One True Thing (B+ or 3/4 stars)
A business woman reassesses her parents' lives after she's forced to care for her sickly mother in 'One True Thing', directed by Carl Franklin. The film opens 10 yrs. ago with Ellen Gulden (Renee Zellweger) being questioned by the District Attorney in connection with the death of her mother, Kate (Meryl Streep). Kate, a much revered woman in her small town, died in her sleep at the age of 48. At the time, she was suffering from terminal cancer ... but the cause of her death was an overdose of morphine. Ellen is under suspicion of foul play, as is her father, George (William Hurt), a brilliant, but stoic college professor. The plot evolves in flashback mode; showing Ellen's iffy relationship with her mom & her unwavering devotion to her dad.
When Kate's cancer was 1st diagnosed, George plead with Ellen to quit her own job as an ambitious writer, leave her boyfriend, leave her apartment in Manhattan, stop writing her unfinished novel, & come home to tend to her mom (and doing the housework). And not only does George seem too busy, arrogant, & aloof to do it himself, but Ellen's younger brother, Brian (Tom Scott Everett), is away at college. Falling prey to guilt, and resentful that the sole responsibility rests on her shoulders, Ellen soon finds herself losing her own sense of identity as her mother's cheery, caring, domesticated lifestyle starts to envelop her.
'One True Thing' is a tried-&-true sentimental melodrama (don't forget to stuff some tissues in your pocket). But the direction & performances are so fine-tuned that it elevates the overall quality of the movie. Meryl Streep is as good as ever. We believe that she could be this bustling, bumbling, sweetheart of a human being. But she's no push-over. She knows her husband is a good-for-nothing adulterer; saying to Ellen at one point: "There's nothing that you know about your father that I don't - and better". She knows her daughter can't stand her (no matter how well she brought her up as a young woman). Streep brings layers of dimension to the character of Kate. And Renee Zellweger is extremely effective as the curmudgeony Ellen. I was riveted to her face, & the array of emotions she brought to this role. She is a woman full of pain; desperate to earn her father's love & respect; and struggling to appreciate all that's good in her mother.
The relationships btwn. the major characters in the film are complex & rewarding (to watch). As voyeurs, we can see how similar Ellen is to her father. She can't see it, but we do. We also see her growth as a human being. And we see that Kate unconditionally loves her family; even when they are slow to reciprocate. I love that quality in films. And it takes a good film to show it. 'One True Thing' may be a chick flick; or a well-defined mom/daughter flick (a la 1983's Terms of Endearment). But it's a film that anyone (male, female, young, & old) can get a lot out of. It isn't as cloying as one would assume (usually from 'chick flick' cynics). 'One True Thing' is not a happy movie (I mentioned bringing tissues, earlier). But it's a superbly acted, well-written, restrained (thankfully) melodrama.
When Kate's cancer was 1st diagnosed, George plead with Ellen to quit her own job as an ambitious writer, leave her boyfriend, leave her apartment in Manhattan, stop writing her unfinished novel, & come home to tend to her mom (and doing the housework). And not only does George seem too busy, arrogant, & aloof to do it himself, but Ellen's younger brother, Brian (Tom Scott Everett), is away at college. Falling prey to guilt, and resentful that the sole responsibility rests on her shoulders, Ellen soon finds herself losing her own sense of identity as her mother's cheery, caring, domesticated lifestyle starts to envelop her.
'One True Thing' is a tried-&-true sentimental melodrama (don't forget to stuff some tissues in your pocket). But the direction & performances are so fine-tuned that it elevates the overall quality of the movie. Meryl Streep is as good as ever. We believe that she could be this bustling, bumbling, sweetheart of a human being. But she's no push-over. She knows her husband is a good-for-nothing adulterer; saying to Ellen at one point: "There's nothing that you know about your father that I don't - and better". She knows her daughter can't stand her (no matter how well she brought her up as a young woman). Streep brings layers of dimension to the character of Kate. And Renee Zellweger is extremely effective as the curmudgeony Ellen. I was riveted to her face, & the array of emotions she brought to this role. She is a woman full of pain; desperate to earn her father's love & respect; and struggling to appreciate all that's good in her mother.
The relationships btwn. the major characters in the film are complex & rewarding (to watch). As voyeurs, we can see how similar Ellen is to her father. She can't see it, but we do. We also see her growth as a human being. And we see that Kate unconditionally loves her family; even when they are slow to reciprocate. I love that quality in films. And it takes a good film to show it. 'One True Thing' may be a chick flick; or a well-defined mom/daughter flick (a la 1983's Terms of Endearment). But it's a film that anyone (male, female, young, & old) can get a lot out of. It isn't as cloying as one would assume (usually from 'chick flick' cynics). 'One True Thing' is not a happy movie (I mentioned bringing tissues, earlier). But it's a superbly acted, well-written, restrained (thankfully) melodrama.