Patrik Age 1.5

My DVD finally came in at the Seattle Library and am I glad! My thanks to the Swedish branch of JayFlix for this great tip.

This charming Swedish film (English captions) brings us an authentic gay couple, stable, married and ready to start a family. They jump through all the bureaucratic hoops and are finally notified that their child is ready: his name is Patrik and he is 1.5 years old. They expect Social Services to bring the tyke to their house - the nursery is painted, the crib is draped in netting, there is a rocking horse and an upholstered chair, plus a closed-circuit baby monitor.

Instead, a 15-year-old rebel shows up on their doorstep, his age was a typo. Patrik has been shoved around the foster-care circuit for 10 years, so he is angry and defiant. Furthermore, he has no use for "homos!"

This is only the tip of the iceberg as we watch a richly textured story unfold, with half a dozen really nice people (and a few not quite so nice) try their best to sort out the bungle and make some sense out of this poor kid's life.

The Swedish cast is excellent and I liked the Dolly Parton music, too!