HALLMARK fans have been divided by a new film with a controversial plot involving a single mother who conceives through in vitro fertilization.
The new film called Branching Out features Sarah Drew as a single mother who investigates the paternal family of her 10-year-old daughter who she had with an anonymous sperm donor.
Fans have already fallen in love with the Hallmark movie, which was released on April 27th.
“I just watched BRANCHING OUT. I need a sequel,” wrote one of them on Facebook.
Others praised the filmmakers for exploring the “new realm” of IVF “with sensitivity and understanding.”
“One of the things I love about Hallmark movies is that they are so relevant,” said one viewer.
“My daughter is now going through IVF with her husband, but there will be a lot more kids going through this process… And some of their stories might be like Ruby… And I’m so happy that Hallmark can do a film that is so relevant.”
Proving this, another viewer said he is “loving this movie” after meeting his biological father four years ago.
In the film written by Joie Botkin, Amelia (played by Drew) meets the father of her daughter Ruby.
TJ Cruz, played by Juan Pablo Di Pace, is a local musician who wants to meet his daughter after being contacted by Amelia and the two end up falling in love.
However, not everyone is happy with the plot, with some vowing to boycott the new film.
About Redditone Hallmark fan said the plot “just irritates me.”
“A sperm donor will know they have genetic children out there and there is a reason why some choose to remain anonymous,” they said.
“They don’t want a mother to come looking to fall in love.
“I understand that movies are just silly plots, but this one pissed me off.”
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Meanwhile, others question what making a film like this could mean for the media company’s future.
“Hallmark would never have made a movie like this four years ago,” said one Redditor.
“This Hallmark mission for everyone to be seen is a bit much,” wrote another.
But this isn’t the channel’s first attempt to explore complex family relationships.
In the 2021 film, My Christmas Family Treea young woman traces her biological father through an ancestry service that provides DNA testing.
Hallmark continues to explore the topic in its 2023 film, A season for the family.
The film addresses the story of separated brothers and what it’s like when adopted children are led to believe that they were born biologically to their parents.
Some viewers believe the push to capitalize on alternative fertility options is based on current social interests, while others suspect Hallmark is “just throwing shit at the wall and seeing what sticks.”
But Branching Out is more than just a movie about IVF, according to Drew, who told Life in the South the film aims to capture the emotional complexity of motherhood.
“I want people to feel like this is truly a love letter to motherhood, to single moms, and to families of all shapes and sizes.”
This story originally appeared on The-sun.com read the full story