Losing Isaiah

R

1995

1 hr. 46 min.

Drama

List

45%

29 Reviews

Tomatometer

73%

10,000+ Ratings

Audience Score

Khaila Richards (Halle Berry), a crack-addicted single mother, accidentally leaves her baby in a dumpster while high and returns the next day in a panic to find he is missing. In reality, the baby has been adopted by a warm-hearted social worker, Margaret Lewin (Jessica Lange), and her husband, Charles (David Strathairn). Years later, Khaila has gone through rehab and holds a steady job. After learning that her child is still alive, she challenges Margaret for the custody.

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Critics Consensus

Losing Isaiah makes an admirable attempt to tackle complex, worthwhile themes, but loses sight of effective storytelling during a descent into melodrama.

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T23Byon M

Each kid deserves love regardless their appearance, background, or circumstances beyond "their control". Listening/Loyalty. Observation/Opulence. Validation/Victory. Exuberance/Excellence.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

04/11/23

Full Review

Audience Member

I wasn't familiar with the true story but was expecting a dated look at drug addiction and class disparity baked into a predictable plot. Thankfully I was also treated to a legal drama, one in which I went back and forth regarding my thoughts on the outcome of the case. It did take a little while to get into this but it was easy to stay focused once the more captivating legal issues came into play, creating stakes for nearly every character. This featured a very recognizable cast although that didn't mean I actually liked all the performances. Samuel L. Jackson Binge: Jackson had one of the better, if not best, performances in this movie with his intensely focused portrayal of the lawyer who was advocating on behalf of the biological mother. He had the chance to perform on a few different levels here and successfully went a bit deeper than he is normally asked to. SLJ January #47

Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars

01/20/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Hally Berry played the mess out of this role!

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

02/19/23

Full Review

ashley h

Losing Isaiah is an excellent film. It is about natural and adoptive mothers of a young boy are involved in a custody battle. Jessica Lange and Halle Berry give fantastic performances. The screenplay is good but a little slow in places. Stephen Gyllenhaal did a great job directing this movie. I enjoyed watching this motion picture because of the drama. Losing Isaiah is a must see.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

03/31/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Una de las pelÃculas q mÃ¡s me ha hecho llorar en mi vida. Un lindo mensaje de amor

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

02/14/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Despite having strong central performances from both Jessica Lange and Halle Berry this is an overly sentimental and schmaltzy movie that plays every trick to play at the heart strings and doesn't really succeed. What should be a difficult and interesting and powerful conflict about whether it is better that an abandoned child is better raised with a family from a different ethnic background or returned to his birth mother is dealt with in only the most simplistic terms and is not really explored as fully as such a topic should be. Maybe this is an argument that has had its day since the movie was made but it all feels somewhat glib, a feeling not helped by the rather unsatisfying way in which the movie ends. These days, I would hope that in such situations, none of the professional and legal bodies depicted in this movie would behave in the manner depicted and the fact that there is little exploration by the court as to what is best for the child nor does there seem to be any involvement of the child in the decision. Maybe we've just moved on? I would hope so.

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

01/13/23

Full Review

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Stephen Gyllenhaal

Director

Jessica Lange

Margaret Lewin

Halle Berry

Khaila Richards

David Strathairn

Charles Lewin

Cuba Gooding Jr.

Eddie Hughes

Daisy Eagan

Hannah Lewin

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Losing Isaiah: Official Clip - Isaiah Grows Up

2:09

Losing Isaiah: Official Clip - I'm His Mother

1:57

Losing Isaiah: Official Clip - Stop the Blade

2:00

Losing Isaiah: Official Clip - I Threw Him Away

2:08

Losing Isaiah: Official Clip - I Love Him Too

2:12

Losing Isaiah: Official Clip - She Wants Him Back

2:06

Losing Isaiah: Official Clip - You Ain't Leaving That Baby Here

2:02

Losing Isaiah: Official Clip - What About Love?

2:09

Losing Isaiah: Official Clip - We're Always Together

2:05

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Lisa Schwarzbaum

Entertainment Weekly

Rated: B-

Sep 7, 2011

Full Review

Todd McCarthy

Variety

The material is emotionally wrenching, but the actors play sociopolitical totems more than flesh-and-blood characters.

Sep 3, 2008

Full Review

Jonathan Rosenbaum

Chicago Reader

This is an absorbing and involving picture, but the terms propounded here limit the story, which depends almost entirely on emotions rather than on thought.

Sep 3, 2008

Full Review

TV Guide

Despite the fine leads and some well-crafted scenes, Losing Isaiah is apt to make viewers angry and frustrated no matter where they stand on the issues.

Rated: 2.5/4

Sep 3, 2008

Full Review

Susan Granger

www.susangranger.com

Rated: 3/5

Apr 20, 2006

Full Review

Emanuel Levy

EmanuelLevy.Com

Rated: 2/5

Jun 30, 2005

Full Review

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Synopsis

Khaila Richards (Halle Berry), a crack-addicted single mother, accidentally leaves her baby in a dumpster while high and returns the next day in a panic to find he is missing. In reality, the baby has been adopted by a warm-hearted social worker, Margaret Lewin (Jessica Lange), and her husband, Charles (David Strathairn). Years later, Khaila has gone through rehab and holds a steady job. After learning that her child is still alive, she challenges Margaret for the custody.

Director: Stephen Gyllenhaal
Screenwriter: Naomi Foner
Production Co: Paramount Pictures
Rating: R
Genre: Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Streaming): Jun 15, 2011
Box Office (Gross USA): $3.7M
Sound Mix: Stereo, Surround