"White Oleander" is the movie to see if you are in the mood for some serious drama -- and re-watching another Lifetime Original movie just won't cut it.
Based on the award-winning novel by Janet Finch, "White Oleander" tells the story of Astrid Magnusson (Alison Lohman) and her emotional journey of self-discovery. It comes as no surprise that the novel is a member of Oprah's Book Club -- this girl has enough problems to make even Dr. Phil's head spin!
Like any typical girl, Astrid idolizes her mother. But her mother Ingrid (Michelle Pfeiffer) is far from typical. When Ingrid is charged with murdering her own boyfriend, Astrid soon finds her world turned upside down. What follows is a journey through the next three years of Astrid's life, as she struggles from one foster home to another.
Astrid's first stop is a southern doublewide trailer. Her problems continue here as her rather sexually-loose yet self-righteously religious foster mom Starr (Robin Wright Penn) begins to become suspicious of the relationship between her boyfriend and Astrid.
Next, Astrid finds herself in a street-tough juvenile center. It is here that she meets a sympathetic loner (Patrick Fugit, "Almost Famous") with whom she makes a deep connection. It seems that Astrid has finally found someone she can relate to. Tragically (as if there was ever a doubt), Astrid must say goodbye and is sent to another foster home.
But this one is much different from the first. Here Astrid finds herself with Claire (Rene Zellweger), a compassionate yet fragile second-rate actress, and her cold and philandering husband (Noah Wyle), who is constantly away on "business." For the first time, Astrid learns what it is like to be given guidance, love and affection without self-interest and manipulation.
Of course, this is all the more reason for disaster to strike and place Astrid once again on the move. Next, Astrid ends up with Rena (Svetlana Efremova), a cynical Russian vendor who puts Astrid to work and strives to teach her the value of money over love.
Throughout her rocky journey, Astrid's periodic visits to her jailed mother remain her only constant factor-- for better or for worse. Ingrid tries desperately to maintain her hold over Astrid by warning her away from the rest of the world.
But Astrid begins to suspect that Ingrid's unique brand of parenting has more to do with her own narcissism than genuine love for her daughter. We watch and grow with Astrid as she searches for her own identity among her changing environments and struggles to gain her freedom from the past.
So, what does make this different from a melodramatic made-for-TV special? As you can see, it's not the story line. But the acting is so awesome, we can scarcely notice. First and foremost, newcomer Lohman shines as the main character and gracefully carries the heart of the story on her shoulders. Moreover, she is amazingly able to hold her own -- and then some -- among the likes of Pfeiffer, Zellweger and Penn.
As always, Pfeiffer gives an amazing and moving performance. She relishes her emotional scenes opposite Lohman and plays them to their full affect, so well that the strong and beautiful character of Ingrid is burned into our minds even when she isn't on the screen.
Penn and Zellweger also give outstanding performances. Penn impressively gives shape to a rather static character, turning Starr from stereotypical to memorable. Zellweger is especially likeable as Claire, while still managing to capture her character's fragility quite expertly.
"White Oleander" might be slightly melodramatic, but this is not necessarily a bad thing. I for one happen to enjoy my soaps and Lifetime Originals! Of course I would not recommend this one to the guys -- it has chick flick written all over it.
Rather, I would recommend it to women in serious need of mother-daughter bonding time or quality time with their girlfriends. The bottom line: See it when in the mood for some very heavy drama and come prepared with a box of tissues.
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