Fatherhood Dreams

Canadian filmmaker Julia Ivanova's documentary Fatherhood Dreams looks at the fatherhood experiences of four gay men. Randy and Drew are a married couple (legally in Canada) who adopt an infant but keep the birth mother and father, as well as the maternal grandmother, in the child's life. Scott is a single man preparing for the arrival of his twins, born of a surrogate mother. Stephen, a gay man who fathered two daughters with his wife—who is now in a committed relationship with a woman—co-parents his children with their mother and her partner. Each of these stories is uplifting and effectively intertwined, thanks to Ivanova's deft handling of the material. DVD extras include two bonus profiles: in the first, Kelly struggles to adopt a child against his own family's opposition, while in the second, Murray adopts two foster children with his partner Duane (this last segment contains some of the most powerful moments of all, including Murray's recollection about how his sister broke with him over the adoption, sympathetic remarks by an Anglican pastor, and a moving explanation from young adoptee Justin about why he's so attached to his stuffed animals). Additional extras include a Q&A with Ivanova and the three featured main families after a screening of the film, and a photo gallery. Offering a sensitive treatment of a controversial subject (even more so in the United States), Fatherhood Dreams is recommended. Aud: C, P. (F. Swietek)