A Film Over 30 Years in the Making… ‘Her Life Choice’ from Emmy Winner Toni Crey Now on Amazon Prime

A passion project that began more than 30 years ago is now out on digital, emerging at a critical cultural moment, as the national discourse on reproductive rights has once again become a battleground. Her Life Choice from filmmaker Antonia “Toni” Crey brings a bold exploration of the intersections between faith, culture, and sexuality to the screen. Let’s take a look at the unique journey of Her Life Choice and hear from the director.

Small Miracles was originally filmed in Atlanta, Georgia, during the winter of 1987. Set in post-war 1940s America, the drama follows a woman torn between her Catholic faith and the potentially life-threatening risks of pregnancy. At its heart, the film explores evolving views on women’s reproductive rights during a time when the Church vehemently opposed contraception. The narrative centers on an Italian-American family whose lives are irrevocably altered when their young daughter, longing for a sibling, prays earnestly for a baby sister. What begins as an innocent wish soon triggers a deeply moving journey—one in which the power of prayer challenges medical reality, religious doctrine, and the strength of familial love. As hope, sacrifice, and faith intertwine, the family must confront the cost of devotion and the consequences of a miracle that may be more than they bargained for.

The internal conflict intensifies when one woman begins to question the Church’s stance on contraception, especially in the case of potentially life-threatening pregnancies. At the time of filming, the United States was grappling with the Iran-Contra affair, and abortion became legal under the protections of Roe v. Wade. Now, years later, the political landscape has dramatically shifted. The reproductive rights amendment has been overturned, and the pendulum has swung even further than those earlier conservative times. With a bold exploration of the intersections between faith, culture, and sexuality, filmmaker Antonia “Toni” Crey reimagined her short film through a digital restoration of archival 16mm and 8mm home movies. Augmented with newly written voice-over narration, the revised work — now titled Her Life Choice — offers a deeply personal and contemporary meditation on the enduring tensions between religious tradition and reproductive autonomy. The movie premiered recently on Amazon Prime, the now revised 40-minute narrative is adapted from Crey’s family memoir, drawing poignantly from the intimate lives of her Italian-American relatives. The film captures the intricate dynamics of familial love: affection layered with playful rivalry, quiet grief, and the unspoken resilience forged through shared rituals, like brewing Demi Tasse coffee or savoring petit fours. These moments of ordinary tenderness reflect a profound sense of generational continuity and emotional refuge, even as the characters navigate unhealed wounds and societal constraints.

“In reviewing the home movies my cousin had digitized for the family, I was struck by how closely my lead actress, Rebecca Downs, resembled my aunt,” Crey recalls. “It was a moment of revelation. I saw an entirely new way to approach the story—one that was more personal, more urgent. That realization reignited my passion to reframe the narrative.”

Her Life Choice emerges as the national discourse on reproductive rights has once again become a battleground. The film thoughtfully bridges past and present, reminding viewers that the struggles surrounding bodily autonomy and moral agency are not new—they are cyclical and deeply rooted in both personal histories and collective memory.

Technically, the film owes much of its aesthetic refinement to advancements in post-production. Utilizing DaVinci Resolve – an industry-leading editing platform known for its robust capabilities in digital restoration, color grading, and media delivery – Crey meticulously revitalized the original 16mm footage and seamlessly integrated it with her uncle’s 8mm home movies. The result is a visually cohesive and emotionally resonant cinematic experience. The production was entirely grant-funded, receiving support from IMAGE, the Georgia Council for the Arts, the City of Atlanta, Fulton County Arts Council, and Women in Film Atlanta. Filming took place across various Georgia locations, including Decatur, Stone Mountain, Lithonia, and Covington, with key scenes shot inside the Cathedral Basilica of the Sacred Heart in downtown Atlanta.

Her Life Choice features performances by Rebecca Kyler Downs, Kathleen McManus, and John Ammerman—well-regarded figures in the Atlanta theater and film community—as well as former Atlantan Michael H. Moss. Together, the cast and creative team bring to life a deeply affecting film that speaks to timeless themes through a distinctly modern lens. Inspirational music by Elise O’Kane of Stone Mountain gave the soundtrack an uplifting element as well as classic standards that define a time and place in history – maybe not so far away.

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