My Sister's Keeper

If you want a drama that takes its characters as seriously as its plot, My Sister's Keeper is available in Australia on ABC iview, and in the US on Hallmark TV Amazon Channel and Kanopy right now. A tight runtime that never overstays its welcome. A 7/10 rating says what the writing already makes obvious: this one works. Cameron Diaz leads a cast that never overplays its hand. There is no real reason to keep putting it off — it is right there on ABC iview.

Whatever else is competing for your attention this week, My Sister's Keeper is worth clearing space for. The writing in My Sister's Keeper treats its characters as people first, plot devices second. Sara and Brian live an idyllic life with their young son and daughter. But their family is rocked by sudden, heartbreaking news that forces them to make a difficult and unorthodox choice in order to save their baby girl's life. The parents' desperate decision raises both ethical and moral questions and rips away at the foundation of their relationship. Cameron Diaz and Abigail Breslin lead a cast doing genuinely serious work here. It hit screens in 2009. The performances in My Sister's Keeper do a lot of work in the silences between the dialogue. It delivers reliably on what it promises, which is more than most of its competition manages.

For anyone looking for storytelling that takes its characters seriously, My Sister's Keeper delivers. It stands on its own even without an obvious comparison point. Short enough to finish in one sitting, substantial enough to feel satisfying. Cameron Diaz carries the material with a performance that rewards close attention. Worth starting sooner rather than later.