AllMovie

One couple's unusual path to parenthood is recorded in this documentary. Erik and Mark are two gay men who've been living together as partners for a decade. Like many couples who are in a long-term committed relationship, Erik and Mark have decided they would like to have a child, but of course, for them this matter isn't as simple as it would be for a heterosexual couple. After a lengthy search, they meet Wen, a wife and mother who is sympathetic to their problem and is willing to act as a surrogate mother for a fee, with the support of her husband and son. The relationship between the two families becomes more than a matter of business as they all become participants in Wen's long and difficult but emotionally rewarding journey through childbearing. Paternal Instinct was produced for the Cinemax premium cable network as part of their Reel Life series.