White Oleander
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DVD Cover Information
Actor: Alison Lohman, Amy Aquino, Michelle Pfeiffer, Renée Zellweger, Robin Wright PennDVD: Region Code 1
Audio: French (Original Language)
Format: NTSC
Audience Rating: PG-13 (Parental Guidance Suggested)
Movie Reviews of White Oleander
Movie Review: The haunting eyes and frigid soul of the narcissist
Summary: 3 Stars
"White Oleander" tells of a young girl trying to get away from her smothering mom. Michelle Pfeiffer is amazing as Ingrid, an artist accused of murdering an acquaintance. While Ingrid is in jail, her daughter Astrid is shunted to a series of dysfunctional foster homes, which seem to scar her as much as the separation from her mom. But each home teaches her something, and (to the horror of her controlling Mom) allow her to grow away from the prescribed worldview that she had chosen for her daughter.
Like the flower of the film's title, Ingrid is poison for whoever takes her in. Her eyes convey the narcissistic delight she takes in destroying people's lives and crushing their most heartfelt dreams. Escaping from the gravitational tug of people like this is an achievement -- exhausting and always dearly won.
Alison Lohman did a reasonable job portraying Astrid from age 10-18. She caught the innocence of young Astrid splendidly, but was not convincing as her older incarnation. Michelle was great; Renee Zellweger was marvelous as a wounded and vulnerable prospective foster mom; and Patrick Fugit (fresh from "Almost Famous") was suitably clumsy, warm and wary as Astrid's love interest.
Not at all bad, "White Oleander" is a harmless way to pass a Sunday afternoon.
Summary of White Oleander
Fine performances and sensitive direction keep White Oleander from being a routine tearjerker. Adapted from Janet Fitch's bestseller (an Oprah's Book Club selection), this hard-edged drama boasts a reputable cast, but 23-year-old newcomer Alison Lohman steals the film from her A-list costars. As a troubled teen whose controlling mother (Michelle Pfeiffer) has been jailed for murder, Lohman is the film's heart and soul, bouncing between foster homes and rushing toward independence in a world of disappointing adults. After surviving episodic stints with a trashy born-again Christian (Robin Wright Penn), a suicidal housewife (Renée Zellweger), and a Russian immigrant (Zvetlana Efremova), she finds comfort with another outcast (Patrick Fugit), leaving behind the mothers who failed her. Making his feature directorial debut, British stage and TV veteran Peter Kosminsky creates a showcase for formidable actresses, each given moments to shine. White Oleander lacks the emotional depth of Fitch's novel, but it speaks volumes about the delicate balance of freedom and responsibility. --Jeff ShannonSimilar DVD Movies
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