Credit: HBO
TONIGHT: Smile Pinki (7pm on HBO)
As far as documentaries go, this Oscar winner has several tricks up its sleeve to deliver some warm fuzzies. It’s got cute kids, wishes getting granted and a medical problem we can actually treat. Five-year-old Pinki, born in poverty in India, has a cleft palate, and it takes a three-hour walk to a medical center to get to the free treatment—but after the simple procedure she can finally smile properly. The doctor on Pinki’s case does some 3,000 operations per year with what he calls a 100 percent success rate, delivering satisfaction other health crusades can hardly match. The adorable children are reason enough to stop feeling like a grump for once, and maybe even toss a few ducats to the sponsoring nonprofit, The Smile Train.
