Within These Walls

This was very good especially for a made for TV Hallmark movie. An interesting (inspired by) true story, helped along by fantastic turns from Ellen Burstyn -who is amazing as a hardened criminal serving time for possession and Laura Dern as the Dominican nun who reaches out to her through her service dog program. They definitely make this worth a watch.

I'd head of the success of this program before but it and it was nice to get a look at its inception here. The story follows Sister Pauline Quinn (Dern) who creates a special program in which inmates help train dogs who will be used to help the handicapped. They train and live 24-7 with the dogs and at first Joan (Burstyn) is resistant to getting involved. She is a hard woman, with a drug problem who has shut herself down emotionally. Sister Pauline for whatever reason refuses to give up on her sensing that her life can still be turned around. As it turns out she's hiding some secrets about her own past. As I said these two are fantastic. There's a couple of decent side stories running as well.

Honestly I was actually surprised to learn that this was a Hallmark production because it defiantly doesn't watch like one. The story felt realistic and is gritty at times.4/10/16