Lifetime seems to feature a lot of movies that have an adoption theme, many of which have negative views of adoption and skewed views of the adoption process. However, there is one Lifetime movie that I enjoy, Mom at Sixteen.

Mom at Sixteen is the story of a teenage Mom, Jacey (played by Danielle Panabaker). When Jacey becomes pregnant, her Mom, Terry (Mercedes Ruehl) insists that she make an adoption plan. Jacey agrees and chooses adoptive parents. Right after her son is born though and Jacey sees him, she changes her mind and begs her Mom to help her keep the baby. Her Mom agrees, but only if she (the Mother) raises the baby who they name Charlie, as her own, essentially raising Jacey’s baby as her brother.

They move to a new town where no one knows that the baby is technically Jacey’s son. Soon though, a power struggles begins between Jacey and her Mother concerning parenting the baby. Jacey wants to make decisions for her baby.

Jacey begins to realize that parenting the baby is very hard and she wants more opportunities for him. Ironically, during all of this, Jacey gets close to a teacher, Mrs. Cooper, at her school who has struggled with infertility and a failed adoption placement.

An open adoption ends up occurring between Mrs. Cooper, her husband, and Jacey’s family. The ending scenes of the movie are touching as it fast forwards to when Jacey’s son Charlie is about 5 and he explains open adoption for a home video.

There are many heartwarming scenes I left out. And in the scope of adoption, this movie wasn’t as far fetched as many I have seen. It actually portrayed open adoption positively. No, not every aspect of the movie is one hundred percent accurate but it is the most accurate portrayal I have seen in months. I think it’s also interesting that one of the stars in the movie, Mercedes Rheul, who plays Jacey’s Mother, is a birthmom herself. She placed her son, Christopher, for adoption in the 70’s and they are now reunited.

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