Stylish but barely mediocre overall

I wanted to like it more than I actually did... But much of the humor totally escaped me and I walked out only mildly impressed.

Great story, amazing characters, superb action, enthralling cinematography. Yes, this is something I am glad I spent money on.

The story, direction, characters, and writing/dialogue is akin to taking a tranquilizer shot to the neck, but everything else was so well done.

This is an emotional film that touches on dysfunctional relationships between mothers and daughters without relying on clichés - its plot is true to life and painfully familiar to daughters (and sons) of narcissistic mothers. Exploring themes of abandonment, motherhood, and self-discovery, White Oleander is one of my favorite coming of ages stories. Summary: 13 year old Astrid and Ingrid Magnussen live together in an apartment in Los Angeles. Ingrid is a gifted poet and editor, and Astrid is an insecure budding artist. Ingrid is too consumed by her drama with her writing to notice Astrid; she is the quintessential narcissist. Then, a devastating series of events lands Astrid in a string of foster homes. From an ex-stripper (Robin Wright Penn) to a loving actress with bipolar disorder (Rene Zellwegger), Astrid's experiences in the LA foster care system open her eyes to her own inner strength - and her toxic relationship with her mother. Direction: Although the screenwriter did a good job of adapting the book, the plot was definitely pared down. Ingrid's infatuation with Barry seems almost incomprehensible because we only see her with Barry for a few minutes. The PG-13 rating omits some of the more mature parts of the story, like Astrid's sexual relationship with 40-something 'Uncle' Ray, her friendship with Olivia Johnstone, an elegant black woman who moonlights as a prostitute, her foster mother Amelia, who starves her daughters, and so on. White Oleander is a long book with tremendous detail, but they could have injected grittier scenes from the novel. Acting: Michelle Pfeiffer was the perfect choice for Ingrid. She perfectly captures Ingrid's haunting glamour, the harsh edge beneath her poetry, the danger beneath her smile. Robin Penn plays Starr, a former-stripper and born again Christian, and I enjoyed her animated performance. Rene Zellwegger was a solid choice for Claire, whose delicate voice and mannerisms showcase Claire's fragile emotions. Ali Lohman does a good job of portraying Astrid; her introverted beauty contrasts sharply with Ingrid's cold vanity. I was disappointed to see Ray played by a much younger man (Cole Hauser), as his character is at least 40. Overall, the film is a string of highlights from the original story, so it is definitely worth watching - just do yourself a favor and pick up this brilliant book afterwards.

one of films who continue in the memory of the viewer long time after its end. like the novel who inspired it. because it seems be perfect. the performances, the atmosphere, each detail, dialogues and the impression to see the making of large spider web. a film who gives only questions. powerful for the force to impose each of theme. not comfortable because the themes are very delicate and the desire of director is to explore each in precise, profound manner. the great thing is the way in which the story becomes yours. the extraordinary job of Renee Zellweger. the metamorphose of Astrid who has in Allison Lohmann a great interpreter. a dark, uncomfortable, cruel and high honest film. maybe useful. like a huge mirror.

Teenager Astrid Magnussen is having a bad hair day. Make that a bad hair life. Her father abandoned the family when she was a baby. Her mother Ingrid is serving 35 years to life in jail for murdering her boyfriend after discovering he was cheating on her. Her first foster mother, Starr, shot and wounded her when she began to suspect that Astrid had lustful designs on her live-in lover. Her second foster mother, Claire, committed suicide after the breakdown of her marriage. Her third, a Russian immigrant, exploits her foster children as cheap labour in her business. In between fosterings Astrid lives in a grim orphanage which seems rather less comfortable and welcoming than the prison in which her mother is incarcerated.If there were a Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Fictitious Characters the makers of this film would be in big trouble indeed, although they would not be the only ones. I have never read the original novel by Janet Fitch, but I understand that in it Astrid is subjected to even greater sufferings which a merciful scriptwriter decided to spare her here.Any synopsis of its plot would make "White Oleander" seem like the cinematic of all those "tragic life stories" (aka "misery porn") which were filling our bookshops during the early 2000s, with the difference that the story told in this film is purely fictional, whereas misery porn generally is (or purports to be) based upon real-life events. Yet there is more to it than that; the film is skilfully directed by Peter Kosminsky and features some fine performances from a number of actresses. (The male members of the cast are generally less prominent).Michelle Pfeiffer's Ingrid is clearly intelligent, but also arrogant and totally lacking in moral insight, showing no remorse for her crime. Like Belloc's Godolphin Horne she "holds the human race in scorn"; she dismisses the working class as "trailer trash", and has a fixed prejudice against religion, especially Christianity, a prejudice which she tries to justify in the name of reason but which owes more to intellectual pride. She is horrified to see Astrid wearing a cross given to her by Starr, a former stripper turned born-again Christian, although in this case she might have some justification for her suspicion of Christianity. Starr (played in another fine performance by Robin Wright Penn) is the sort of born-again hypocrite whose faith does not prevent her from carrying on an adulterous relationship with a man still legally married to someone else and for whom accepting Jesus as your personal Lord and Saviour is not necessarily incompatible with trying to shoot your foster daughter.This is one of the finest performances I have seen Pfeiffer give. (She also looks stunning, far younger than her age of 44). Ingrid is a repellent individual, and yet Pfeiffer makes us realise that she is nevertheless a human being, particularly towards the end when her more vulnerable side becomes apparent. Pfeiffer's Ingrid is complemented by Alison Lohman's Astrid. Ingrid's main aim is to turn her into a younger version of herself, and Astrid's is to resist this process and to establish herself as her own person.The story is set in Southern California, and this is reflected in the brilliant light and bright primary colours which predominate in the film. Kosminsky makes particular use of the colour blue, and most scenes, especially those featuring Ingrid, have at least one prominent bright blue object.The film's main weakness is a lack of plausibility as far as the storyline is concerned, which is why I am unable to give it a higher mark. Any one of the mishaps which befall Astrid might be plausible in itself. That so many mishaps could have happened to a 15-year-old girl, at least without destroying her psychologically, starts to strain credibility. Some of the characters did not seem very credible either, especially Claire, although I felt this was less the fault of Renée Zellweger than of the script, which never told us much about Claire's background or enabled us to understand her frailties. I also wondered just how realistic was the portrayal of California's social services system. If Astrid's experiences are anything to go by, it would appear that the chief requirement for foster parents in the Golden State is to be totally unsuited to be a foster parent. The acting and the direction of the film are good, but the plot could have been better. 6/10

I was really amazed at the performance delivered by the actors especially alison lohman, renee zellweger and michelle pfeiffer. This is a movie which delivers the story mentioned in the novel in the best possible way. Nice direction and cinematography as well. I was especially amazed by the 2 scenes which showed the location - Ladera Heights in Los Angeles,CA. The way this location was used, the background music (sound created by sea waves), the scene at that moment .. everything was quite intriguing. I repeated that scene many times and thought before dying I should stay in a home like that for at least a week. Ms Zellweger did quite a nice job of a faithful wife devoted to her husband and really felt bad for wht happened later. Its very difficult to get a wife that devoted to her hubby and if a woman like that exists then she should choose a right partner. Pfeiffer's cold-blooded view on life was a little out of the league. But given her life story nothing else wud have been expected. Robin Wright reminded me of so called "God's people" who just read the scriptures and never follow it in their lives. Lohman did a great job acting in various circumstances was at her best through the movie. Overall I give 10 out of 10 and recommend it for people who believe that life's not fair for everyone and for those who want a Feel GOOD movie!