My Sister's Keeper (2009)
Kernel Score: 84% · 2,219 ratings · Rated PG-13
Genres: Drama
Released: 2009-06-26
Runtime: 109 minutes
Is My Sister's Keeper worth watching?
Worth watching. My Sister's Keeper is a family drama about a girl who wants control of her own body when her sick sister needs her help. It's emotional and well acted, and it's a deliberate tearjerker.
Watch it if you
- like family tearjerkers
- enjoy dramas with tough moral questions
- want a good cry
Skip it if you
- dislike stories about serious childhood illness
- resent manipulative melodrama
Best for: Emotional night in
Fresh Kernels verdict, AI-assisted from our scores, audience reviews and the official rating.
Where to watch My Sister's Keeper
- Stream: Hallmark+ Apple TV channel
- Free with ads: Kanopy, The Roku Channel, Plex, Tubi
- Rent: Prime Video, Apple TV, Google Play, YouTube
- Buy: Prime Video, Apple TV, Google Play, YouTube
US availability, updated 2026-10-23.
Overview
Sara and Brian live an idyllic life with their young son and daughter. But their family is rocked by sudden, heartbreaking news that forces them to make a difficult and unorthodox choice in order to save their baby girl's life. The parents' desperate decision raises both ethical and moral questions and rips away at the foundation of their relationship. Their actions ultimately set off a court case that threatens to tear the family apart, while revealing surprising truths that challenge everyone's perceptions of love and loyalty and give new meaning to the definition of healing.
My Sister's Keeper parents' guide: ages 11+
Parents need to know that My Sister's Keeper is a PG-13 drama dealing with childhood cancer, a difficult court case, and family strain over a life-or-death medical decision.
- Drinking, drugs & smoking: A little — Medical chemotherapy is depicted as part of the cancer storyline, not recreational drug use.
Fresh Kernels AI-assessed from the official PG-13 rating, publicly documented content. A guide for families, not an official rating.
Movies like My Sister's Keeper
If you liked My Sister's Keeper, these are the movies we'd watch next.
- 50/50 (2011) — 80%: Illness drama that mixes humour with real feeling
- Miss You Already (2015) — 84%: Friendship and serious illness handled with warmth
- All My Life (2020) — 89%: True-story drama about love in the face of illness
- The Notebook (2004) — 88%: Classic weepy romance about love through hardship
- The Glass Castle (2017) — 80%: Complicated family story told with emotional honesty
- The Judge (2014) — 84%: Family drama with courtroom tension and old wounds
Director
Cast
- Cameron Diaz as Sara Fitzgerald
- Abigail Breslin as Andromeda "Anna" Fitzgerald
- Sofia Vassilieva as Kate Fitzgerald
- Alec Baldwin as Campbell Alexander
- Jason Patric as Brian Fitzgerald
- Joan Cusack as Judge De Salvo
- Heather Wahlquist as Aunt Kelly
- Evan Ellingson as Jesse Fitzgerald
- Frank Cassavetes as Gus
- Nicole Marie Lenz as Gloria
My Sister's Keeper FAQ
Is My Sister's Keeper worth watching?
Worth watching. My Sister's Keeper is a family drama about a girl who wants control of her own body when her sick sister needs her help. It's emotional and well acted, and it's a deliberate tearjerker.
Where can I watch My Sister's Keeper?
In the US you can stream My Sister's Keeper on Hallmark+ Apple TV channel, watch it free with ads on Kanopy, The Roku Channel, Plex and Tubi and rent it from Prime Video, Apple TV, Google Play and YouTube.
Is My Sister's Keeper OK for kids?
My Sister's Keeper is rated PG-13. Fresh Kernels suggests ages 11+. Parents need to know that My Sister's Keeper is a PG-13 drama dealing with childhood cancer, a difficult court case, and family strain over a life-or-death medical decision.
What movies are like My Sister's Keeper?
If you liked My Sister's Keeper, try 50/50, Miss You Already, All My Life and The Notebook.