A spare life

My Sister's Keeper doesn't do justice to the serious issues it raises | Megan Basham

New Line Cinema

It says something about the morally complex issues brought up in the new film My Sister's Keeper (rated PG-13 for sensuality, language, and brief teen drinking) that viewers can walk away from the story with totally different ideas of what exactly those issues are.

Based on the best-selling Jodi Picoult novel, the film focuses on 11-year-old Anna (Abigail Breslin), a child genetically engineered to provide spare parts to her leukemia-stricken sister, Kate (Sofia Vassilieva). Though that is a harsh (yet accurate) description, Anna's family is a close one. Her parents Brian and Sara (Jason Patric and Cameron Diaz) love both of their daughters, yet they cannot escape two awful realities: One, from her birth they have required Anna to undergo painful and frightening procedures to donate her blood, bone marrow, and stem cells to her sister; two, despite all these medical interventions, 16-year-old Kate is still dying. Her only hope, and it is a temporary measure at best, is if Anna gives Kate her kidney.

Find out how to get instant access to this article and one month of WORLD for only $5.00! If you are already a subscriber, please log in below.

The complete article is ~648 words long

Current Subscribers

Magazine
Subscriber

Online Only
Subscriber

>> Click here to see other purchase options for this article

New Subscribers

Secure form

Receive instant access to this article and the WORLDMag.com Archives
Plus, enjoy 2 issues of WORLD Magazine for only $5.00*

Want a different type of subscription? Click here for Online-Only Subscription options. Or here for Print Subscription options (which include online subscription access).

Payment Information

Name	State	Card Type

Address	Zip	Card Number

City	Email	Expiration Date
		/
	Phone Number

Offer Terms

Subscribers Advantage Automatic Renewal Program You authorize WORLD Magazine to charge your credit/debit card at the price listed above and in time to renew your subscription to WORLD Magazine, without interruption, before the start of the first 6-month term (for $24.95) and then thereafter at 6-month terms at the regular rate then in effect unless you tell us to stop. You may cancel at any time during your subscription and receive a full refund on all unmailed issues. If your credit/debit card cannot be charged, we will bill you directly instead.

*Offer good in the U.S. only for new subscribers.
I agree to the terms above

Outside the US, click here.
Renewing subscribers, click here.
Gift subscriptions, click here.

MORE PREVIOUS ISSUES

2009 Books Issue Jul. 4, 2009 View WORLD E-zine	Is Christianity in the U.S. doomed? Jun. 20, 2009 View WORLD E-zine	Tiananmen massacre Jun. 6, 2009 View WORLD E-zine
Playing with capitalism May. 23, 2009 View WORLD E-zine	On the road again May. 9, 2009 View WORLD E-zine	Geo-gizmos Apr. 25, 2009 View WORLD E-zine