neumu [ cinematronic ]




	White Oleander
	Peter Kosminsky Alison Lohman, Michelle Pfeiffer, Robin Wright Penn, Renee Zellweger, Billy Connolly, Svetlana Efremova, Patrick Fugit, Cole Hauser, Noah Wyle 2002		With a phenomenal performance by its young lead actress Alison Lohman and equally impressive work by the rest of a cast that includes Michelle Pfeiffer, Robin Wright Penn and Renee Zellweger, "White Oleander" is an exceptional film that lingers in the memory and should invite serious awards consideration. It could have been as tedious, melodramatic and preachy as a second-rate cable film on Lifetime. Instead, it has a frankness and sensitivity that give it wrenching emotional depth. Adapted from the novel of the same name by Janet Fitch, "White Oleander" tells the tumultuous story of Astrid (Lohman), a 15-year-old Southern California girl (Lohman) whose mother, Ingrid (Pfeiffer) — a stunning, self-absorbed artist and single parent — is arrested on a murder charge. Ingrid is incarcerated, so Astrid is shuttled through a succession of foster homes that test her resolve and her ability to adapt. One foster mother is a trailer-trash queen (Penn); another is a neurotic B-movie actress (Zellweger). With Ingrid's influence looming over Astrid, the daughter strives to find herself — and you'll be with her all the way.