White Oleander (film)
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| File:Whiteorleander.jpg
Theatrical release poster
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| Directed by | Peter Kosminsky |
| Produced by | Hunt Lowry John Wells |
| Screenplay by | Mary Agnes Donoghue |
| Based on | White Oleander by Janet Fitch |
| Starring | Alison Lohman Michelle Pfeiffer Robin Wright Renée Zellweger |
| Music by | Thomas Newman |
| Cinematography | Elliot Davis |
| Edited by | Chris Ridsdale |
| Distributed by | Warner Bros. Umbrella Entertainment |
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Release dates
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Running time
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109 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $16,000,000 |
| Box office | $21,672,284[1] |
White Oleander is a 2002 American drama film directed by Peter Kosminsky. The cast features Alison Lohman in the central role of Astrid Magnussen, and Michelle Pfeiffer as her temperamental mother Ingrid, alongside Renée Zellweger, Robin Wright Penn, Billy Connolly and Patrick Fugit in supporting roles.
The screenplay was adapted from the novel of the same name by Janet Fitch, which was selected for Oprah's Book Club in 1999.
Contents
Plot
The narrator, Astrid Magnussen (Alison Lohman), is the 15-year-old daughter of free-spirited artist Ingrid (Michelle Pfeiffer). Since her father left before she was old enough to remember him, Astrid depends heavily upon the maternal care of her passionate but largely self-centered mother. Ingrid's current relationship with a vulgar man named Barry (Billy Connolly) ends when she discovers he is cheating on her with younger women. Ingrid murders him with a poison made from white oleander. Ingrid is arrested and sentenced to life in prison, leaving Astrid in foster care in the hands of many foster parents.
Astrid is sent to live with foster mother Starr Thomas (Robin Wright Penn), a former stripper and born-again Christian who is a recovering alcoholic. Though they initially interact well, Starr suspects Astrid having an affair with her live-in boyfriend. After a loud argument with him, she runs into Astrid's room in a blind rage and shoots her.
After spending time in a violent group foster home, where she strikes up a relationship with fellow artist Paul Trout, Astrid is given into the care of former actress Claire Richards (Renée Zellweger). Claire is a sweet, affectionate woman who provides stability for Astrid.
Claire accompanies Astrid on a visit to Ingrid in prison. The jealous Ingrid exploits Claire's weaknesses and upsets Claire and her daughter. Claire already suspects her husband Mark (Noah Wyle) of having an affair and planning to divorce her. Claire commits suicide and Astrid is returned to foster care.
Astrid passes up better foster parent candidates and chooses to live with a Russian immigrant, Rena (Svetlana Efremova), who treats her foster children as cheap laborers.
As Ingrid's appeal for release approaches, she tries to bribe Astrid to testify that she didn't murder Barry. Astrid realizes she's in a position of power over Ingrid and demands answers about her past. Ingrid admits she abandoned Astrid with a babysitter called Annie for over a year when she was younger. Astrid realizes this caused her feelings of abandonment.
Astrid reluctantly agrees to testify, but her mother's lawyer tells her the appeal was denied. Ingrid refused to let the lawyer call Astrid to testify. Ingrid has finally denied her own selfishness to commit an act of love for her daughter. Newly emancipated, Astrid forges a new life in New York with Paul Trout (Patrick Fugit), the young man she met in the group home.
Cast
- Alison Lohman as Astrid Magnussen
- Michelle Pfeiffer as Ingrid Magnussen
- Robin Wright as Starr Thomas
- Renée Zellweger as Claire Richards
- Amy Aquino as Ms. Martinez
- Billy Connolly as Barry Kolker
- Svetlana Efremova as Rena Gruschenko
- Patrick Fugit as Paul Trout
- Taryn Manning as Nikki
- Cole Hauser as Ray
- Liz Stauber as Carolee
- Noah Wyle as Mark Richards
- Marc Donato as Davey Thomas
Production
Barbra Streisand turned down offers to direct the film and play Ingrid Magnussen.[2]
Alison Lohman wore a wig throughout filming because she had just finished playing a cancer patient in deleted scenes from the film Dragonfly (2002).[2]
The film clip Claire (Renée Zellweger) shows Astrid as an example of her acting career is of Zellweger's own early performance in The Return of the Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1994).[2]
Differences between novel and screenplay
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- Astrid is twelve years old at the beginning of the novel. In the film, she is fifteen.
- Ingrid is a poet in the novel, but a photographer in the film.
- Ingrid is released from jail after winning her appeal in the novel. In the film she remains imprisoned. In both cases, she chooses to spare her daughter from testifying.
- Astrid lives in 4 foster homes in the novel, staying with the Turlocks (Starr and her children, plus Ray), Amelia Ramos, Claire and Ron Richards, and Rena Grushenka. She lives in 2 in the movie.
- In the novel, she does not live with Olivia Johnston (the neighbor of the Turlocks).
- Astrid is never attacked by dogs and scarred for life.
- She is not starved by her foster parents.
- Ray is almost fifty in the book, but in his thirties in the film.
- In the novel, Claire's husband is named Ron; in the movie he is renamed Mark.
- In the novel, Astrid becomes highly attached to Barry, to the extent that she dreams of Ingrid's marrying him and Barry's asking Astrid to call him "Dad". In the film; Ingrid's relationship with Barry is heavily condensed and Astrid's emotional attachment to Barry is only hinted at when she tells Davey she might have saved his life.
- In the novel, Astrid and Paul move to Berlin, Germany. In the movie they move to New York.
- In the novel, Astrid has an affair with Rena's boyfriend, Sergei. He isn't in the film.
- In the novel, Astrid remembers Annie – her former babysitter – after taking acid with her friend Niki. In the movie, Astrid remembers Annie on her own, and often draws portraits of her.
- In the novel, Astrid is sent to MacLaren Children's Center. In the movie it is simply McKinney Hall.
- In the novel, Astrid tracks down her father, who is disappointingly ordinary despite his creative talents. The movie makes no mention of this.
Release
Reception
White Oleander currently holds a rating of 70% on Rotten Tomatoes,[3] and a score of 61 on Metacritic,[4] indicating generally favorable reviews.
Stephen Holden in the New York Times called it a "rich, turbulent adaptation," and described the performances as "superbly acted from top to bottom." Comparing it to other films on the same theme – Anywhere but Here, Tumbleweeds and The Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood – Holden found White Oleander to be the only one to show "how children instinctively absorb their parents' attitudes and personalities."[5] Roger Ebert in the Chicago Sun-Times wrote: "White Oleander tells a sad story of crime and foster homes, and makes it look like the movie version. The film takes the materials of human tragedy and dresses them in lovely costumes, Southern California locations and star power."[6] Andrew Sarris named it as a runner-up on his list of the ten best English-language films of 2002.[7]
The performances were widely acclaimed, particularly those of Michelle Pfeiffer and Alison Lohman. The New York Times called Pfeiffer's role the "most complex screen performance of her career... at once irresistible and diabolical,"[5] while the Los Angeles Times singled out her "riveting, impeccable performance in what is literally and figuratively a killer role."[8] Variety described it as a "daring, unsympathetic performance."[9] Lohman's work was variously described as "the year's most auspicious screen acting début,"[5] a "tremendously weighty and extended role... [taken on] with great confidence,"[9] and an "awesome performance."[6]
Accolades
Michelle Pfeiffer won the Kansas City Film Critics Circle Award for Best Supporting Actress and the San Diego Film Critics Society Award for Best Supporting Actress, and received a nomination for the Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress.[10]
Renée Zellweger was nominated for the Satellite Award for Best Supporting Actress – Motion Picture.[10]
Alison Lohman was nominated for the Phoenix Film Critics Society Award for Best Newcomer.[10]
Marc Donato won a Young Artist Award in the category of Best Performance in a Feature Film – Supporting Young Actor.[10]
Home Media
White Oleander was released on DVD by Umbrella Entertainment in December 2011. The DVD is compatible with all region codes and includes special features such as the theatrical trailer, interviews with the cast and creators, behind the scenes footage and audio commentary with Peter Kosminsky, John Wells and Janet Fitch.[11]
References
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