A Place to Be Loved is a 1993 American television film with Richard Crenna and Rhea Perlman. It was released in the United Kingdom under the title Shattered Family. The film is based on the story of Gregory Kingsley, who was the first American child to legally sever ties with a parent at the age of twelve.[1] It was broadcast on CBS on April 4, 1993.
Plot summary
Gregory Kingsley is a boy who is abused by his father and placed with social services by his mother. The foster family he is put into proves to be the type of nurturing environment he needs. He ends up taking his mother to court to have her parental rights revoked, in the hopes of being adopted by his foster family.
Todd Everett of Variety praised the performances of Crenna, Perlman, Kelsey, and Guiry.[1] He said the "strongest feature of Blair Ferguson's script may be its clarification of complicated and precedent-setting legal issue", while its "weakest point is its black-and-white contrast of the Kingsley and Russ parents; we can almost see halos above the heads of George and Liz (Kelsey), as Ralph and (especially) Rachel Kingsley twirl their mustache".[1]