her boyfriend is portrayed similarly, perhaps a little more introverted. Someone else has written in their review that this is a movie about autism. Beth is developmentally disabled in some way, but neither the book nor the movie ever specifically mention autism or Asperger's disorder. The sisters, bus drivers, and other characters in this movie are all real. Enjoy your reading.