I have only just seen this movie and it really touched my heart because some of the things that Michelle went through I went through. The only difference was that her step-father was my step-mother and her mother was my father and the sexually abuse was physical and emotional abuse.(I didn't end up in prison though). Some parents, for some strange reason, think that their happiness comes before their children. I don't understand that. I think that a parent must always believe their child until they find out they are lying, not the other way around. When you have a child you pledge your life to providing for and being there for that child no matter what. There should be no compromise because that child is in the world because of your choice. I think that this movie gives hope to those who feel like they have none. It gave me some hope that my life doesn't have to be the endless black hole that my stepmother wanted it to be.