Astrid Magnussen (Alison Lohman) is a sweet sensitive Californian girl with her dominating artistic unconventional mother Ingrid (Michelle Pfeiffer). It's a reasonable life until her mother is arrested for her boyfriend Barry Kolker (Billy Connolly)'s murder. Astrid is taken by Children's Services and shuttled from one disaster after another. Her mother is convicted for life in prison. Her first foster mother is the religious Starr (Robin Wright) who was a former stripper. She gets involved with Starr's boyfriend and Starr ends up shooting her. Then she goes to the group home where she is picked on. There she finds a soulmate in Paul Trout (Patrick Fugit). Then she goes with the fragile Clare (Renée Zellweger), and finally with the money scheming Rena (Svetlana Efremova).
Alison Lohman has her big breakthrough performance as the sensitive Astrid. She does a fragile person quite well. And she can show her character grow just as well. However her reserved nature limits the tension. She really needs to break down and cry in the group home. Michelle Pfeiffer is given a complex character to play in this one. She does an admirable job. Although I wonder if Robin Wright would do a better job. Pfeiffer has a streak of nice sweetness in her that she can't quite shake. The movie needs her to have a meaner spirit. Overall it is a big vast personal melodrama. The acting is done well. The story is compelling.
Alison Lohman has her big breakthrough performance as the sensitive Astrid. She does a fragile person quite well. And she can show her character grow just as well. However her reserved nature limits the tension. She really needs to break down and cry in the group home. Michelle Pfeiffer is given a complex character to play in this one. She does an admirable job. Although I wonder if Robin Wright would do a better job. Pfeiffer has a streak of nice sweetness in her that she can't quite shake. The movie needs her to have a meaner spirit. Overall it is a big vast personal melodrama. The acting is done well. The story is compelling.