The Memory Keeper’s Daughter

Based on the book by Kim Edwards, The Memory Keeper’s Daughter revolves around the turmoil that ensues after David Henry (Dermot Mulroney) elects to give away his Down’s-afflicted newborn without informing his wife (Gretchen Mol’s Nora) – leaving selfless nurse Caroline Gil (Emily Watson) with little choice but to raise the girl as her own. It’s a solid (yet admittedly soapy) premise that’s essentially squandered by Mick Jackson, as the director’s low-rent sensibilities ensure that there’s never a point at which the film’s movie-of-the-week origins aren’t painfully obvious. The less-than-subtle bent of John Pielmeier’s screenplay is exacerbated by the inclusion of several melodramatic interludes and superfluous subplots (eg David and Nora’s respective affairs), with the relentless emphasis on needless elements effectively lessening the impact of the abandoned girl’s story (which is, as becomes clear almost immediately, the most intriguing aspect of The Memory Keeper’s Daughter). Mulroney, Watson, and Mol’s respective efforts at infusing the proceedings with bursts of authenticity are rendered moot by the sensationalistic nature of the script, and although the conclusion does pack something of an emotional punch, it’s simply not enough to salvage what is otherwise a fairly standard made-for-television production.

** out of ****