Dex and I watched “My Brother” last night. I’d heard a lot of buzz about it on the Down syndrome message boards and blogs, and was eager to see it for myself. I had mixed feelings when it ended. My main complaint or disappoint has nothing to do with the underlying (or in this film’s case, overlying) message. It was just a certain… awkwardness of technique. Too much music during the segments of the brothers as kids. Some scenes with their mom feeling like they were dragging on or repetitive. The script betrayed a certain inexperience… like an insightful, talented 22-year olds first novel. It could have been tighter without losing the meaning or flow of the story.

On to the good. The cast was superb. The two actors in the role of James, as an adult (Christopher Scott) and as a child (Donovan Jennings), were excellent. The portrayal of life of a person with Down syndrome was honest and engaging. Isaiah, the brother, showed the complexities of having a brother with a disability - the love, the loyalty, the frustration.

The best part of the movie for me? I mean, besides seeing people with Down syndrome being portrayed as REAL poeple with REAL lives? I’d have to say, any scene with Donovan Jennings. By the end of the film, I was overcome by an irresistable need to squeeze him. The kid is adorable.