Arriving in the midst of Goldie Hawn’s last real prolific period in the early-to-mid 1990s, the Damian Harris (son of actor Richard Harris and brother of Jared) directed thriller Deceived was an attempt to re-package the bubbly blonde’s rom-com reputation (which Hawn followed with the equally unsuccessful CrissCross in 1992). At the time, the film (originally titled The Mrs.) was an interesting package, however, considering the involvement of several key players.
While Hawn was hot off Bird on a Wire (1990), this was Brit director Harris’ follow-up to the well-received The Rachel Papers (1989), and scribe Mary Agnes Donoghue would…...
While Hawn was hot off Bird on a Wire (1990), this was Brit director Harris’ follow-up to the well-received The Rachel Papers (1989), and scribe Mary Agnes Donoghue would…...
- 4/10/2018
- by Nicholas Bell
- IONCINEMA.com
Portrait of Jenny: Heigl’s Performance Buoys Social Issue Context
There are several aspects to admire in Mary Agnes Donoghue’s sophomore directorial effort, Jenny’s Wedding, her first foray into directing since the 1991 Melanie Griffith film, Paradise. It’s most improbable facets are actually its assets, namely a warm central performance from Katherine Heigl as a lesbian who comes out to her wanly conservative nuclear family by announcing her marriage. A film such as this one could’ve had the opportunity to make an indelible mark on the American indie landscape had it been released seven to ten years prior, when the United States was coming out from underneath the shadows of the Bush Regime and the Lgbt community was in dire need of positive cinematic depictions meant to inspire hope in the eventuality of equality from the likes of trending, A-list actors at their peak.
Though this filmed...
There are several aspects to admire in Mary Agnes Donoghue’s sophomore directorial effort, Jenny’s Wedding, her first foray into directing since the 1991 Melanie Griffith film, Paradise. It’s most improbable facets are actually its assets, namely a warm central performance from Katherine Heigl as a lesbian who comes out to her wanly conservative nuclear family by announcing her marriage. A film such as this one could’ve had the opportunity to make an indelible mark on the American indie landscape had it been released seven to ten years prior, when the United States was coming out from underneath the shadows of the Bush Regime and the Lgbt community was in dire need of positive cinematic depictions meant to inspire hope in the eventuality of equality from the likes of trending, A-list actors at their peak.
Though this filmed...
- 7/30/2015
- by Nicholas Bell
- IONCINEMA.com
Read More: Will You Donate to See Katherine Heigl Marry a Woman in New Indie From 'Beaches' Writer? Mary Agnes Donoghue's credits are star-studded: They include "Beaches," starring Bette Midler and Barbara Hershey; "White Oleander," starring Michelle Pfieffer and Renee Zellweger; "Deceived," starring Goldie Hawn; and "Veronica Guerrin" starring Cate Blanchett. Donoghue also wrote and directed "Paradise," starring then-married couple Melanie Griffith and Don Johnson. But that was 25 years ago. Now she's back in the director's chair with "Jenny's Wedding," a comedic drama about gay marriage, which she also wrote and produced. The feature tells the story of Jenny Farrell (Katherine Heigl), who proposes to her girlfriend (Alexis Bledel) and then has to explain to her conservative parents why she is marrying her "roommate." In addition to the leading ladies, Katherine Heigl and Alexis Bledel, the film...
- 7/29/2015
- by Paula Bernstein
- Indiewire
Brought to the screen by the combination of a successful Indiegogo crowdfunding campaign and no small amount of old-school indie-film pluck, writer and director Mary Agnes Donoghue’s “Jenny’s Wedding” is a warm, agreeable coming-out romance buoyed by strong performances from its actors even as it explores fairly shallow waters. Katherine Heigl stars as the titular Jenny, devoted daughter of her fireman dad Eddie (Tom Wilkinson, fine as ever in a lower gear) and mom Rose (familiar if unheralded actress Linda Emond). Jenny, her siblings (including Anne, played by Grace Gummer) and her parents have a happy, messy life together,...
- 7/13/2015
- by James Rocchi
- The Wrap
There’s a fine, fierce film somewhere in Jenny’s Wedding, trying to claw its way out from under all the clichés, speechifying and sappy pop music. Writer-director Mary Agnes Donoghue (best known for screenplay credits like Beaches and White Oleander) doesn’t make it easy: the movie, about a thirtyish lesbian whose coming-out rattles her traditional Midwestern parents, teases us with pointed moments of humor, truth and emotion only to devolve, again and again, into broad, Hallmark-style dramedy. The result is watchably messy and well-meaning, with a handful of scenes and performances worth savoring and a distinct whiff
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- 7/11/2015
- by Jon Frosch
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
In February 2014, writer-director Mary Agnes Donoghue ("Beaches") and producers Michelle Manning and Gail Levin launched a campaign on Indiegogo to raise post-production finishing funds for indie romantic comedy "Jenny's Wedding," starring Katherine Heigl, Grace Gummer and Alexis Bledel. The movie will debut at Outfest on July 10 and will open via IFC Films On Demand and in theaters on July 31. "Jennifer's Wedding," which wrapped production in Cleveland, Ohio in November 2013, is about what happens when Jenny (Heigl), the daughter of a close-knit family, finally decides to marry. Her old-fashioned parents (Tom Wilkinson and Linda Emond) want her to settle down, but react badly when she announces that she is going to marry a woman. While the producers successfully financed the film via Merced Media Partners and PalmStar Media Capital (executive producers are PalmStar’s...
- 7/7/2015
- by Anne Thompson
- Thompson on Hollywood
IFC Films released the first trailer for the Katherine Heigl dramedy “Jenny’s Wedding” on Thursday. The movie, written and directed by Mary Agnes Donoghue, stars Heigl as the title character, who is openly gay with everyone except her conventional family. When she chooses to marry the woman her parents believed to be her roommate, the family dynamic is tested. “I used to care so much about what the two of you thought, but not anymore,” she tells her disappointed parents in the trailer. “Why would I?” Also read: Katherine Heigl Scorns Star Perks: 'Are You Crazy? I Don't Need...
- 7/2/2015
- by Reid Nakamura
- The Wrap
Katherine Heigl and Gilmore Girls star Alexis Bledel try to win their families over to supporting same-sex marriage in the trailer for Jenny's Wedding.
The comedy - which was partially funded by an Indiegogo campaign - tells the emotional story of a young woman named Jenny (Heigl) coming out to her parents.
Katherine Heigl on being a late bloomer: "I fasted for big boobs"
The cast of Gilmore Girls reunite at the Atx Television Festiva
The straight-laced family have difficulty accepting their daughter's love for another woman, and a rift grows when Jenny announces plans to marry.
Cast as Jenny's disapproving parents are Primetime Emmy Award winner Tom Wilkinson and Tony nominee Linda Emond.
A new trailer for the family drama was released less than a week after a historic Us Supreme Court ruling upheld the legality of same-sex marriage.
This gripping portrayal of a same-sex couple was written and directed by Mary Agnes Donoghue,...
The comedy - which was partially funded by an Indiegogo campaign - tells the emotional story of a young woman named Jenny (Heigl) coming out to her parents.
Katherine Heigl on being a late bloomer: "I fasted for big boobs"
The cast of Gilmore Girls reunite at the Atx Television Festiva
The straight-laced family have difficulty accepting their daughter's love for another woman, and a rift grows when Jenny announces plans to marry.
Cast as Jenny's disapproving parents are Primetime Emmy Award winner Tom Wilkinson and Tony nominee Linda Emond.
A new trailer for the family drama was released less than a week after a historic Us Supreme Court ruling upheld the legality of same-sex marriage.
This gripping portrayal of a same-sex couple was written and directed by Mary Agnes Donoghue,...
- 7/2/2015
- Digital Spy
Kill Your Friends
StudioCanal have released the first photos from the black comedy "Kill Your Friends" based on John Niven's 1990s UK music industry-set novel. Nicholas Hoult stars in the film as a 27 year-old hotshot turns to murder to get ahead of his peers. The film opens in the UK on November 6th. [Source: Empire]
San Diego Comic Con
Comic-Con organizers have reached a deal to remain in San Diego through 2018 with the announcement due later this morning. With an average over 130,000 attendees in recent years, the event, has outgrown itself with much of the negotiations dealing with guarantees from dozens of local hotels to keep their costs down. [Source: Variety]
Marvel One Shots
Marvel seems to have given up on filming further "Marvel One-Shot" short films for now, though they have a number of different ideas for ones in the future. Marvel's Kevin Feige tells Collider he doesn't know when further ones...
StudioCanal have released the first photos from the black comedy "Kill Your Friends" based on John Niven's 1990s UK music industry-set novel. Nicholas Hoult stars in the film as a 27 year-old hotshot turns to murder to get ahead of his peers. The film opens in the UK on November 6th. [Source: Empire]
San Diego Comic Con
Comic-Con organizers have reached a deal to remain in San Diego through 2018 with the announcement due later this morning. With an average over 130,000 attendees in recent years, the event, has outgrown itself with much of the negotiations dealing with guarantees from dozens of local hotels to keep their costs down. [Source: Variety]
Marvel One Shots
Marvel seems to have given up on filming further "Marvel One-Shot" short films for now, though they have a number of different ideas for ones in the future. Marvel's Kevin Feige tells Collider he doesn't know when further ones...
- 7/2/2015
- by Garth Franklin
- Dark Horizons
Read More: Will You Donate to See Katherine Heigl Marry a Woman in New Indie From 'Beaches' Writer? Mary Agnes Donoghue's new film couldn't have a more timely release, as last week's Supreme Court decision to legalize gay marriage almost feels like a precursor to the "Beaches" screenwriter's new Lgbt drama, "Jenny's Wedding." Katherine Heigl and Alexis Bledel star in the film, which offers an honest and touching portrayal of an unexpected marriage that leads to acceptance and honesty in an otherwise close-knit family. The dramedy tells the story of Jenny (Heigl), who comes out of the closet to her family to marry Kitty (Bledel), the woman she loves. After years of pressure to marry the right man, Jenny's family learns to accept her for who she is and who she loves. The film is set to open on July 31st in select theaters and a day later on VOD.
- 7/2/2015
- by Sarah Choi
- Indiewire
Last week, #lovewins was the hashtag heard around the world when the Supreme Court ruled gay marriage was a Constitutional right. And the timing couldn't be better for "Jenny's Wedding," which takes on the topic head on and a new trailer has landed for the film. Written and directed by Mary Agnes Donoghue (who also penned "Beaches," "White Oleander," and "Veronica Guerin"), and starring Katherine Heigl, Alexis Bledel, Tom Wilkinson, Linda Emond, and Grace Gummer, the story follows Jenny, who comes out of the closet to her family and announces that she will be marrying her partner Kitty, and must deal with consequences of disappointment and surprises that follow. The dramedy doesn't feel particularly groundbreaking in a narrative sense, but the emotions ring true, and the cast looks pretty solid all around. A simple story, well told and with a bit of heart looks to be goal and "Jenny's Wedding" aims to hit it.
- 7/2/2015
- by Kevin Jagernauth
- The Playlist
Katherine Heigl‘s gay marriage drama-comedy “Jenny’s Wedding” was purchased by IFC, TheWrap has learned. The movie, directed by Mary Agnes Donoghue, is set for release on July 31. Heigl stars as a lesbian woman who celebrates her sexual orientation freely, except around her conventional family. When she chooses to marry the woman her parents thought was just her roommate, the family dynamic is tested. Tom Wilkinson and Linda Emond play her parents. Alexis Bledel appears as her girlfriend. Grace Gummer, Sam McMurray and Diana Hardcastle also star. Also Read: 10 Things We Learned From Katherine Heigl's Live Facebook Q&A Michelle Manning,...
- 6/8/2015
- by Kathy Zerbib
- The Wrap
Times are tough for Katherine Heigl? The 35-year-old actress is set to star in the upcoming independent film Jenny's Wedding -- that is, if the movie can get the funding it needs. Producers for the Mary Agnes Donoghue-directed project have created an Indiegogo campaign, asking for donations to reach a goal of $150,000 by March 28. "How's the funding going?" TMZ asked Heigl on Friday, Feb. 21. "I don't know," the actress said. "I don't have that much to do with it, but I hope it's going well." According [...]...
- 2/25/2014
- Us Weekly
Katherine Heigl, formerly of Grey’s Anatomy, formerly of Judd Apatow and Seth Rogen‘s good graces, formerly of a slew of successful romantic comedies and currently of a Nyquil commercial and some truly unfortunate casting choices, has a new film on the way. Called Jenny’s Wedding, Heigl stars as a lesbian who has been hiding her sexuality from her family for years, until she decides to take the next step in her relationship with her longtime girlfriend, Kitty, played by Alexis Bledel (Gilmore Girls, Mad Men). The news of Jenny’s impending nuptials is enough to tear her family apart, especially since they’re small-town conservatives who have believed up until this point that their daughter’s girlfriend is her roommate. Sounds like a cute little wedding flick that plays right into Heigl’s repertoire. Here’s the kicker. The film is up on Indiegogo to the tune of raising $150,000 to cover post-production costs. Despite...
- 2/18/2014
- by Samantha Wilson
- FilmSchoolRejects.com
Los Angeles, Feb 16: The first poster of upcoming comedy "Jenny's Wedding" will see actresses Katherine Heigl and Alexis Bledel, who play lesbian couple, kissing each other.
In the debut photograph, Jenny (Heigl) and Kitty (Bledel) smile and lean in for a kiss in what looks like a bridal shop, reports eonline.com.
In the film, the two want to get married despite of opposition from Jenny's conservative family.
Heigl has been trying to raise money for writer-director Mary Agnes Donoghue's film via an Indiegogo fundraising campaign, which she's hoping will lock in $150,000 by March 28 to complete post-production.
Fans,.
In the debut photograph, Jenny (Heigl) and Kitty (Bledel) smile and lean in for a kiss in what looks like a bridal shop, reports eonline.com.
In the film, the two want to get married despite of opposition from Jenny's conservative family.
Heigl has been trying to raise money for writer-director Mary Agnes Donoghue's film via an Indiegogo fundraising campaign, which she's hoping will lock in $150,000 by March 28 to complete post-production.
Fans,.
- 2/16/2014
- by Shiva Prakash
- RealBollywood.com
Katherine Heigl and Alexis Bledel get ready to smooch in one of the first photos released from their upcoming comedy. In the duo's Jenny's Wedding, Heigl and Bledel play a lesbian couple who want to tie the knot in spite of Jenny (Heigl)'s conservative family's take on it. In the debut snap, Jenny (Heigl) and Kitty (Bledel) smile and lean in for a kiss in what looks like a bridal shop. The former Grey's Anatomy star has been hard at work trying to raise money for writer-director Mary Agnes Donoghue's film via an Indiegogo fundraising campaign, which she's hoping will lock in $150,000 by March 28 to complete post-production. "Jenny's Wedding is a movie...
- 2/15/2014
- E! Online
Kickstarter funded Veronica Mars and Wish I Was Here—and now movie star Katherine Heigl is hoping a similar Indiegogo fundraising campaign could work in favor of her latest project, Jenny's Wedding. The actress needs to raise $150,000 by March 28 to complete post-production on writer-director Mary Agnes Donoghue's film. "Jenny's Wedding is a movie I'm so proud to be a part of," Heigl, 35, tweeted Wednesday. "Love the story and the characters. Hope you will too!" She later tweeted, "The producers are just as passionate about @jennys_wedding as I am, but need your help to make it happen...." The movie tells the story of a woman named Jenny (Heigl), who upsets her...
- 2/13/2014
- E! Online
Katherine Heigl is the latest celebrity to turn to crowd funding. The Knocked Up star and Grey’s Anatomy veteran needs to raise $150,000 by March 28 to complete post-production work on her film Jenny’s Wedding, from writer-director Mary Agnes Donoghue.
In the film, Heigl plays a lesbian who surprises her conservative parents, played by Tom Wilkinson and Linda Emond, when she tells them she wants to marry a woman. “The movie is really just about her journey and her journey with her family and revealing this part of herself that she’s kept hidden for so long,” Heigl explains in an Indiegogo campaign video.
In the film, Heigl plays a lesbian who surprises her conservative parents, played by Tom Wilkinson and Linda Emond, when she tells them she wants to marry a woman. “The movie is really just about her journey and her journey with her family and revealing this part of herself that she’s kept hidden for so long,” Heigl explains in an Indiegogo campaign video.
- 2/13/2014
- by Lindsey Bahr
- EW - Inside Movies
“Jenny’s Wedding,” a film starring Katherine Heigl and Tom Wilkinson, has turned to Indiegogo to raise money for post-production costs. “Beaches” filmmaker Mary Agnes Donoghue finished production on the film last month, but she and her cohorts now want $150,000 for music, titles, color and sound. The movie does not have a domestic distributor yet, so one presumes it will use some of that money for film festivals as well. “Many wonderful indie movies disappear because the quality of work in post-production fails them,” the campaign avers. “Don’t fail us.” Also read: Indiegogo Founders on Their $40 Million Raise: ‘We Don’t Really.
- 2/13/2014
- by Lucas Shaw
- The Wrap
Jenny's Wedding
Katherine Heigl, Tom Wilkinson, Linda Emond and Grace Gummer are set to star in Mary Agnes Donoghue's indie comedy "Jenny’s Wedding". Filming begins on Monday.
Heigl will play the title character, who causes a massive sea change in the lives of her closely knit, highly conventional family when she finally decides to marry. [Source: Variety]
Captive
Michael K. Williams ("The Wire," "Boardwalk Empire") has signed on to Jerry Jameson's thriller "Captive" at Bn Films. Williams plays a lead detective in the film that begins shooting this weekend in North Carolina.
The story follows a single mother (Kata Mara) who is taken hostage by an escaped, quadruple murderer (David Oyelowo). During the ordeal, she reads aloud chapters of the book "A Purpose Driven Life" to her captor, leading to a surprising epiphany for both her and the convict. [Source: Deadline]
F2014
Tim Roth will portray controversial FIFA president Sepp Blatter in "F2014,...
Katherine Heigl, Tom Wilkinson, Linda Emond and Grace Gummer are set to star in Mary Agnes Donoghue's indie comedy "Jenny’s Wedding". Filming begins on Monday.
Heigl will play the title character, who causes a massive sea change in the lives of her closely knit, highly conventional family when she finally decides to marry. [Source: Variety]
Captive
Michael K. Williams ("The Wire," "Boardwalk Empire") has signed on to Jerry Jameson's thriller "Captive" at Bn Films. Williams plays a lead detective in the film that begins shooting this weekend in North Carolina.
The story follows a single mother (Kata Mara) who is taken hostage by an escaped, quadruple murderer (David Oyelowo). During the ordeal, she reads aloud chapters of the book "A Purpose Driven Life" to her captor, leading to a surprising epiphany for both her and the convict. [Source: Deadline]
F2014
Tim Roth will portray controversial FIFA president Sepp Blatter in "F2014,...
- 10/25/2013
- by Garth Franklin
- Dark Horizons
Katherine Heigl has boarded the indie comedy Jenny's Wedding in the lead role.
Beaches Mary Agnes Donoghue is set to direct the feature.
Heigl will play the title character whose sudden decision to marry dramatically changes the lives of her family and friends, Variety reports.
Batman Begins star Tom Wilkinson and Linda Emond of Julie & Julia will portray Heigl's on screen parents.
Shooting on Jenny's Wedding is scheduled to start October 28.
Heigl is best known for her roles in Grey's Anatomy and the romantic comedy 27 Dresses.
The actress will appear next in the film North of Hell opposite Patrick Wilson.
Wilson recently defended Heigl, calling her "great to work with."...
Beaches Mary Agnes Donoghue is set to direct the feature.
Heigl will play the title character whose sudden decision to marry dramatically changes the lives of her family and friends, Variety reports.
Batman Begins star Tom Wilkinson and Linda Emond of Julie & Julia will portray Heigl's on screen parents.
Shooting on Jenny's Wedding is scheduled to start October 28.
Heigl is best known for her roles in Grey's Anatomy and the romantic comedy 27 Dresses.
The actress will appear next in the film North of Hell opposite Patrick Wilson.
Wilson recently defended Heigl, calling her "great to work with."...
- 10/24/2013
- Digital Spy
Katherine Heigl, Tom Wilkinson, Linda Emond and Grace Gummer will star in Jenny’S Wedding, written and to be directed by Mary Agnes Donoghue (Beaches).
The film is set to start shooting on October 28.
Jenny’S Wedding revolves around Jenny (Heigl) who causes a massive sea-change in the lives of her closely knit, highly conventional family when she finally decides to marry. A pretty and engaging woman, everyone is baffled by Jenny’s lack of a love-life, and her parents (Wilkinson, Emond) particularly have been anxious for her to settle down, but when the announcement comes that she is finally going to wed, her choice of partner tears the family apart. In order to reconnect, everyone including Jenny, must reinvent themselves.
The announcement was made today by producers Donoghue, Gail Levin and Mm Productions’ Michelle Manning.
Mary Agnes Donoghue’s writing credits include The Buddy System, starring Richard Dreyfus and Susan Sarandon,...
The film is set to start shooting on October 28.
Jenny’S Wedding revolves around Jenny (Heigl) who causes a massive sea-change in the lives of her closely knit, highly conventional family when she finally decides to marry. A pretty and engaging woman, everyone is baffled by Jenny’s lack of a love-life, and her parents (Wilkinson, Emond) particularly have been anxious for her to settle down, but when the announcement comes that she is finally going to wed, her choice of partner tears the family apart. In order to reconnect, everyone including Jenny, must reinvent themselves.
The announcement was made today by producers Donoghue, Gail Levin and Mm Productions’ Michelle Manning.
Mary Agnes Donoghue’s writing credits include The Buddy System, starring Richard Dreyfus and Susan Sarandon,...
- 10/24/2013
- by Michelle McCue
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
• Tom Cruise is teaming up again with his Oblivion director Joseph Kosinski for the upcoming drama, Go Like Hell. The drama will tell the story of the competition between Ford Motor Company and Italian sports car designer Enzo Ferrari and the events that occurred at the 1966 Le Mans race as a result. The film is based off the book Go Like Hell: Ford, Ferrari and Their Battle for Speed and Glory at Le Mans by A.J. Baime [THR]
• Katherine Heigl (27 Dresses) is set to star in Mary Agnes Donoghue’s (White Oleander) new indie comedy Jenny’s Wedding. Heigl will...
• Katherine Heigl (27 Dresses) is set to star in Mary Agnes Donoghue’s (White Oleander) new indie comedy Jenny’s Wedding. Heigl will...
- 10/24/2013
- by Pamela Gocobachi
- EW - Inside Movies
• Tom Cruise is teaming up again with his Oblivion director Joseph Kosinski for the upcoming drama, Go Like Hell. The drama will tell the story of the competition between Ford Motor Company and Italian sports car designer Enzo Ferrari and the events that occurred at the 1966 Le Mans race as a result. The film is based off the book Go Like Hell: Ford, Ferrari and Their Battle for Speed and Glory at Le Mans by A.J. Baime [THR]
• Katherine Heigl (27 Dresses) is set to star in Mary Agnes Donoghue’s (White Oleander) new indie comedy Jenny’s Wedding. Heigl will...
• Katherine Heigl (27 Dresses) is set to star in Mary Agnes Donoghue’s (White Oleander) new indie comedy Jenny’s Wedding. Heigl will...
- 10/24/2013
- by Pamela Gocobachi
- EW - Inside Movies
Katherine Heigl, Tom Wilkinson, Linda Emond and Grace Gummer have joined the Jenny's Wedding indie comedy, reports Variety. The film will be on sale at the American Film Market and starts shooting on Oct. 28 with Mary Agnes Donoghue directing and writing. Merced Media Partners finances with PalmStar Media Capital. Heigl will play the title character, who causes a massive sea-change in the lives of her closely knit, highly conventional family when she finally decides to marry. Wilkinson and Emond will portray her parents.
- 10/23/2013
- Upcoming-Movies.com
Katherine Heigl ( Knocked Up , 27 Dresses ), Tom Wilkinson ( The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel , Michael Clayton ), Linda Emond ( Julie & Julia ) and Grace Gummer ( Frances Ha , Larry Crowne ) are set to star in Jenny's Wedding , written and to be directed by Mary Agnes Donoghue ( Beaches ), it was announced today by producers Donoghue, Gail Levin and Mm Productions' Michelle Manning. Set to start shooting on October 28, Jenny's Wedding revolves around Jenny (Heigl) who causes a massive sea-change in the lives of her closely knit, highly conventional family when she finally decides to marry. A pretty and engaging woman, everyone is baffled by Jenny's lack of a love-life, and her parents (Wilkinson, Emond) particularly have been anxious for her to settle down, but when the...
- 10/23/2013
- Comingsoon.net
As Oprah Book Club selections-turned-movies go, Jane Fitch's "White Oleander" makes a more intact transition than, say, "The Deep End of the Ocean" or "A Map of the World" (and definitely more than "Where the Heart Is")
The portrait of a teenage girl who's turfed from foster home to foster home after her artist mother is jailed for poisoning her lover is graced by several splendid performances and clean direction by Peter Kosminsky that shrewdly chooses to ignore most melodramatic impulses.
Even so, there's an inescapably episodic quality to the film that prevents it from yielding the kind of emotional connection that makes for lasting impressions and flourishing boxoffice.
Provided the book's many fans pick up the scent, this serious-minded chick flick could still do decent business thanks to a budget-minded outlay that belies its big studio production values.
As if mother-daughter relationships aren't tricky things to begin with, it certainly complicates matters when the parent in question is a strong-willed, highly opinionated, rather cold-blooded artist who deals with her unfaithful boyfriend (Billy Connolly) by apparently slipping a fatal dose of brewed white oleanders into his glass of milk.
And so, 15-year-old Astrid Magnusson (wonderfully played by relative newcomer Alison Lohman), finds herself being placed in a succession of foster homes -- each more surreal than the previous one -- while mom Ingrid (a feisty Michelle Pfeiffer) still manages to exert her influence from her prison perch.
Foster mom number one is Starr, a born-again trailer park vision in pink spandex (played with go-for-it zest by Robin Wright Penn) whose hard-drinking past makes a serious comeback when she (rightly) suspects that Astrid is making a play for her man (a sympathetic Cole Hauser).
Barely escaping with her life, Astrid is temporarily placed in an institution for troubled teens where she meets a gawky, attentive aspiring comic book artist (another fine performance by "Almost Famous'" Patrick Fugit).
But their friendship is cut short when she's taken in by foster mom number two, a too-sensitive actress (the melancholy Renee Zellweger), who's clinging to the hope that Astrid's presence will help save her foundering marriage to her frequently on-location filmmaker husband (Noah Wyle).
Suffice it to say, her idyllic Malibu stay proves equally short-lived, just as the incarcerated Ingrid has predicted.
While screenwriter Mary Agnes Donoghue ("Beaches") has left out a couple of other similarly dramatic foster home experiences, Astrid's many traumatic adventures on the road to independence still feel a bit far-fetched on the big screen, despite British director Kosminsky's attempts to lend the proceedings a grittier, hand-held reality.
Providing the much-needed backbone is Lohman (she's actually in her early 20's but photographs significantly younger), who desperately tries to fit in with each of her foster home environments, with a particular wardrobe to match, until she learns how to be her own person.
Her confrontational prison visits to Pfeiffer are particularly dynamic, with each actress pushing the other to do stronger work.
Behind the scenes, frequent Steven Soderbergh collaborator Elliot Davis gets the DP job done with a minimum of fuss, as does Thomas Newman with the score.
Speaking of efficiency, Sheryl Crow gets a two-for-one deal out of her introspective end-credits song, "Safe and Sound", given that it's a slightly remixed version of the same tune she performed at the end of last year's "K-Pax".
WHITE OLEANDER
Warner Bros.
Warner Bros. Pictures presents, in association with Pandora, a John Wells production
Credits:
Director: Peter Kosminsky
Screenwriter: Mary Agnes Donoghue
Based on the novel by: Janet Fitch
Producers: John Wells, Hunt Lowry
Executive producers: Patrick Markey, Kristin Harms, Stacy Cohen, E.K. Gaylord II
Director of photography: Elliot Davis
Production designer: Donald Graham Burt
Editor: Chris Ridsdale
Costume designer: Susie De Santo
Music: Thomas Newman
Cast:
Astrid Magnusson: Alison Lohman
Starr: Robin Wright Penn
Ingrid Magnusson: Michelle Pfeiffer
Claire Richards: Renee Zellweger
Barry: Billy Connolly
Rena Grushenka: Svetlana Efremova
Paul Trout: Patrick Fugit
Ray: Cole Hauser
Mark Richards: Noah Wyle
Running time -- 109 minutes
MPAA rating: PG-13...
The portrait of a teenage girl who's turfed from foster home to foster home after her artist mother is jailed for poisoning her lover is graced by several splendid performances and clean direction by Peter Kosminsky that shrewdly chooses to ignore most melodramatic impulses.
Even so, there's an inescapably episodic quality to the film that prevents it from yielding the kind of emotional connection that makes for lasting impressions and flourishing boxoffice.
Provided the book's many fans pick up the scent, this serious-minded chick flick could still do decent business thanks to a budget-minded outlay that belies its big studio production values.
As if mother-daughter relationships aren't tricky things to begin with, it certainly complicates matters when the parent in question is a strong-willed, highly opinionated, rather cold-blooded artist who deals with her unfaithful boyfriend (Billy Connolly) by apparently slipping a fatal dose of brewed white oleanders into his glass of milk.
And so, 15-year-old Astrid Magnusson (wonderfully played by relative newcomer Alison Lohman), finds herself being placed in a succession of foster homes -- each more surreal than the previous one -- while mom Ingrid (a feisty Michelle Pfeiffer) still manages to exert her influence from her prison perch.
Foster mom number one is Starr, a born-again trailer park vision in pink spandex (played with go-for-it zest by Robin Wright Penn) whose hard-drinking past makes a serious comeback when she (rightly) suspects that Astrid is making a play for her man (a sympathetic Cole Hauser).
Barely escaping with her life, Astrid is temporarily placed in an institution for troubled teens where she meets a gawky, attentive aspiring comic book artist (another fine performance by "Almost Famous'" Patrick Fugit).
But their friendship is cut short when she's taken in by foster mom number two, a too-sensitive actress (the melancholy Renee Zellweger), who's clinging to the hope that Astrid's presence will help save her foundering marriage to her frequently on-location filmmaker husband (Noah Wyle).
Suffice it to say, her idyllic Malibu stay proves equally short-lived, just as the incarcerated Ingrid has predicted.
While screenwriter Mary Agnes Donoghue ("Beaches") has left out a couple of other similarly dramatic foster home experiences, Astrid's many traumatic adventures on the road to independence still feel a bit far-fetched on the big screen, despite British director Kosminsky's attempts to lend the proceedings a grittier, hand-held reality.
Providing the much-needed backbone is Lohman (she's actually in her early 20's but photographs significantly younger), who desperately tries to fit in with each of her foster home environments, with a particular wardrobe to match, until she learns how to be her own person.
Her confrontational prison visits to Pfeiffer are particularly dynamic, with each actress pushing the other to do stronger work.
Behind the scenes, frequent Steven Soderbergh collaborator Elliot Davis gets the DP job done with a minimum of fuss, as does Thomas Newman with the score.
Speaking of efficiency, Sheryl Crow gets a two-for-one deal out of her introspective end-credits song, "Safe and Sound", given that it's a slightly remixed version of the same tune she performed at the end of last year's "K-Pax".
WHITE OLEANDER
Warner Bros.
Warner Bros. Pictures presents, in association with Pandora, a John Wells production
Credits:
Director: Peter Kosminsky
Screenwriter: Mary Agnes Donoghue
Based on the novel by: Janet Fitch
Producers: John Wells, Hunt Lowry
Executive producers: Patrick Markey, Kristin Harms, Stacy Cohen, E.K. Gaylord II
Director of photography: Elliot Davis
Production designer: Donald Graham Burt
Editor: Chris Ridsdale
Costume designer: Susie De Santo
Music: Thomas Newman
Cast:
Astrid Magnusson: Alison Lohman
Starr: Robin Wright Penn
Ingrid Magnusson: Michelle Pfeiffer
Claire Richards: Renee Zellweger
Barry: Billy Connolly
Rena Grushenka: Svetlana Efremova
Paul Trout: Patrick Fugit
Ray: Cole Hauser
Mark Richards: Noah Wyle
Running time -- 109 minutes
MPAA rating: PG-13...
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