Producers: Roger Weisberg & Murray Nossel
Year: 2002
Format: DVD Running time: 27 mins.
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One tragic byproduct of drug addiction is the effect the addict's self-destruction has on their loved ones. This wrenching documentary, narrated by Ossie Davis, follows the lives of teenage Danny and his younger brother Raymond as they cope with their mother's battle with substance abuse. The boys' mother continues to relapse despite several attempts at rehabilitation, and soon her own legal rights as a parent are threatened. Fortunately, the boy's grandmother steps into the breach to raise Danny and Raymond.
Through it all, the brothers struggle to keep alive their hope for a better future. There is no Hollywood ending to this story, no easy solutions to a difficult situation. But despite the heartbreaking nature of this scenario, WHY CAN'T WE BE A FAMILY AGAIN? isn't just a cautionary tale of the dangers of drug abuse; it's also a source of inspiration, a testament to human determination in the face of impossible odds. a film of searing honesty and power" -New York Daily News, Feb 2003"...this emotionally wrenching story reveals how two brothers who were devastated by their mother's addiction and neglect found a way to thrive and redefine what it means to be a family." Wilmington Film Festival