I enjoyed the movie except it didnt go exactly with the book. Like how astrid went to live with marvel and befriended olivia. Also when she was attacked by the dogs. In the book her and paul moved to a foreign country, in the movie they moved to new york. Also in the movie her mother didnt get out, in the book she did. I know not alot of time the movie and book dont match up entirely but this was way off. Also Claire's husband was named ron in the book, in the movie his name was mark...Explain that one plz. Good movie, I think the little girl did a great job as astrid and michelle did a good job and Ingrid. Id rather read the book though, it held my interest alot more than the movie
Pfeiffer plays Ingrid as a self-absorbed succubus, a steely beauty whose soft features can harden into fierce will and whose speeches of lone-wolf self sufficiency hide an emotional vulnerability. She feeds Astrid a poisonous philosophy of misanthropy that almost kills her as surely as the white oleander milkshake that poisoned the mother's former lover. The leaping story line, shaped by director Peter Kosminsky into sharp slivers and cutting impressions, shows all the signs of rich detail condensed into a few evocative images and striking character traits. Ingrid's cruelty and hypocrisy scream louder than the pain of her own damaged life, but Pfeiffer devours every one of her scenes with a ferocious performance. In contrast, Astrid's initial foster mothers -- Robin Wright Penn's Bible-thumping ditzy bleached blonde in trailer-park pink and baby blue outfits, and Renée Zellweger's wisp of a needy young wife with an eggshell of an ego -- are like supporting characters in a Dickensian portrait, enigmatic impressions in the life of its orphan hero. Lohman admirably holds her own against these veterans. The bonds of emotional connection are tenuous at best (surely a casualty of the compression) but Lohman blinks little-girl frailty as Astrid adapts chameleon like to please a succession of mother figures and encases her bruised heart beneath layers of emotional armor after each abandonment. Through her succession of identity shifts -- Catholic blond virgin, mop-cropped switchblade sister, designer label princess, raccoon-eyed streetwise survivor -- she never loses the haunted isolation or the sensitivity she releases in loving portraits of faces glimpsed and remembered that she sketches when she thinks no one is looking. "No matter how much she damaged me, no matter how flawed she is, I know my mother loves me," Astrid remarks in the film's tear-jerker of a signature line. "White Oleander" ultimately earns it.Read full review
I really like this film. Good story, the actors are believable, I have watched it every day for over a week. music is nice too.
Verified purchase: Yes | Condition: Pre-owned
Great characters and insight into personalities!! Wonderfully done, I highly recommend it for everyone that is mature.
Verified purchase: Yes | Condition: Pre-owned
This one has been a favorite of mine for quite sometime. It's a heartbreaking story about a teen that travels from foster home to foster home, due to a murder her mother committed. Watching this film showed me how difficult it is for people to cope with serious family matters, such as a murder, and then having to be sent away to all of these places. Having read some real experiences from people online, I believe that foster homes are really like that and it is shocking! What a terrifying ordeal anyone should have to go through. Astrid's journey was, at times, difficult to watch but the message towards the end is heart felt. When you feel you're alone, just know that someone out there cares. A must watch for anyone who likes depressing & intense but thoughtful dramas that you can watch over and over and learn something new each time. It's worth buying!Read full review
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