SeeQuant
Blending excellent reporting and strong storytelling, this is a disturbing film truly stranger than fiction
Usamah Harvey
The film's masterful storytelling did its job. The message was clear. No need to overdo.
Sammy-Jo Cervantes
There are moments that feel comical, some horrific, and some downright inspiring but the tonal shifts hardly matter as the end results come to a film that's perfect for this time.
Married Baby
Just intense enough to provide a much-needed diversion, just lightweight enough to make you forget about it soon after it’s over. It’s not exactly “good,” per se, but it does what it sets out to do in terms of putting us on edge, which makes it … successful?
Prismark10
Decoding Annie Parker tells the real life story of two women. Toronto housewife Annie Parker, a three time cancer survivor who believes that the cancer she has got and has killed various members of her family was due to more than just bad luck and environmental factors.Geneticist Mary-Claire King who led a team of researchers for more than twenty years and found the breast cancer BRCA gene mutation which showed that cancer can be hereditary.Samantha Morton as Annie Parker gets to fast forward her life as she meets and marries rocker and pool man Aaron Paul has a son, loses family members to cancer and fights the disease herself while all the time going through a parade of 1970s and 1980s costumes and wigs.Helen Hunt gets the less interesting story of her fight for research and trying to prove a genetic link to breast cancer but her story makes for less than enthralling viewing so the focus always remain with Morton's story.The film is underwhelming and rather becomes a true life movie of the week with its inherent clichés. The film is served by a strong performance from Samantha Morton who rises above a weak script. Helen Hunt is poorly served by the screenplay and the meeting between the two women comes across as laughable and disappointing. The fault lies with the director for not making the best of this story.
Tony Heck
"If you knew those codes could you change your future?" Annie Parker (Morton) has watched her mother, father and sister all die of cancer. After dealing with all of that she is told that she too has breast cancer. While going through treatment she begins to wonder why she got it. She starts off on a life long research project to find out if breast cancer is hereditary. At the same time Dr. King (Hunt) is trying to figure out the same thing, only she has to deal with not getting the funding she needs. This is a true story of the almost cure for cancer. Obviously the fact that this movie deals with cancer it will be emotional but not in the way you expect. This movie will make you mad, very mad. Knowing how close Dr. King was getting but at the same time being blocked at the funding level because the powers that be didn't think it was important enough. This was in the 70's when she started. Just imagine where we would be today if she got what she needed! This is an important movie that should be seen. I recommend this. Overall, a very important movie but not a movie to rent for straight entertainment. Morton is great. I give it a B+.
Chrissy Sellon
I thought this was a a great movie. I laughed and I cried. It is an emotional movie that shows you one women's journey with hereditary breast cancer and how they found the genetic mutation that causes some strains of breast cancer. It really touched me personally as breast cancer has touched my family. I have watched my sister battle breast cancer not once but twice. No one wants to watch a movie about cancer, I get it. But there was something so real and genuine about Annie parker. She is a 3 time survivor! I would love the opportunity to meet her one day. She's gone through so much yet she smiles and lives her life to the fullest. Everyone can benefit from seeing this movie. Watch it with your mom or sister or best friend. And learn your family medical history and do monthly breast exams. It's so important.
RonPaulusMD
Had the privilege to review this film last night at an Asheville, NC fundraiser. Simply put, the film was remarkable - a unique combination of education and entertainment. The juxtaposition of the personal, challenging and heartfelt story of Annie Parker with the relentless pursuit of science and discovery by Mary-Claire King was inspirational and amazing. Broad distribution of this film is a must - both for movie-going audiences, for survivors, for previvors and for everyone who has ever loved, laughed and sustained.Kudos!