Horrible, fascist and poorly acted

The film makes a home in your brain and the only cure is to see it again.

Blending excellent reporting and strong storytelling, this is a disturbing film truly stranger than fiction

It's easily one of the freshest, sharpest and most enjoyable films of this year.

Based on glowing reviews from a friend that this was a sad, but good, "Christian" movie, I let my 11-year old daughter watch this without first watching it myself- BIG MISTAKE. She came in my room after watching it, deeply traumatized and sobbing uncontrollably.Can anyone clue me in on why it's called "Carry Me Home?" Is it just a play on words for the main character's name? Or is it supposed to imply some uplifting theme? I'm not seeing it.Turns out the entire movie is a long string of awful events (dad dies in the war, mom dates a new man, neighbor's parents are drunks, Charlie is abused by Grizzle, forced to sleep in a barn, Charlie gruesomely bloodies up half his face, Grizzle killed Charlie's mother, Grizzle steals Charlie's puppies, Grizzle claims to be a Christian *nice bit of subtle Christian-bashing there*, Bernard shoots Grizzle with a gun, Carrie adds to Charlie's misery by stealing his puppy and taunting him, Charlie gets sent to a foster home in the end and can't take the one surviving puppy....) climaxing with the burning of a box of cute little puppies in a barn.... Wonderful story line! Why not add feeding those kids a big lump of frozen poison and forcing them to clean the streets with their tongues at midnight (ten minutes before bedtime) every night while you're at it? Why anyone would give this flick anything more than one star is beyond me.

All right, I loved this little movie. I had no expectations (by surprise on cable, Showtime, one early morning) and was impressed by the fantastic work of the stellar cast as well as the period look. This is a film to Tivo and watch with the whole family (about 9 and older). Now that I'm posting this review and see that others have dismissed it. I don't understand. Sure it's not funny, but it has a great message about the power of love and it goes back to simpler, beautiful time. Penelope Ann Miller is Amazing. And what ever happened to the lead girl, Ashley Rose Orr? She is a real find. I loved Kevin Anderson in a very complicated part and David Basche is Handsome and makes you care about a character who on the surface seems like a jerk. This seemed like a low budget movie, but it looks great and really captures the time. Kudos all around to the crew and cast.

DVD from my public library. Digital 5.1 sound, but was not done very well. Picture was just OK for DVD.Penelope Ann Miller has always been a favorite of mine, and here she stars as Harriet, a war widow in 1949 rural NY, with two young children. But it is more the story of her daughter Carrie (Ashley Rose Orr, talented kid who reminds one of a young Tatum O'Neal) who will not let loose of dad, wears his dog tags, and sometimes his army clothes. She also runs with the guys and is the only girl in the club. This is her growing up story.Kevin Anderson plays a mildly retarded Charlie who lives near. He is a kind soul but the kids make fun of him, and play dastardly jokes on him, some destructive. But that's they way kids are, they don't often think of the broader consequences of their actions.Harriet is a dressmaker and one of her clients tries to matchmake with a generally pretty good catch, but Carrie resents any man intruding on her life.Overall a marginal movie, but Penelope Ann Miller is good as the mom, and little Ashley Rose is superb as the daughter.SPOILERS. In the end the kids' practical jokes end up destructive, there is a fire, a shooting, but all survive. As Charlie is being taken to a home which is more suitable, Carrie realizes all the harm she has participated in, runs to tell Charlie she is sorry. Mom's suitor turns out to have a fatal flaw, he isn't caring enough about the downtrodden, mom has to turn down his proposal, but mom and daughter bond.

I agree with stingseven. This movie is great, and very original I must say. I highly recommended it! Ashley Rose Orr is so good as Carry, she plays the part so good! She'll make you wonder what's wrong with her. She'll make you cry a great deal at the end too. She's able to transmit the emotions beautifully. Penelope Ann Miller was very good too, she plays the role of the widow who is trying to raise her children on her own while others try to intervene in her personal relations. Then there's this poor man that the kids keep playing tricks on him, is so unfair because he's a good guy. But you can see how at the end there are humans with a good heart.