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Losing Isaiah (1995)

tomatometer

50

Average Rating: 5.1/10
Critic Reviews: 10
Fresh: 5 | Rotten: 5

No consensus yet.

audience

75

liked it
Average Rating: 3.6/5
User Ratings: 9,448

My Rating

Movie Info

Two women of dramatically different social, economic, and ethnic circumstances find themselves locked into a bitter child custody dispute in this emotionally powerful drama. Khailia Richards (Halle Berry) is a poor and drug-addicted single mother who, while stumbling out of a crack house one night, accidentally leaves her infant son Isaiah in a cardboard box near a trash heap. The next morning, Khailia realizes to her horror that she left her baby behind, and she runs back to the crack spot to

R, 1 hr. 46 min.

Mystery & Suspense, Drama

Naomi Foner

Sep 9, 2003

Paramount Home Video

Cast

All Critics (30) | Top Critics (11) | Fresh (13) | Rotten (16) | DVD (5)

The material is emotionally wrenching, but the actors play sociopolitical totems more than flesh-and-blood characters.

September 3, 2008 Full Review Source: Variety | Comment
Variety
Top Critic IconTop Critic

This is an absorbing and involving picture, but the terms propounded here limit the story, which depends almost entirely on emotions rather than on thought.

September 3, 2008 Full Review Source: Chicago Reader | Comment
Chicago Reader
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This drama about interracial adoption is serious and affecting, thanks in large part to the presence of its two magnetic stars.

May 20, 2003 Full Review Source: New York Times | Comment
New York Times
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Losing Isaiah transcends the custody issue and finds drama in the black-white polarities that neither character can escape.

June 18, 2002 Full Review Source: San Francisco Chronicle | Comment
San Francisco Chronicle
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Not only does this lowest-common denominator conclusion backfire, it insults anyone who invested their time getting involved in the whole thing.

January 1, 2000 Full Review Source: Washington Post | Comment
Washington Post
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While the subject may be controversial enough to merit an Oprah free-for-all, this evenhanded melodrama is neutral to a fault.

January 1, 2000 Full Review Source: Washington Post | Comment
Washington Post
Top Critic IconTop Critic

Despite the fine leads and some well-crafted scenes, Losing Isaiah is apt to make viewers angry and frustrated no matter where they stand on the issues.

September 3, 2008 Full Review Source: TV Guide's Movie Guide | Comment
TV Guide's Movie Guide

TV movies get no worse than this.

May 20, 2003 Comment
Palo Alto Weekly

Lange is outstanding...very rewarding

April 27, 2003 Comment
Moviehole

Effectively dramatizes the clash of ideas and ideals in adoption cases.

August 30, 2002 Full Review Source: Spirituality and Practice | Comment
Spirituality and Practice
More Critic Reviews

Audience Reviews for Losing Isaiah

A very sweet and touching movie. Extremely intense emotionally. I really didn't know who to root for... the adoptive mom or the real mom. I liked them both and felt for both.

May 12, 2010
crazydannielle16

Super Reviewer

Good film, great performance by Halle Berry.

January 28, 2008
Chosen718

Super Reviewer

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