My Sister's Keeper (2009)

A former defense attorney (Cameron Diaz) finds herself back in the courtroom when she and her husband (Jason Patric) are sued for medical emancipation by their 11-year-old daughter, Anna (Abigail Breslin), who is expected to donate a kidney to her dying older sister. The subsequent trial tests ethical boundaries and the limits of parental love. Joan Cusack and Alec Baldwin round out the cast in this powerful drama based on Jodi Picoult's novel. 2009, 1 hr and 50 minutes (from Netflix)

New York Times Review

I found this movie satisfying and thought provoking.  It stuck fairly close to the book, although, as in most cases, the book, by Jodi Picoult, was a more satisfying treatment of this subject. DJE

Extraordinary Measures (2010)

From Netflix: After their two young children are diagnosed with Pompe, a rare genetic disease for which conventional medicine has no cure, John (Brendan Fraser) and Aileen Crowley (Keri Russell) pin their hopes on the work of unconventional scientist Dr. Robert Stonehill (Harrison Ford). Director Tom Vaughan's heartfelt drama is based on the true story of the Crowley family, as chronicled by journalist Geeta Anand in her book The Cure. 2010 105 minutes
Trailer.

Interview with Geeta Anand (author of "The Cure") about the movie. "The Cure" by Anand."

While parts of this movie are a bit corny, my overall impression was very favorable. It addresses sick children, parental anxieties, cold "scientific" researchers and greedy pharmaceutical companies. There is much here to stimulate one's interest and give pause for thought.

The Island of Dr. Moreau

Synopsis: Marlon Brando stars as the scientist in the third adaptation of the H.G. Wells classic. The archetypal mad scientist, the good doctor has been conducting a number of experiments in his remote island kingdom, producing a race of genetic mutants both man and beast in his quest to produce a superior creature. The mutants treat Moreau as a virtual god, carrying out his orders with blind obedience. To deal with the few rebels, the scientist has embedded electrodes under their skin through which he can induce a degree of pain sufficient for his purpose. A plane crash-lands on the island, and the only survivor, U.N. negotiator Edward Douglas (David Thewlis), is taken to Moreau's compound by the doctor's demented assistant, Montgomery (Val Kilmer), where he's soon imprisoned. Shocked by Moreau's experiments, Douglas desperately seeks escape but is badly outnumbered by the army of mutants. At length, the creatures discover how to remove the controlling devices from their bodies and attempt a rebellion, but it soon becomes clear that their collective intelligence was not increased by their physical transformation. This film became an instant camp classic, the result of a troubled production on which John Frankenheimer replaced the original director after only a day of shooting. The fine camerawork of veteran William Fraker stands out above all else.

1996 Runtime: 1 hr 36 mins