Description

White Oleander chronicles the life of Astrid (Alison Lohman), a young teenager who journeys through a series of foster homes after her mother (Michelle Pfeiffer) goes to prison for committing a crime of passion. Set adrift in the world, Astrid struggles to become her own person while coming to terms with the challenges of living life on her own. ... Read more

Reviews (78)

Memorable Performances in a Highly Dramatized Movie
White Oleander, featuring Michelle Pfeiffer and Alison Lohman, is the movie based on the book by Janet Fitch. Viewers of the Oprah Winfrey daytime television show and readers will recall that this book was one of Oprah's book club selections. Now this compelling and disturbing book has been brought to the silver screen in what many viewers will agree was an intriguing and well-crafted movie. And rarely, if ever in my opinion, has a movie been so finely done or as faithful to the book as was done in this movie. In addition the cast was well chosen and the performances are creatively superb, handling a most difficult subject.

Michelle Pfeiffer, in the lead role, plays Ingrid Magnusson, a single parent and artist who is raising her adolescent daughter Astrid played by Alison Lohman. Ingrid is an incredibly selfish woman with a Bohemian lifestyle who treats Astrid more like a friend than her child. While Ingrid's life is dictated by her passions and whims, Astrid is merely a bystander to the lifestyle Ingrid dictates for them. When she is angered by the rejection of her current lover and while Astrid sits in their car, Ingrid poisons her lover with the inner juice of a white oleander plant ultimately killing this man. When Ingrid is arrested by the police, Astrid is removed from their home by social services and becomes a ward of the state. Now the focus of the movie shifts from Astrid as Ingrid's daughter and work in progress to Astrid, a child who will become much too familiar with the foster care system in Southern California. Unfortunately for Astrid, the foster homes she stays in are less than happy situations for her and she also must contend with Ingrid's views of her foster mothers as she goes from home to home, learning more about the seamier side of life than any child should have to learn at this pivotal time in her life. And all the while Astrid remains loyal to Ingrid as she continues to be subjected to her when she visits Ingrid in prison.

This is a movie populated mainly by an all female cast. Michelle Pfeiffer plays Ingrid with a mixture of anger and compassion about her situation and Astrid's circumstances. And both Renee Zellwegger and Robin Wright Penn shine as two very different types of foster mothers who greatly influence Astrid's life. But if the movie belongs to one actor it is Astrid played by Alison Lohman who shines as the confused young woman forced to face life as an adult way before her time. And the last scene as Astrid becomes an artist in her own right and creates valises filled with the faces and objects of her life which remains with the viewer long after the movie ends.

I found this to be an excellent movie especially since I read the book. The director and other associates are to be commended for tastefully presenting a difficult subject to the audience in such a fine manner. One is left with a feeling of hope that Astrid, despite her early difficulties will succeed as an adult.

doesn't live up to the power of the book
A film by Peter Kosminsky

"White Oleander" is the story of one girl's experience through the foster care system as she learns who she is, what she wants, and who she does not want to be. This is the story of Astrid (Alison Lohman), a 15 year old girl who is living with her mother, Ingrid (Michelle Pfeiffer). Ingrid is an "artist", with all of the pretensions that you can stereotype onto one character. Ingrid believes the way she does and anyone who does not believe as she does (about anything) is being intellectually dishonest. She encourages Astrid to think for herself, but it seems only if that means that Astrid's conclusions agree with Ingrid. Things would probably stay as they are, but when Ingrid is arrested for murder, Astrid is put into foster care and the movie truly begins.

Astrid spends relatively brief stays with several foster homes. We see her at the home of Starr (Robin Wright Penn), a white trash born again Christian who speaks about Jesus an awful lot, but may not live like a Christian. Problems arise, and Astrid is moved to the orphanage to another home, that of Claire (Renee Zellweger). Claire is, to Astrid's view, the perfect foster mother. But, like before, something happens and she is moved to another home, that of Rena (Svetlana Efremova). Rena is an immigrant (from Russia?) and is entirely about making money. Through each of the stays in a foster home, Astrid is blending her personality with that of the foster mother, trying to figure out who she is. While this is happening, Astrid stays in touch with her mother and this is where we see the most growth for Astrid, in how she interacts with her mother.

It is not fair to compare a movie with the book which it is based on because they are two entirely different forms of media, but sometimes a brief comparison needs to be mentioned. The film is filled with talented actresses and they turn in fine performances, but the film is missing "something" that keeps it from being a truly excellent film. The novel has a lot of emotional power that the film lacks (though there is one scene in particular that is very powerful, closer to the end of the film). That power is part of the "something" that is missing. There is nothing that is actually wrong with the film (despite some complaints with the ending), and it is competent, but it is simply not special at all. Alison Lohman, on the other hand, is an actress to watch.

Stick to Tea
Men covet the hunt and women desire the perfect nest, so when we see a story about women and these women suffer in melodramatic fashion, we say this is a "Chick Flick." The men leave the room to drink beer in the garage. Well "White Oleander" did not threaten my burly manhood. I found the story compelling. I rooted for young teen, Alison Lohman. Her mother, Michelle Pfeiffer poisons a lover in a jealous rage. Consequently mom is arrested and gets 30 years in the slammer. Alison is shuttled from foster home to orphanage. Alison falls for the man toy of a Jesus freak and gets shot. Then terror girls at the orphanage jump her and she gets even. Renee Zellweger is L.A. as a substitute mom even if she is suicidal. The final foster home is all drugs and punk. So we see Allison morph from innocence to a worldly punk chick. Pfeiffer has a Feminist-Goddess hold on her daughter even from prison and her daughter must break away. This is the weakest part of the story, muddled. After all, mom should have kept her feminist panties on and her poison Oleander in the garden.

Bad movie!
This movie was very superficial, we don't feel it real, it go to one situation to another without exploring it enough.

...
It's a terrible representation of foster care, but a great representation of a child trying to shake away from the grips of an overbearing mother. Astrid, the main character, is desprately trying to find herself, but having difficulty as her mother, who has been sent to jail for murder, tries to control her from behind bars.

Astrid's mother is a sick and manipulative woman. That's one thing you know right off the bat. She claims to be an artist, but she knows nothing about true beauty. She claims to be protecting her daughter, but she really doesn't care either way. She claims to want her daughter to think for herself, but in reality, she tries desperitly to do all her thinking for her.

This movie has very interesting characters. Watching Astrid go from a fairly naive girl to a hardened woman is disturbing, but understandable. All in all, it's a good movie. ... Read more

Reviews (11)

A story about the Relationship that Really Matters
Road to Redemption is dubed as a comedy movie. Although the comedy part of the movie, allowed a chuckle now and then. The movie made a bigger hit in it's message. A young girl living with her lover works for a Mob boss. She and her lover in get in trouble by talknig illegal money mailed to her boss. Financially dry, she and her lover blow it on fixed horse racing bets. When they loose all the money, she travels to her meet her rich retired grandfather, who by the way has not seen her since she was a little girl. He agrees to give her the money owed under one condition. That she takes him fishing. Off they go cross country, with the mob at their heels, and her lover who turns eventually out to be her traitor. The theme is no doubt directed towards a grandfather who wanted to start a new relationship with his granddaugther, who is only intrested in getting the money she needs. A Good story, with a God inspired message, a good dvd for all young and old.

A++++
Road to redemption was better than I hoped for. A Christian movie with some humor. Don't miss out-Get the DVD version! You will get many extras that you won't find on the VHS. This is not a witnessing tool, but a good addition to the Christain DVD collection, try "Vanished" by cloud ten pictures for a witnessing tool. If you liked this movie try "Something to sing about" & "A Vow to Cherish" both are heart warming Christian movies and are also by world wide pictures. Plus they have many extras if you purchase the DVD versions.

Very funny and moving
It's always a risk to buy a DVD sight unseen, but I bought this gem based on some reviews I've read and the fact that it's made by Worldwide Pictures who have produced some great movies (Vow to Cherish, Something to sing about).

Road to Redemption tells of a young couple Amanda Tucker (the lovely Julie Condra) and Alan Fischer (Jay Underwood) who are sick of struggling along financially so "borrow" some money from Amanda's boss who also happens to be a Mob boss, along with the money comes racing tips for some fixed races so off they go to the racing track. All does not go to plan and Amanda finds herself having to leave town to track down her Grandfather Nathan (Pat Hingle) in order to hit him up for some cash so she can pay back her boss.

There are some excellent performances put in by the lead actors as well as the supporting mobsters Tony Longo as Vincent the enforcer is very amusing as it Wes Studi as Frank Lightfoot. There are some real funny set pieces in this film and some of it reminded me of the also excellent Dumb and Dumber (minus the crudeness).

Road to Redemption is a family friendly comedy with real heart. It's extremely amusing and a joy to watch. It also very moving and touching as well as Amanda gets to know her Grandfather and learns about what is most important in life. I recommend it whole-heartily for anyone needing a good laugh and it's refreshingly free from smut, foul language and jokes made in bad taste.

Enjoy this film and thanks for reading.

Is the Mob after you? God can handle it!
This is one Christian film that lots of people will enjoy. I mean believers in Christ and non-believers. It's a great insight on following the road to Christ. It's about a couple, Amanda (Julie Condra) and Alan (Jay Underwood) who found stolen mob money. They decide to gamble the money on horse racing and lose the money. The gangsters find out about this and go after the couple. The grandaughter, Amanda seeks the help of her wealthy grandpa Nathan (Pat Hingle) for the money she needs to pay back the mob. But grandpa has plans. It seems he "got religion" and is willing to give her the money. But she has to drive him to visit his favorite fishing hole some 800 miles away. There are some breathe-taking scenes of Utah. So they're all on the run from the mob and along the way learn a valuable lesson of choices and consequences. In the meantime, God gets Amanda's attention and God gives the mob a run for their money. The movie is rated PG for thematic elements and mild violent content, but still a clean Christian movie. It's advised that very young children shouldn't view this. For older teens and adults may find a lesson to be learned that doing something you know is wrong can only get you into deeper trouble. Billy Graham's 'Road to Redemption' is really a great movie with a great message to lead those to Christ.

This movie is really great!
We had movie night this past Sunday at church, and I have to tell you that this movie really moved within the church. I thought it was going to be a cheesy movie, but little did I know that the movie was going to be awesome. I think that this movie would make a great witnessing tool for non-believers to get an insight of how someone would come to know Christ. God Bless All!! ... Read more

Reviews (30)

This is a great sci-fi comedy!
Garry Shandling plays an alien who is sent to Earth to have a kid with an Earth woman. He meets Annette Bening, an AA-member, and soon realizes that social life isn't as simple as in the simulator back home.

This is a very funny comedy, directed by Mike Nichols and co-written by Garry Shandling. He and Annette Bening are great in the lead parts, supported by equally good Greg Kinnear, John Goodman and Ben Kingsley. "The funniest movie of the year", some critics said. It probably is. It's great fun, that's for sure. I strongly recommend it!

Funny Interplanetary Sex Farce
This is a cute little sex farce starring and written by Garry Shandling. Harold Anderson (Shandling) is actually an alien on a very special mission. He must impregnate an earth woman to begin the infiltration of earth for eventual domination and takeover. He has done his research and learned to be a good listener, dutifully repeating "uh huh" at every utterance by a female. Unfortunately, there are certain subtleties he hasn't mastered in the fine art of seduction, and he gets his face slapped repeatedly.

After countless humorous failures he meets his future mate Susan (Annette Benning), and discovers that the only way she will have sex with him is if he marries her. After the nuptials he learns that all the rules of engagement have changed.

This droll script ranges from mildly silly to hysterical as it holds a circus mirror up to our mating rituals. Shandling is always funny with his deadpan whiney style, but the real treat here is Annette Benning. She makes this film work as Shandling's overwrought love interest. As she did in "American Beauty", she plays another caricature role to perfection. Here she is the aging female who has been a continual loser at the dating game and is desperately searching for love. Her brilliant performance is a treat that upstages Shandling at every turn. In addition, the rest of the cast is wonderful and fits well with Shandling's wry sense of humor.

This is a fun and very light comedy that works well most of the time. I rated it 7/10. Viewers who are offended by nudity, profanity and sexual situations should pass. Others will probably enjoy more than a few good laughs.

underrated
The set up of this film seems simple and silly enough. On a planet a thousand years more technologically advanced than Earth, the entire population is male clones with no sex organs, no emotions, and
nothing better to do than conquer the Universe. Their technique--though it's never explained--involves impregnating a woman on the planet they wish to take over. So their leader, Graydon--played by
Ben Kingsley in a nice turn--instructs them in the fine art of seducing an Earth woman, which to their minds mainly consists of complimenting her hair and shoes. Their quickest learner, H1449-6 (Gary
Shandling), is chosen to perform the deed and is whisked to Earth where he is deposited in the lavatory of a passenger jet. The disruption this causes the flight brings him to the attention of an NTSB inspector
(John Goodman). But he is able to rapidly establish himself in a job as Harold Anderson, bank loan officer, and, thanks to the womanizing connivance of a co-worker (Greg Kinnear), he's soon romancing a
recovering alcoholic, Susan Hart (Annette Benning), who they meet at an AA meeting where they've gone to scam babes. And so we have the basic dramatic tension of the film: Will Harold be discovered
before he can complete his mission?

The film gets to this point mostly on the strength of battle-of-the-sexes humor and some physical comedy involving the mechanical penis that Shandling's character has had attached to enable him to
complete his mission. It continues in this vein through the early portion of Harold's relationship with Susan, but when he ends up having to marry her to get her to bear his child the inevitable humanizing takes
place and a more serious message starts to peak out from beneath the more sophomoric sex comedy and the unfortunately disjointed story line. This initial message concerns the utter emptiness of the
modern mating game, which is all about sex and only peripherally, if at all, about meaningful interaction between two people. By the end--when Harold realizes that Graydon won't let Susan keep their baby
and that the experience of love, loyalty, sex, death, and all the rest that makes us human is superior to the supposedly advanced bioengineered culture of his home world--it's become very much a political
film, whether intentionally or no. It comes down so firmly on the side of humanity as it is, with all our glorious and maddening imperfections, and against the vision of a future that is perfect but soulless, that
regardless of an over reliance on genitalia jokes it ends up being a profoundly conservative movie, and a pretty funny one at that.

GRADE: B+

don't bother
what a waster of my time...the whole movie is so predictable and boring. i've spent better time in the can than watching this movie.

Good Fun
Intentionally derivative and utterly hilarious, 'What Planet Are You From?' follows Garry Shandling as an alien with buzzing genitals whose task is to impregnate a human female with an end to total domination of the planet earth. How this is ever to be brought about by producing a human offpsring remains unclear, though Annette Bening's six week gestation period would suggest our alien friends are capable of rapid action. The whole cast of this thing is in fine form, especially John Goodman as an intrepid FAA agent determined to bring an end to Air Arizona's misuse by Shandling & Co who routinely use their flights as a landing facility, as well as Ben Kingsley's Planetary Leader, at once camp, fifties-British and wholly ridiculous. This mightn't be everyone's cup of tea, but anyone who says the yanks can't do irony should watch it. It's very funny. ... Read more

Reviews (30)

This is a great sci-fi comedy!
Garry Shandling plays an alien who is sent to Earth to have a kid with an Earth woman. He meets Annette Bening, an AA-member, and soon realizes that social life isn't as simple as in the simulator back home.

This is a very funny comedy, directed by Mike Nichols and co-written by Garry Shandling. He and Annette Bening are great in the lead parts, supported by equally good Greg Kinnear, John Goodman and Ben Kingsley. "The funniest movie of the year", some critics said. It probably is. It's great fun, that's for sure. I strongly recommend it!

Funny Interplanetary Sex Farce
This is a cute little sex farce starring and written by Garry Shandling. Harold Anderson (Shandling) is actually an alien on a very special mission. He must impregnate an earth woman to begin the infiltration of earth for eventual domination and takeover. He has done his research and learned to be a good listener, dutifully repeating "uh huh" at every utterance by a female. Unfortunately, there are certain subtleties he hasn't mastered in the fine art of seduction, and he gets his face slapped repeatedly.

After countless humorous failures he meets his future mate Susan (Annette Benning), and discovers that the only way she will have sex with him is if he marries her. After the nuptials he learns that all the rules of engagement have changed.

This droll script ranges from mildly silly to hysterical as it holds a circus mirror up to our mating rituals. Shandling is always funny with his deadpan whiney style, but the real treat here is Annette Benning. She makes this film work as Shandling's overwrought love interest. As she did in "American Beauty", she plays another caricature role to perfection. Here she is the aging female who has been a continual loser at the dating game and is desperately searching for love. Her brilliant performance is a treat that upstages Shandling at every turn. In addition, the rest of the cast is wonderful and fits well with Shandling's wry sense of humor.

This is a fun and very light comedy that works well most of the time. I rated it 7/10. Viewers who are offended by nudity, profanity and sexual situations should pass. Others will probably enjoy more than a few good laughs.

underrated
The set up of this film seems simple and silly enough. On a planet a thousand years more technologically advanced than Earth, the entire population is male clones with no sex organs, no emotions, and
nothing better to do than conquer the Universe. Their technique--though it's never explained--involves impregnating a woman on the planet they wish to take over. So their leader, Graydon--played by
Ben Kingsley in a nice turn--instructs them in the fine art of seducing an Earth woman, which to their minds mainly consists of complimenting her hair and shoes. Their quickest learner, H1449-6 (Gary
Shandling), is chosen to perform the deed and is whisked to Earth where he is deposited in the lavatory of a passenger jet. The disruption this causes the flight brings him to the attention of an NTSB inspector
(John Goodman). But he is able to rapidly establish himself in a job as Harold Anderson, bank loan officer, and, thanks to the womanizing connivance of a co-worker (Greg Kinnear), he's soon romancing a
recovering alcoholic, Susan Hart (Annette Benning), who they meet at an AA meeting where they've gone to scam babes. And so we have the basic dramatic tension of the film: Will Harold be discovered
before he can complete his mission?

The film gets to this point mostly on the strength of battle-of-the-sexes humor and some physical comedy involving the mechanical penis that Shandling's character has had attached to enable him to
complete his mission. It continues in this vein through the early portion of Harold's relationship with Susan, but when he ends up having to marry her to get her to bear his child the inevitable humanizing takes
place and a more serious message starts to peak out from beneath the more sophomoric sex comedy and the unfortunately disjointed story line. This initial message concerns the utter emptiness of the
modern mating game, which is all about sex and only peripherally, if at all, about meaningful interaction between two people. By the end--when Harold realizes that Graydon won't let Susan keep their baby
and that the experience of love, loyalty, sex, death, and all the rest that makes us human is superior to the supposedly advanced bioengineered culture of his home world--it's become very much a political
film, whether intentionally or no. It comes down so firmly on the side of humanity as it is, with all our glorious and maddening imperfections, and against the vision of a future that is perfect but soulless, that
regardless of an over reliance on genitalia jokes it ends up being a profoundly conservative movie, and a pretty funny one at that.

GRADE: B+

don't bother
what a waster of my time...the whole movie is so predictable and boring. i've spent better time in the can than watching this movie.

Good Fun
Intentionally derivative and utterly hilarious, 'What Planet Are You From?' follows Garry Shandling as an alien with buzzing genitals whose task is to impregnate a human female with an end to total domination of the planet earth. How this is ever to be brought about by producing a human offpsring remains unclear, though Annette Bening's six week gestation period would suggest our alien friends are capable of rapid action. The whole cast of this thing is in fine form, especially John Goodman as an intrepid FAA agent determined to bring an end to Air Arizona's misuse by Shandling & Co who routinely use their flights as a landing facility, as well as Ben Kingsley's Planetary Leader, at once camp, fifties-British and wholly ridiculous. This mightn't be everyone's cup of tea, but anyone who says the yanks can't do irony should watch it. It's very funny. ... Read more

Description

White Oleander chronicles the life of Astrid (Alison Lohman), a young teenager who journeys through a series of foster homes after her mother (Michelle Pfeiffer) goes to prison for committing a crime of passion. Set adrift in the world, Astrid struggles to become her own person while coming to terms with the challenges of living life on her own. ... Read more

Reviews (78)

Memorable Performances in a Highly Dramatized Movie
White Oleander, featuring Michelle Pfeiffer and Alison Lohman, is the movie based on the book by Janet Fitch. Viewers of the Oprah Winfrey daytime television show and readers will recall that this book was one of Oprah's book club selections. Now this compelling and disturbing book has been brought to the silver screen in what many viewers will agree was an intriguing and well-crafted movie. And rarely, if ever in my opinion, has a movie been so finely done or as faithful to the book as was done in this movie. In addition the cast was well chosen and the performances are creatively superb, handling a most difficult subject.

Michelle Pfeiffer, in the lead role, plays Ingrid Magnusson, a single parent and artist who is raising her adolescent daughter Astrid played by Alison Lohman. Ingrid is an incredibly selfish woman with a Bohemian lifestyle who treats Astrid more like a friend than her child. While Ingrid's life is dictated by her passions and whims, Astrid is merely a bystander to the lifestyle Ingrid dictates for them. When she is angered by the rejection of her current lover and while Astrid sits in their car, Ingrid poisons her lover with the inner juice of a white oleander plant ultimately killing this man. When Ingrid is arrested by the police, Astrid is removed from their home by social services and becomes a ward of the state. Now the focus of the movie shifts from Astrid as Ingrid's daughter and work in progress to Astrid, a child who will become much too familiar with the foster care system in Southern California. Unfortunately for Astrid, the foster homes she stays in are less than happy situations for her and she also must contend with Ingrid's views of her foster mothers as she goes from home to home, learning more about the seamier side of life than any child should have to learn at this pivotal time in her life. And all the while Astrid remains loyal to Ingrid as she continues to be subjected to her when she visits Ingrid in prison.

This is a movie populated mainly by an all female cast. Michelle Pfeiffer plays Ingrid with a mixture of anger and compassion about her situation and Astrid's circumstances. And both Renee Zellwegger and Robin Wright Penn shine as two very different types of foster mothers who greatly influence Astrid's life. But if the movie belongs to one actor it is Astrid played by Alison Lohman who shines as the confused young woman forced to face life as an adult way before her time. And the last scene as Astrid becomes an artist in her own right and creates valises filled with the faces and objects of her life which remains with the viewer long after the movie ends.

I found this to be an excellent movie especially since I read the book. The director and other associates are to be commended for tastefully presenting a difficult subject to the audience in such a fine manner. One is left with a feeling of hope that Astrid, despite her early difficulties will succeed as an adult.

doesn't live up to the power of the book
A film by Peter Kosminsky

"White Oleander" is the story of one girl's experience through the foster care system as she learns who she is, what she wants, and who she does not want to be. This is the story of Astrid (Alison Lohman), a 15 year old girl who is living with her mother, Ingrid (Michelle Pfeiffer). Ingrid is an "artist", with all of the pretensions that you can stereotype onto one character. Ingrid believes the way she does and anyone who does not believe as she does (about anything) is being intellectually dishonest. She encourages Astrid to think for herself, but it seems only if that means that Astrid's conclusions agree with Ingrid. Things would probably stay as they are, but when Ingrid is arrested for murder, Astrid is put into foster care and the movie truly begins.

Astrid spends relatively brief stays with several foster homes. We see her at the home of Starr (Robin Wright Penn), a white trash born again Christian who speaks about Jesus an awful lot, but may not live like a Christian. Problems arise, and Astrid is moved to the orphanage to another home, that of Claire (Renee Zellweger). Claire is, to Astrid's view, the perfect foster mother. But, like before, something happens and she is moved to another home, that of Rena (Svetlana Efremova). Rena is an immigrant (from Russia?) and is entirely about making money. Through each of the stays in a foster home, Astrid is blending her personality with that of the foster mother, trying to figure out who she is. While this is happening, Astrid stays in touch with her mother and this is where we see the most growth for Astrid, in how she interacts with her mother.

It is not fair to compare a movie with the book which it is based on because they are two entirely different forms of media, but sometimes a brief comparison needs to be mentioned. The film is filled with talented actresses and they turn in fine performances, but the film is missing "something" that keeps it from being a truly excellent film. The novel has a lot of emotional power that the film lacks (though there is one scene in particular that is very powerful, closer to the end of the film). That power is part of the "something" that is missing. There is nothing that is actually wrong with the film (despite some complaints with the ending), and it is competent, but it is simply not special at all. Alison Lohman, on the other hand, is an actress to watch.

Stick to Tea
Men covet the hunt and women desire the perfect nest, so when we see a story about women and these women suffer in melodramatic fashion, we say this is a "Chick Flick." The men leave the room to drink beer in the garage. Well "White Oleander" did not threaten my burly manhood. I found the story compelling. I rooted for young teen, Alison Lohman. Her mother, Michelle Pfeiffer poisons a lover in a jealous rage. Consequently mom is arrested and gets 30 years in the slammer. Alison is shuttled from foster home to orphanage. Alison falls for the man toy of a Jesus freak and gets shot. Then terror girls at the orphanage jump her and she gets even. Renee Zellweger is L.A. as a substitute mom even if she is suicidal. The final foster home is all drugs and punk. So we see Allison morph from innocence to a worldly punk chick. Pfeiffer has a Feminist-Goddess hold on her daughter even from prison and her daughter must break away. This is the weakest part of the story, muddled. After all, mom should have kept her feminist panties on and her poison Oleander in the garden.

Bad movie!
This movie was very superficial, we don't feel it real, it go to one situation to another without exploring it enough.

...
It's a terrible representation of foster care, but a great representation of a child trying to shake away from the grips of an overbearing mother. Astrid, the main character, is desprately trying to find herself, but having difficulty as her mother, who has been sent to jail for murder, tries to control her from behind bars.

Astrid's mother is a sick and manipulative woman. That's one thing you know right off the bat. She claims to be an artist, but she knows nothing about true beauty. She claims to be protecting her daughter, but she really doesn't care either way. She claims to want her daughter to think for herself, but in reality, she tries desperitly to do all her thinking for her.

This movie has very interesting characters. Watching Astrid go from a fairly naive girl to a hardened woman is disturbing, but understandable. All in all, it's a good movie. ... Read more