What Makes a Family_
"Based on the controversial true story"
Janine and Sandy are a lesbian couple who decide to have a baby, but after a few years Sandy dies. This tragedy is exploited by Sandy's parents to snatch the girl from Janine's care. But then, and despite having the laws against her, Janine decides to fight in order to regain custody of her daughter.
Starring
Brooke Shields, Cherry Jones, Whoopi Goldberg
Updated Feb 16, 2026
WHERE TO WATCH
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Year context
What Makes a Family was released 25 years ago in 2001.
Overview
Janine and Sandy are a lesbian couple who decide to have a baby, but after a few years Sandy dies. This tragedy is exploited by Sandy's parents to snatch the...
What Makes a Family is a Drama, TV Movie film with a runtime of 2h 0m.
CAST (20)
Brooke Shields
Janine Nielssen
Cherry Jones
Sandy Cataldi
Whoopi Goldberg
Terry Harrison
Anne Meara
Evelyn Cataldi
Al Waxman
Frank Cataldi
Jordy Benattar
Heather Cataldi
Melanie Nicholls-King
Nora
Stewart Arnott
Peter
JV
Joanne Vannicola
Melissa
Roberta Maxwell
Claire
Dean McDermott
O'Brien
Sean McCann
Judge Black
Philip Williams
Martin Crane
Jayne Eastwood
Judge Shales
George Buza
Reverend Greg Wasney
Cayle Chernin
ICU Nurse
Tony Devon
Gene
CD
Catherine Dulder
Cop
Roger Dunn
Professor
Richard Fitzpatrick
Michael
DETAILS
Release
Status
Released
Runtime
120 min (2h 0m)
Country
Rating
6.2/10 (22 votes)
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
What is What Makes a Family about?
Janine and Sandy are a lesbian couple who decide to have a baby, but after a few years Sandy dies. This tragedy is exploited by Sandy's parents to snatch the girl from Janine's care. But then, and despite having the laws against her, Janine decides to fight in order to regain custody of her daughter.
How long is What Makes a Family?
What Makes a Family has a runtime of 120 minutes (2h 0m).
Who stars in What Makes a Family?
The cast of What Makes a Family includes Brooke Shields, Cherry Jones, Whoopi Goldberg, Anne Meara, Al Waxman.
What is the rating of What Makes a Family?
What Makes a Family has a rating of 6.2 out of 10 based on 22 votes on TMDB.
GENRES (2)
Drama
TV Movie