Reviews

"This movie was very touching! It showed me once again how important love is, especially to those we might esteem as the least in our "perfect system". I hope this is a wakeup call to many people."

"Definitely a heartfelt tear-jerker in more ways than I can count… but you know what? I felt peace at the end."

"I have just watched "Let Me Have My Son". I found it absolutely touching and insightful."

"Heart wrenching. An incredibly sad movie. I'm just glad that the guy behind the inspiration is still alive, and doing okay because through most of the movie, I thought he was dead."

"This was an excellent movie... I cried watching it. It touched home for me because I, too, have a son with mental illness. As a parent, you never give up, but trying to help your loved one comes with many struggles, difficult decisions and much pain. I lived the movie, the love and compassion it showed to others and this particular population. Well done!"

"Best movie I have watched in 2023. So touching and eye-opening as to what families and people with mental illness go through."

"Holy cow, I started this because my roommate had it on and I walked in and started watching it and I had one of the most profound emotional experiences in my life. It made me laugh, cry, it’s self-aware, it’s amazing for people whose lives have been touched by mental illness, all of it. I cannot stress enough how much we needed this movie! Masterpiece."

"Amazing film, a father's dedication is no less than a mother’s."

"The movie was powerful and heartfelt, capturing my attention right from the start. The soundtrack was expressive and beautiful, the acting skillful and complex on many levels. The writing, too, gave the story an outstanding depth, showing mental illness in a new light and bringing home the message that love is relentless. This is one of the best movies on mental illness I have ever seen and, I believe, will go down in history as a classic."

"So raw and beautifully done… so much like God and His love for us. We can't give up on each other. We just can't."

"I cried pretty much through the whole movie."

"I have several severe mental health diagnoses and can't live on my own anymore. I am going to be homeless soon. I wish I had someone who loved me and fought for me. So, I’m pretending like Daniel’s father cares about me, too. I know that’s ridiculous because he has never met me. But it brings me some happiness to think so, which means it can't be too bad, right? Please pray that I can find a way to not believe that God hates me."

"The story resonated with us as we try to figure out how best to love our only son who lives with serious mental illness. May God use this film to bring HOPE and healing to many broken hearts as it did to ours."

"I enjoyed the movie very much! Held my attention all the way through."

"The film is excellent in exposing so many levels of having a mentally ill child. I’m actually in a bit of an emotional daze right now trying to process all that I’m feeling and thinking. But what stands out to me beyond the terrible grief, beyond the joys and hope, beyond the disturbing unknowns and all the living of life in between, is that Love Prevails."

"I thoroughly enjoyed this film. I watched it in the morning with a hot cup of coffee. I woke up feeling anxious that morning for some reason and decided to watch this movie and pressed play. I ended the movie with a box of Kleenex and convinced it was a message from God. It was what I needed in that moment. A reminder in the midst of the daily chaos of life... that love and faith can endure all hardships. And to cherish each moment with my children and family - you just never know what could happen that could change the course of life as you know it. It's been a while since I've seen a film that moved me so much. 5 stars. Highly recommend watching this!"

"I am still recovering from the experience of watching the film, but in a good way.  If you meant to draw the audience into the experience, you succeeded.  If you meant to convey the essence of what goes on in the psych ward of an institution,  you succeeded. If you meant to bring hope into a very, very dark and depressing life story, the ending did so, showing the son in a good place in his life."

"I didn’t know what to expect from the film, but the timing was perfect. My brother is currently exhausted dealing with the mental illness of his 18-year-old son. The movie was inspirational and a great reminder to continue to support them in their challenges and hardships. I wish you all continued success with the film!"

"I laughed and cried and felt so deeply throughout the film. I also have a child with mental health issues and can relate to the struggles of recognizing life through a different lens."

"I just finished watching the movie and am weeping from the good and the sad and the love all mixed in. My, how that Man loves his Son! Such a testimony as many men find staying in relationship too difficult if they can’t change the illness. Not quite sure why I keep getting teary-eyed – maybe feeling the Spirit in the midst of it all."

"The essence of this story was captured in an inspirational way which will hopefully touch millions of lives and change our perception of mental illness in a positive manner. Thank you from the bottom of my heart."

"The film was moving and marvelous. I am thankful you did not try to shield us from the realities of mental illness. Rather, we watch what it must have been like for our Savior to be incarnated and to have walked and lived amongst us broken, battered sinners."

"Let Me Have My Son is a powerful film for anyone who has journeyed through mental illness with a loved one. It'll make you curious, cry, and wonder. The interpretive nature of the story, combined with amazing scenery and creativity, allows for personal reflection and empathy. It is a captivating film and I highly recommend it."

"I very much enjoyed your film. It is extremely vivid and emotionally powerful, piercingly beautiful in both photographic and mental imagery."

"Let Me Have My Son is more than “just a story.” It’s a film from the writer/director’s heart as he shares his own reality dealing with his firstborn son’s severe mental illness. Every social worker, psychologist, psychiatrist, therapist and teacher should see this film."

“My son was diagnosed with bipolar 1 with mixed episodes a year ago. It has been a very, very difficult year and a half. I know you understand so many of the things I have gone through. This film will do much good for parents of children with mental illness.”

"Let Me Have My Son is deeply thought provoking, extremely powerful, and without a doubt very spiritually transforming. I highly recommend this movie to anyone who has been affected by mental illness in some way or just wants to understand how heartbreaking and gut-wrenching mental illness is in real life!"