威尔逊在以《垃圾箱里的婴儿》幕后故事为主要内容的纪录片《垃圾箱的背后:〈垃圾箱的婴儿〉制作》(Behind the Bin: The Making of Dustbin Baby)中表示,许多人,许多许多人都会发现片中有关收养的核心主题,那些14岁的孩子们会开始看着自己的父母,心里琢磨着他们和自己一点都不像,大家都会幻想一把自己是不是从哪儿收养的之类,所以在威尔逊看来,对于一位青少年来说,质问、怀疑自己的来历实在是一件很常见的事情[15]。理查兹表示,她喜欢片中艾普尔“踏上旅程寻找自我”的理念,因为有许多在她这个年纪的人“都会试图这么做,因为这个时候,他们都开始对自我产生怀疑,心中有了疑问”[16]。理查兹还认为,艾普尔的纸娃娃相当于一个符号,这个符号可以用不同的东西代替,她还是同样一个人,只不过她的生命由于遇到了不同的人和事而有了不同的色彩[17]。在片中诠释童年时期艾普尔的亚历山德拉·休伊特则表示,那些纸娃娃才是艾普尔“真正的朋友”[18]。
威尔逊在看过《垃圾箱里的婴儿》的前期试映后称,这是根据自己作品改编的电影中最出色的一部[2]。海格表示本片是他暑期出演的多部作品中自己最喜欢的一部,称赞“这是个非常出众的故事,拍得很感人。我觉得茱丽叶特·斯蒂文森在片中非常风趣,也非常让人感动”[10]。影评人也作出了正面回应。《泰晤士报》在大卫·查特(David Chater)认为这是影片播出当天最值得一看的电视节目,这部优秀的电影是圣诞节的美妙惊喜[19]。《每日电讯报》也形容欣赏本片是一次“难得的享受”,是一部青少年可以与父母一起观看的好节目[5]。电影的制片人朱莉娅·奥斯顿也有同样看法,称这部电影适合父母与孩子们一起观看,并将因此产生许多的共同话题[3]。《独立报》的汤姆·萨特克利夫认为,斯蒂文森成功地扮演了这样一个对过去远比对现在要感到如意自在的女性,并且她的表演比达科塔·布鲁·理查兹出演的艾普尔更加到位。不过他也批评影片的情况不够可信,认为剧情可能远不及现实生活中那样残酷,但面对片尾的和解,观众还是会产生真切的情感[14]。《卫报》的尤安·弗格森(Euan Ferguson)在文章中认为,影片有些高度理想化,斯蒂文森扮演的角色更是如此,一定程度上就像是《春风不化雨》(The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie)中女主角简·布罗迪(Jean Brodie)的升级版[20]。《垃圾箱里的婴儿》在英国广播公司第一台首播时一共吸引了230万观众收看,收获了15.4%的收视率[21]。
^ 2.02.12.22.32.4Riley, Joe. Helen’s tale of woe. Liverpool Echo. 2008-12-19 [2008-12-21]. (原始内容存档于2012-02-22). knew it was something [she] had to write.
^May, Juliet (12 January 2009). Behind the Bin: The Making of Dustbin Baby. Dustbin Baby DVD. Kindle Entertainment/ITV DVD, event occurs at approximately 2:40.
^Wilson, Jacqueline (12 January 2009). Behind the Bin: The Making of Dustbin Baby. Dustbin Baby DVD. Kindle Entertainment/ITV DVD, event occurs at approximately 7:37.
^May, Juliet (12 January 2009). Behind the Bin: The Making of Dustbin Baby. Dustbin Baby DVD. Kindle Entertainment/ITV DVD, event occurs at approximately 5:00.
^May, Juliet (12 January 2009). Behind the Bin: The Making of Dustbin Baby. Dustbin Baby DVD. Kindle Entertainment/ITV DVD, event occurs at approximately 5:57.
^Hewitt, Alexandra. (12 January 2009). Behind the Bin: The Making of Dustbin Baby. Dustbin Baby DVD. Kindle Entertainment/ITV DVD, event occurs at approximately 6:45.
^Hill, Amelia. Mentally disabled actors are victims of modern 'blacking-up', says campaigner. The Observer. 2009-11-15 [2014-03-11]. (原始内容存档于2014-03-11). My Asperger's made some things on the film set difficult at first, like dealing with the sudden noise of the storyboard, but I was soon so focused on acting that I didn't notice anything else.
^Wilson, Jacqueline. (12 January 2009). Behind the Bin: The Making of Dustbin Baby. Dustbin Baby DVD. Kindle Entertainment/ITV DVD, event occurs at approximately 3:33.
^Richards, Dakota Blue. (12 January 2009). Behind the Bin: The Making of Dustbin Baby. Dustbin Baby DVD. Kindle Entertainment/ITV DVD, event occurs at approximately 4:40.
^Richards, Dakota Blue. (12 January 2009). Behind the Bin: The Making of Dustbin Baby. Dustbin Baby DVD. Kindle Entertainment/ITV DVD, event occurs at approximately 4:00.
^Hewitt, Alexandra. (12 January 2009). Behind the Bin: The Making of Dustbin Baby. Dustbin Baby DVD. Kindle Entertainment/ITV DVD, event occurs at approximately 4:48.
^Chater, David. TV Choice. London: The Times. 2008-12-20 [2011-06-16]. (原始内容存档于2011-06-16).