I cannot stop thinking about the husband after watching this film. What he did for his wife and children was amazingly selfless. He took on that burden in a gentle and loving way. At the end of the movie, however, you could see that the sweet lovely caring man had become somewhat jaded. Who wouldn't? He was forced to take something on that he never signed up for. Never mind 'for better or for worse'. No matter how much he loves his wife, resentment had to rear its ugly head frequently over the years. God bless him and his family. His in-laws are heartwarmingly beautiful people-the real deal. Provocative subject matter very well done.
26 Reviews
A MUST SEE DOCUMENTARY
rtrtech16 October 2018
Truly a gem
iqdrywall16 October 2018
Min mandatory sentences are one of the worse things that has been done to the American justice system. This doc, shows one families struggle to deal with unjust sentencing guidelines. If your not in tears when you are at the end of it. You do not have a soul. Be warned. You will need a big box of tissues! Punishment should fit the crime.
She Was Not So Innocent
HarleanHayworth12 October 2019
This is a very one sided documentary about a woman who is sentenced to a 15 year mandatory prison sentence for dealing drugs. The documentary is made by her family and they want you to believe she doesn't deserve her sentence. However if you read the court reports you will see that she was a drug dealer, she lied to the police, and she was found guily after a trial.
The tragic part of this documentary is that the woman left behind a husband and three little girls who will forever be damaged by not having their mother around. Yes you will feel sorry for the children because none of this was their fault. However their drug dealing mom got the sentence she deserved and now she has to spend the rest of her life making it up to these kids.
The big lesson of this documentary is if you committ a crime in the US you will get locked up!
The tragic part of this documentary is that the woman left behind a husband and three little girls who will forever be damaged by not having their mother around. Yes you will feel sorry for the children because none of this was their fault. However their drug dealing mom got the sentence she deserved and now she has to spend the rest of her life making it up to these kids.
The big lesson of this documentary is if you committ a crime in the US you will get locked up!
Mandatory minimum!
Kelitansmith16 October 2018
Absolutely WOW
jaimezendejas17 October 2018
A true case against mandatory sentencing
jooles-2828018 October 2018
This movie showed how the mandatory sentencing program for drugs is a failure. First of all, I want to say that this is such an amazing family. They were so supportive of her. Whether or not she knew about her boyfriend's drug involvement does not justify a 15-year sentence, destroying the lives of her entire family. What good did it do for society in general to put someone like this is prison? All it did was leave emotional scars on those poor children having to be away from their mother for so long. It was truly heartbreaking to see the emotional strain on her husband, children, mother, father, brothers and sister. Her brother Rudy (filmmaker) did an excellent job documenting the struggles and heartbreak and how something like this affects so many.
Hmm left out key details
MovieCriticOnline20 October 2018
I want to love every movie I watch. Unfortunately, the majority of the time that isn't the case.
There is a theme in recent documentaries of being all over the place and leaving out details.
For the first 15 minutes, I knew nothing about Cindy (the lead) or what happened to her. They didn't even talk about what had happened. You hear calls between her and the kids etc, but no clue why. Please, start with the background story first and make them more linear.
This was more an emotional plea than factual and honest. You don't live with someone who deals drugs and has guns all over and you either don't know or not involved. Don't buy it. I feel REALLY horrible for the kids.
Sentences ARE ridiculous and I have issues with the whole industry of drugs/crimes etc. (meaning I don't think doing drugs should be a crime) However, I don't like manipulative filmmakers playing down certain facts to reach an emotional conclusion.
But how do you leave out the trial? Nothing from the other side, like the prosecutor, defense attorney, jurors etc. We learned pretty much NOTHING about why she went to prison (besides just the overall allegation). If you make a movie about injustice SHOW IT, don't talk about it. You just don't get sentenced to prison for 15 years for being a girlfriend. They basically talked about how much they love their mom for 90 minutes. Why did the FEDS wait 6 years after dropping the case? There are more questions than answers in this.
Whatever happened to her is messed up, but without all the facts it felt empty and incomplete. Plus it could have been 15 minutes shorter. A lot of repetitive stuff.
The girls were the most amazing part. The end felt a bit rushed. They should have shown more of the process. Lots of crying and hugging.
One critic wrote: "Rudy Valdez has no distance from the material, which works simultaneously in the film's favor and, largely, its disfavor." I tend to agree. It just felt like a home movie, but not like a documentary.
It's worth watching, but it could have been so much better.
UPDATE! After thinking about it more, it was actually worse than I initially wrote. You learned nothing about why there was an injustice. Don't make a film about mandatory sentences and/or injustice and now show anything about it. It was 90 minutes of repetitive calls from the children to the mom for over 9 years. That was pretty much it, but that's not enough for a film.
There is a theme in recent documentaries of being all over the place and leaving out details.
For the first 15 minutes, I knew nothing about Cindy (the lead) or what happened to her. They didn't even talk about what had happened. You hear calls between her and the kids etc, but no clue why. Please, start with the background story first and make them more linear.
This was more an emotional plea than factual and honest. You don't live with someone who deals drugs and has guns all over and you either don't know or not involved. Don't buy it. I feel REALLY horrible for the kids.
Sentences ARE ridiculous and I have issues with the whole industry of drugs/crimes etc. (meaning I don't think doing drugs should be a crime) However, I don't like manipulative filmmakers playing down certain facts to reach an emotional conclusion.
But how do you leave out the trial? Nothing from the other side, like the prosecutor, defense attorney, jurors etc. We learned pretty much NOTHING about why she went to prison (besides just the overall allegation). If you make a movie about injustice SHOW IT, don't talk about it. You just don't get sentenced to prison for 15 years for being a girlfriend. They basically talked about how much they love their mom for 90 minutes. Why did the FEDS wait 6 years after dropping the case? There are more questions than answers in this.
Whatever happened to her is messed up, but without all the facts it felt empty and incomplete. Plus it could have been 15 minutes shorter. A lot of repetitive stuff.
The girls were the most amazing part. The end felt a bit rushed. They should have shown more of the process. Lots of crying and hugging.
One critic wrote: "Rudy Valdez has no distance from the material, which works simultaneously in the film's favor and, largely, its disfavor." I tend to agree. It just felt like a home movie, but not like a documentary.
It's worth watching, but it could have been so much better.
UPDATE! After thinking about it more, it was actually worse than I initially wrote. You learned nothing about why there was an injustice. Don't make a film about mandatory sentences and/or injustice and now show anything about it. It was 90 minutes of repetitive calls from the children to the mom for over 9 years. That was pretty much it, but that's not enough for a film.
I've never wanted to write a review before
joaniemurphy19 October 2018
The Sentence is an exquisite look into what happens to a family when the mother is in prison for over nine years. I felt every emotion each family member felt. The Sentence is beautifully filmed. How this wonderful brother documented the life of his sister's three daughters as their father brings them upside cc unfolds in a most tender way.
Don't do the crime if you can't do the time...
HoracioDee26 October 2018
So if her family wasn't so nice (as portrayed by a documentary made by a member of said family) then viewers shouldn't care? That's essentially what most of the reviews are asserting. Also, anyone who says being a part of a drug ring is a nonviolent crime is naive. Drug users commit crimes, often violent in nature, to feed their habits. And pick up a newspaper from any larger city and you'll read about violence associated with the sale of narcotics.
Unfortunately True, Incredibly Unfortunate
castro-622219 November 2018
I for incomplete
decimatorcortez2 October 2020
If you like one sided human interest stories, this is an okay watch. Nothing extraordinary, overly interesting, or compelling.
Her parents were farm workers when they came here. Father became a small business owner, mother a school teacher, the daughter a criminal.
As for the non-violence tripe, ask the boyfriend's family or victims of drug use.
A quick google search will answer a few questions.
Her parents were farm workers when they came here. Father became a small business owner, mother a school teacher, the daughter a criminal.
As for the non-violence tripe, ask the boyfriend's family or victims of drug use.
A quick google search will answer a few questions.
Excellent documentary!!!
marlakins19 January 2019
I loved this film as it truly showed the emotionality of families who are affected by incarceration of a loved one. Best documentary I have seen in a long time. I cried when they cried every time!!! You must see this film!!
pathetic whining story
a29107210 November 2019
Heartbreaking!
ExitSouth21 October 2018
I felt so sorry for the kids. Somebody has to do something about these crazy mandatory sentences. On reality tv crime shows ... I've seen people who directly commit manslaughter and assault get lighter sentences than this women who happened to be the "girlfriend" of a criminal. The system has to be changed. The suffering to the families is beyond belief! I didn't know any of this was happening until I saw this movie yesterday on HBO.
Eye-Opening
binz4523 March 2019
The Girlfriend Problem
donnagrace-6309224 October 2018
I knew about minimum sentencing and our desperate need for prison reform, but through Mr. Veldez' exquisite, painstaking work that explained everything in heartbreaking detail, I now learn about this horrific "girlfriend problem". For a country that prides itself on innovation, the patriarchy sure has a knack for coming up with the cruelest of boneheaded "solutions" that do nothing but inflict the greatest harm on the greatest number of people.
SHE KNEW
erak-2574817 October 2018
Gut wrenching, raw emotion
ajmblue22-206-4699469 November 2018
Slow beginninh
iamvickiroberts28 October 2018
Very insightful!
am12116531 October 2018
The statement... Don't do the crime if you can't do the time, doesn't apply with this story. She didn't do any crime, and yet she is doing time for another person's crime. 15 years is totally outrageous!! She is being made an example of. A very well told story...
Great story of family.
cjg-353622 October 2020
This is a great story of family and love no matter what happens. I looked up her crime and the 15 year sentence was far to extreme. I watched on the ID Channel the other day of a couple who abducted a young girl and kept her in a box under their bed and tortured her daily yet the wife who helped in the abduction and stood by and watched as her husband tortured this young woman for 10 years did not get charged with anything and was allowed to go home free. Then there's the minimum sentencing laws which were enacted during the explosion of crack during the Regan years which as we've all learned was brought into our country by Regans own minions. So I give it a good rating for the family portrayal and for the exposure of the unjust sentencing guidelines that are ridiculous.
Leaves out facts to push an agenda
millerappraisalservices10 September 2021
If you take a few minutes to look at her case it's clear that facts are left out of this "documentary" in order to advocate for and excuse criminal activity.
How about instead of trying to remove minimal sentencing laws people should be concerned with not committing crimes. It really is not hard to go through life without committing a crime severe enough to go to jail. We all make mistakes, but it's easy to avoid the crimes that are bad enough to go to jail.
Also, this film blames her Sentence for her children not having their mom around. How about you own your wrong doings and accept that if you didn't do the crime then you wouldn't need to do the time. It's her fault that she left her kids. She abandoned them. Her crimes werenpretry bad. Those poor children had a mother that failed them, not the legal system. OWN IT.
The topic of this film would be interesting if it was conveyed correctly. There really are good arguments to be had for some sentencing laws. Unfortunately, they use this terrible example to push their agenda.
If you're willing to commit these types of crimes then you shouldn't be raising kids.
How about instead of trying to remove minimal sentencing laws people should be concerned with not committing crimes. It really is not hard to go through life without committing a crime severe enough to go to jail. We all make mistakes, but it's easy to avoid the crimes that are bad enough to go to jail.
Also, this film blames her Sentence for her children not having their mom around. How about you own your wrong doings and accept that if you didn't do the crime then you wouldn't need to do the time. It's her fault that she left her kids. She abandoned them. Her crimes werenpretry bad. Those poor children had a mother that failed them, not the legal system. OWN IT.
The topic of this film would be interesting if it was conveyed correctly. There really are good arguments to be had for some sentencing laws. Unfortunately, they use this terrible example to push their agenda.
If you're willing to commit these types of crimes then you shouldn't be raising kids.
Great film!
chrisstinney9 February 2020
I just watched the documentary. I loved it! I was so moved by it from start to finish. This documentary shows the different struggles by each person, which I felt in so many levels. Rudy Valdez is a great filmmaker. He captured love, sorrow, joys and most importantly faith. I'm impressed!
WHAT???!!!
fifteenpiecesofflair13 October 2020
She's doing the time and one of the last conversations her and her husband had was something akin to anything but heroic. She was venting, looking for a modicum of compassion and sympathy. Ah, but the Iceman cometh.
A great documentary which left me coming away than an even deeper hatred of society. I hope one day justice will come from someone's heart and not the clinical letter of the law.
A great documentary which left me coming away than an even deeper hatred of society. I hope one day justice will come from someone's heart and not the clinical letter of the law.
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