My Flesh and Blood

Movie · Documentary

Winner of the Audience and Director's Awards at the Sundance Film Festival, the deeply affecting "My Flesh and Blood" follows one remarkable family's most tumultuous year as it confronts a litany of challenges, while still finding time to celebrate life's small pleasures. Who says you can't choose your family? "I think when I found that I could survive raising four kids, that it wasn't that far of a leap to add another one," says Susan Tom of Fairfield, California, who has done more than just that, adopting 11 special-needs children. For a single mother who receives only limited help from the state, Susan faces the seemingly impossible task of caring for her brood, somehow managing to give them love, hope, and as close to a normal childhood has possible. But limits are tested when her angry teenage son threatens to harm one of his siblings. And after another child's condition becomes erratic, Susan must struggle to keep her family united as their battles threatened to tear them apart. Tenderly directed by Jonathan Karsh, "My Flesh and Blood" presents a family portrait like no other--a bittersweet and unforgettable experience filled with unexpected humor, stirring pathos, and real-life inspiration.

2003 · 1h 25m
  • 90%
Starring Susan Tom, Anthony Tom, Margaret Tom
Director Jonathan Karsh

Trailers

  • My Flesh and Blood
    Documentary

Related

  • A Space in Time
  • Mormon No More
  • Counting On
  • Parenthood
  • Long Lost Family
  • Sound and Fury
  • Gleason
  • So Much So Fast
  • Hear and Now

Cast & Crew

  • S‌T
    Susan Tom
    Self
  • A‌T
    Anthony Tom
    Self
  • M‌T
    Margaret Tom
    Self
  • F‌T
    Faith Tom
    Self
  • X‌T
    Xenia Tom
    Self
  • J‌T
    Joe Tom
    Self
  • J‌K
    Jonathan Karsh
    Director
  • Jen Chaiken
    Producer

About

My Flesh and Blood

Documentary

Winner of the Audience and Director's Awards at the Sundance Film Festival, the deeply affecting "My Flesh and Blood" follows one remarkable family's most tumultuous year as it confronts a litany of challenges, while still finding time to celebrate life's small pleasures. Who says you can't choose your family? "I think when I found that I could survive raising four kids, that it wasn't that far of a leap to add another one," says Susan Tom of Fairfield, California, who has done more than just that, adopting 11 special-needs children. For a single mother who receives only limited help from the state, Susan faces the seemingly impossible task of caring for her brood, somehow managing to give them love, hope, and as close to a normal childhood has possible. But limits are tested when her angry teenage son threatens to harm one of his siblings. And after another child's condition becomes erratic, Susan must struggle to keep her family united as their battles threatened to tear them apart. Tenderly directed by Jonathan Karsh, "My Flesh and Blood" presents a family portrait like no other--a bittersweet and unforgettable experience filled with unexpected humor, stirring pathos, and real-life inspiration.

90%

TOMATOMETER
Average 8.2
Reviews 29
Fresh 26
Rotten 3

Information

Studio
Docurama
Released
2003
Run Time
1 hr 25 min
Rated
Unrated
Region of Origin
United States
© 2003 Meet the Toms.

Languages

Original Audio
English
Audio

English (AAC)

Subtitles

English (CC)

Accessibility

Closed captions (CC) refer to subtitles in the available language with the addition of relevant non-dialogue information.
  • Español (México)
Select a country or region

Africa, Middle East, and India

  • Armenia
  • Azerbaijan
  • Bahrain
  • Botswana
  • Cape Verde
  • Egypt
  • Eswatini
  • Gambia
  • Ghana
  • Guinea-Bissau
  • India
  • Israel
  • Jordan
  • Lebanon
  • Mauritius
  • Mozambique
  • Namibia
  • Niger (English)
  • Oman
  • Qatar
  • Saudi Arabia
  • South Africa
  • Sri Lanka
  • Tajikistan
  • Turkmenistan
  • Uganda
  • United Arab Emirates
  • Zimbabwe

Asia Pacific

  • Australia
  • Brunei Darussalam
  • Cambodia
  • Fiji
  • 香港
  • Indonesia (English)
  • 日本
  • Lao People's Democratic Republic
  • 澳門
  • Malaysia (English)
  • Micronesia, Federated States of
  • Mongolia
  • New Zealand
  • Philippines
  • Singapore
  • 대한민국
  • 台灣
  • Thailand
  • Turkmenistan
  • Vietnam

Europe

  • Armenia
  • Österreich
  • Belarus
  • Belgium
  • Bulgaria
  • Cyprus
  • Czechia
  • Denmark
  • Estonia
  • Finland
  • France (Français)
  • Deutschland
  • Greece
  • Hungary
  • Ireland
  • Italia
  • Latvia
  • Lithuania
  • Luxembourg (English)
  • Malta
  • Moldova, Republic Of
  • Nederland
  • Norway
  • Poland
  • Portugal (Português)
  • Россия
  • Slovakia
  • Slovenia
  • España
  • Sverige
  • Schweiz
  • Türkiye (English)
  • Ukraine
  • United Kingdom

Latin America and the Caribbean

  • Anguilla
  • Antigua and Barbuda
  • Argentina (Español)
  • Bahamas
  • Belize
  • Bermuda
  • Bolivia (Español)
  • Brasil
  • Virgin Islands, British
  • Cayman Islands
  • Chile (Español)
  • Colombia (Español)
  • Costa Rica (Español)
  • Dominica
  • República Dominicana
  • Ecuador (Español)
  • El Salvador (Español)
  • Grenada
  • Guatemala (Español)
  • Honduras (Español)
  • México
  • Nicaragua (Español)
  • Panamá
  • Paraguay (Español)
  • Perú
  • St. Kitts and Nevis
  • Trinidad and Tobago
  • Venezuela (Español)

The United States and Canada

  • Canada (English)
  • Canada (Français)
  • United States
  • Estados Unidos (Español México)

Copyright © 2026 Apple Inc. All rights reserved.

  • Internet Service Terms
  • Apple TV & Privacy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Support
Select a country or region

Africa, Middle East, and India

  • Armenia
  • Azerbaijan
  • Bahrain
  • Botswana
  • Cape Verde
  • Egypt
  • Eswatini
  • Gambia
  • Ghana
  • Guinea-Bissau
  • India
  • Israel
  • Jordan
  • Lebanon
  • Mauritius
  • Mozambique
  • Namibia
  • Niger (English)
  • Oman
  • Qatar
  • Saudi Arabia
  • South Africa
  • Sri Lanka
  • Tajikistan
  • Turkmenistan
  • Uganda
  • United Arab Emirates
  • Zimbabwe

Asia Pacific

  • Australia
  • Brunei Darussalam
  • Cambodia
  • Fiji
  • 香港
  • Indonesia (English)
  • 日本
  • Lao People's Democratic Republic
  • 澳門
  • Malaysia (English)
  • Micronesia, Federated States of
  • Mongolia
  • New Zealand
  • Philippines
  • Singapore
  • 대한민국
  • 台灣
  • Thailand
  • Turkmenistan
  • Vietnam

Europe

  • Armenia
  • Österreich
  • Belarus
  • Belgium
  • Bulgaria
  • Cyprus
  • Czechia
  • Denmark
  • Estonia
  • Finland
  • France (Français)
  • Deutschland
  • Greece
  • Hungary
  • Ireland
  • Italia
  • Latvia
  • Lithuania
  • Luxembourg (English)
  • Malta
  • Moldova, Republic Of
  • Nederland
  • Norway
  • Poland
  • Portugal (Português)
  • Россия
  • Slovakia
  • Slovenia
  • España
  • Sverige
  • Schweiz
  • Türkiye (English)
  • Ukraine
  • United Kingdom

Latin America and the Caribbean

  • Anguilla
  • Antigua and Barbuda
  • Argentina (Español)
  • Bahamas
  • Belize
  • Bermuda
  • Bolivia (Español)
  • Brasil
  • Virgin Islands, British
  • Cayman Islands
  • Chile (Español)
  • Colombia (Español)
  • Costa Rica (Español)
  • Dominica
  • República Dominicana
  • Ecuador (Español)
  • El Salvador (Español)
  • Grenada
  • Guatemala (Español)
  • Honduras (Español)
  • México
  • Nicaragua (Español)
  • Panamá
  • Paraguay (Español)
  • Perú
  • St. Kitts and Nevis
  • Trinidad and Tobago
  • Venezuela (Español)

The United States and Canada

  • Canada (English)
  • Canada (Français)
  • United States
  • Estados Unidos (Español México)