''Invisible Child'' is a 1999 American

made-for-television A television film, alternatively known as a television movie, made-for-TV film/movie or TV film/movie, is a feature-length film that is produced and originally distributed by or to a television network, in contrast to theatrical films made for ...

drama film In film and television, drama is a category or genre of narrative fiction (or semi-fiction) intended to be more serious than humorous in tone. Drama of this kind is usually qualified with additional terms that specify its particular super-g ...

starring

Rita Wilson Rita Wilson (born Margarita Ibrahimoff; October 26, 1956) is an American actress, singer, and producer. Her film appearances include ''Volunteers'' (1985), ''Sleepless in Seattle'' (1993), '' Now and Then'' (1995), ''That Thing You Do!'' (1996), ...

as a mother who imagines she has three children when she has only two. Fearing his wife may be institutionalized because of her

delusional disorder Delusional disorder is a mental illness in which a person has delusions, but with no accompanying prominent hallucinations, thought disorder, mood disorder, or significant flattening of affect.American Psychiatric Association. (2013). ''Diagnosti ...

, her husband goes along with this charade as though it is perfectly normal. The 10-year-old daughter assists her father in facilitating the delusion. The youngest child seems to really believe that he has a sister named "Maggie." They hire a

nanny A nanny is a person who provides child care. Typically, this care is given within the children's family setting. Throughout history, nannies were usually servants in large households and reported directly to the lady of the house. Today, modern ...

who initially goes along with the family's unusual situation, but she becomes concerned about the effects on the real children and reports the family to child protective services. A legal battle ensues, ending in victory for the family. It is also revealed that the real children were not harmed by pretending about "Maggie." In the middle of the movie, the husband explains that he tried to take his wife to the best psychologists in town, who told him that she was mentally ill and would have to go to an institution. He didn't want that to happen, so he went along with the ruse for five years. One night, his wife hears him carrying on a conversation with "Maggie," and the next morning she states that "Maggie" has died. Apparently, hearing the aforementioned conversation helps the wife out of her mental illness and allows her to finally let go of her imaginary child.

External links

* 1999 drama films 1999 films 1999 television films Films directed by Joan Micklin Silver American drama television films 1990s English-language films 1990s American films {{US-tv-drama-film-stub