When Andrew Came Home 2000

Gail, [Park Overall], and her ex-husband Ted, [Carl Marotte], along with his girlfriend Patty, [Patricia Zentilli], kidnap their son Andrew, [Seth Adkins], Ted’s child from Gail. Five years later, Ted returns Andrew to Gail, who has since remarried and has a new son. When Andrew shows signs of arrested development, Gail seeks help from a doctor and a psychiatrist, and Dr. Matthews, [Bruce Gray], is consulted to evaluate the boy’s needs. The professionals propose sending Andrew to a special residential school to help him catch up, but Gail refuses to part with her son again, so Andrew goes to a state-run school instead.

At school, Carl Rudnick, [Jake Goldsbie], bullies Andrew, who responds by urinating on him. The principal calls both Gail and Mrs. Rudnick, [Rhona Shekter], Carl’s mother, who loudly declares that Andrew is a freak and does not belong in public school—even after Andrew apologizes. The confrontation leaves the school administration uneasy, and the principal suggests holding Andrew back, but Gail stands firm and takes him out of the classroom. At home, Andrew is nonverbal and struggles to trust anyone, and his troubling behavior drives away Eddie, [Jason Beghe], who moves in with his mother, taking the baby.

Gail begins to teach Andrew at home, and slowly he makes progress. Eddie and the baby move back into the house, while Social Services warns that if Andrew isn’t on grade level by the end of the summer, she will be forced to send him to the special school. To mix things up, Gail takes Andrew to her brother’s farm, hoping a different atmosphere will help him learn, and he quickly picks up practical skills like milking cows and caring for animals, though academics remain challenging. Andrew overhears Gail tell her brother that, if she could choose, she wouldn’t pick him as her son, and the moment shakes him. He runs to the stables with Gail close behind, she apologizes, and he finally reveals the abuse he suffered at the hands of his father and Patty. The two cry in each other’s arms and share their bedtime song together, a fragile moment of healing.

Upon returning home to Eddie and the baby, Gail and Andrew work toward a healthier life, while Ted ends up in prison for kidnapping and child abuse.