What Makes a Family
“Based on the controversial true story”
Synopsis
Janine and Sandy are a lesbian couple who decide to have a baby, but after a few years Sandy dies. This tragedy is exploited by Sandy's parents to snatch the girl from Janine's care. But then, and despite having the laws against her, Janine decides to fight in order to regain custody of her daughter.
Top Cast
Explore Star Directory →
Brooke Shields
Janine Nielssen
Cherry Jones
Sandy Cataldi
Whoopi Goldberg
Terry Harrison
Anne Meara
Evelyn Cataldi
Al Waxman
Frank Cataldi
Jordy Benattar
Heather Cataldi
Melanie Nicholls-King
Nora
Stewart Arnott
Peter
Jo Vannicola
Melissa
Roberta Maxwell
Claire
Dean McDermott
O'Brien
Sean McCann
Judge Black
Philip Williams
Martin Crane
Jayne Eastwood
Judge Shales
George Buza
Reverend Greg Wasney
Cayle Chernin
ICU Nurse
Tony Devon
Gene
Catherine Dulder
Cop
Key Information & Fast Facts
- Director
- Maggie Greenwald
- Screenplay & Story
- Robert L. Freedman
- Original Score
- David Mansfield
- Original Title
- What Makes a Family
- Country of Origin
- Canada, United States of America
- Spoken Languages
- English
- Runtime
- 2h 0m
- Production Studios
- Lifetime, Barwood Films, Columbia TriStar Television, Storyline Entertainment
Creative Leadership & Key Crew
Maggie Greenwald
Robert L. Freedman
David Mansfield
Rhett Morita
Keith Reamer
Cis Corman, Wendy Grean, Whoopi Goldberg, Neil Meron, Barbra Streisand
Department Leadership Roster
Rhett Morita
Director of Photography
Wendy Grean
Producer
Keith Reamer
Editor
Suzette Daigle
Costume Design
Perri Gorrara
Production Design
Maggie Greenwald
Director
Robert L. Freedman
Writer
Production Stills & Gallery
Official cinematic photography and background stills for What Makes a Family.
Featured In Curated Collections
Editorial lists, community rankings, and cinematic collections featuring What Makes a Family.
about: lgbtq
list_TV_Movie
Movies categorized under TV_Movie
500 best 2001's movies
FILMES SÁFICOS
Missing Mine
Ush Kino
Similar Titles to What Makes a Family
Movies sharing stylistic DNA, tone, and thematic storytelling
8.0
7.6
8.4
6.5
7.6
7.5
8.7
7.7
6.2
7.6
8.2
5.3
8.0
6.5
5.4
7.2
More Like What Makes a Family
Recommended titles matching themes, cast, and genres.
Frequently Asked Questions About What Makes a Family
Quick factual answers about cast, synopsis, director, box office, and release information.
What is What Makes a Family about?
Janine and Sandy are a lesbian couple who decide to have a baby, but after a few years Sandy dies. This tragedy is exploited by Sandy's parents to snatch the girl from Janine's care. But then, and despite having the laws against her, Janine decides to fight in order to regain custody of her daughter.
Who directed What Makes a Family?
What Makes a Family was directed by Maggie Greenwald.
Who stars in What Makes a Family?
The principal cast of What Makes a Family includes Brooke Shields, Cherry Jones, Whoopi Goldberg, Anne Meara, Al Waxman.
When was What Makes a Family released and how long is it?
What Makes a Family was released in 2001 with a total runtime of 2h 0m.
Who composed the musical score for What Makes a Family?
The original motion picture soundtrack for What Makes a Family was composed by David Mansfield.