SnoReptilePlenty Memorable, crazy movie

Fatma Suarez The movie's neither hopeful in contrived ways, nor hopeless in different contrived ways. Somehow it manages to be wonderful

Scarlet The film never slows down or bores, plunging from one harrowing sequence to the next.

Dana An old-fashioned movie made with new-fashioned finesse.

mark.waltz There is going to be subtle debate for years as to which leading lady steals this film-Golden Globe Nominee Meryl Streep or Oscar Nominee Diane Keaton, playing unlikely sisters reunited after a long estrangement when Keaton discovers that she has leukemia and may need bone marrow. Streep vanished years before in order to prevent herself from being trapped by taking care of their ailing dad (Hume Cronyn), now bedridden, and suffering from all sorts of malady's including obvious dementia. All he does is groan and mumble, making this a very difficult role to watch the beloved Broadway veteran play.Cronyn's "Cocoon" co-star, Broadway musical diva Gwen Verdon, steals every moment in which she is on screen as his equally ailing sister who has a mechanism implanted in her hip which causes the garage door to either open or close every time she twists it. She's a soap addict who wears a fur and tiara to the wedding of her two favorite characters, played by "All My Children's" Kelly Ripa and John Callahan. Ironically, "All My Children" was the only soap on which Verdon ever appeared. Streep's youngest kid, a bespeckled geek, shows an eerie talent for applying make-up as he prepares Verdon for "the wedding" with subtle hints of what he will grow up to be.The oldest son, Leonardo DiCaprio, obviously despises his mother, and probably for good reason. Streep plays one of her most unsympathetic characters, and at times, doesn't fully seem comfortable playing this role. Even though she's a cosmetology student and very capable as to what she does, she's far too messed up emotionally to always look so physically well put together. Of course, the character is hiding behind a facade of bitterness, so as Streep pulls away these layers, the character becomes a bit more tolerable even though she's often inconsistent.Getting away from the "La Dee Da" attitudes she's inhibited in most of the roles she's played since "Annie Hall", Diane Keaton for me make the film pull out its heart. She has given up her own life and romantic possibilities in order to take care of the pathetic Cronyn (who by the way they talk about him should have died years ago) and the dizzy Verdon, and it is obvious from the time she meets the troubled pyromaniac DiCaprio she wants to make up for lost time in getting to know her nephew. When he angrily smacks her hand away from his face during a light caress, you can see her invisible tears flowing, and it is heartbreaking. However, joy takes over when they bond with a wild ride on the beach, and even the lost child DiCaprio plays seems to return to humanity as his heart opens to the aunt he hadn't met until recently.DiCaprio is a tough nut to crack here, showing an iron shield for long periods of time interrupted by the bleeding little boy inside, not understanding the resentments of his maternal family and aching for his unseen father, a race car driver who abandoned his mother years before. So while this is a very tough film to like, especially when it interrupts the family drama with the presence of the befuddled doctor played by Robert DeNiro, and his idiotic brother (Dan Heydara) who works as his receptionist (after the regular receptionists resigns simply by typing a note which says "I Quit!"), there's some truth in its dissection of the fall of families over the past few decades and how dysfunctions of earlier generations can carry on to the next.

bkoganbing Even more interesting than the film Marvin's Room is the short tragic life of its creator Scott McPherson. Four years after he died after just completing the screenplay adaption of the play this film was based on, Marvin's Room came to the screen. No doubt the director and cast felt a particular responsibility to honor his vision.Watching Marvin's Room I was reminded of South Riding a novel that has been adapted once to the big screen and twice as mini-series for British television. The author Winifred Holtby had a short life as did McPherson and wrote a novel based on her love of the Yorkshire area of England and the people she grew up among. Though her story is an epic and McPherson's a family portrait both represent a race against mortality that both authors endured to have their work live. I recommend the film South Riding very highly, it stars Ralph Richardson and Edna Best, see my review here.Although Diane Keaton was honored with a Best Actress Oscar nomination the whole ensemble could have been honored. She plays a woman who is the chief caregiver for her aged father Hume Cronyn. Keaton has been diagnosed with leukemia and is in need of a bone marrow transplant. Among likely donors are her sister Meryl Streep and Meryl's sons, Leonardo DiCaprio and Hal Scardino. DiCaprio is a kid with some issues, he was in a mental institution for burning down their house and Streep has to get him sprung for the trip.Nothing is ever resolved for any of these people, but they do come together kind of in this crisis. That's as far as I'll go.One performance that doesn't seem to be talked about much is that of Hal Scardino as the younger son. He reminded me a lot of my younger brother, the age spread between DiCaprio and him is about the same. My family had a lot of drama as well and my brother developed certain defense mechanisms of observing silently what went on around him without necessarily participating thereof. Marvin's Room is a great ensemble production and I certainly hope that Scott McPherson one of the innumerable talents lost to the AIDS epidemic is pleased with what was done with his creation.

Desertman84 Two sisters try to set their familial differences aside -- one in hopes of saving her own life -- in this drama with comic accents.Marvin's Room is a film based on the play of the same name by Scott McPherson.The play, which was directed by David Petrarca, was adapted for the screen by McPherson and directed by Jerry Zaks. It stars Meryl Streep, Leonardo DiCaprio, Diane Keaton, Robert De Niro, Hume Cronyn, Gwen Verdon, Hal Scardino and Dan Hedaya. Bessie has lived in Florida for the past 20 years, where she's been caring for her chronically ill father Marvin and her Aunt Ruth, who does not seem well acquainted with reality. While Bessie's life has not been easy, she feels that it's rewarding in its way, and she's come to love her father very much. However, when Bessie is diagnosed with cancer, she's told that the only treatment likely to save her would be a bone marrow transplant from a close relative -- which leads Bessie to contact her sister Lee for the first time since their father fell ill. Bessie and Lee have a number of issues with each other that they've never resolved, many concerning their responses to Marvin's illness as Bessie rushed to his side, while Lee preferred to stay away, and Lee's own life has been difficult. She's gotten herself out of a bad marriage, has only recently started supporting herself as a beautician, and has to raise two kids on her own. Ten-year-old Charlie tries to simply ignore the chaos going on all round him, while Hank, a troubled 17-year-old, was recently institutionalized after burning down the family's home. As the straight-laced Bessie and the earthy Lee reestablish contact after two decades, they discover just how much emotional ground they have to cover before they can meet on common ground. Based on a play by Scott McPherson's who died of AIDS, it's impossible to watch the well-acted film particularly Diane Keaton, who got an Oscar nomination,as she was given a rare opportunity here to remind us that she's not simply a fine comedienne, and she's marvelous.Meryl Streep, Robert De Niro, Leonardo DiCaprio, Hume Cronyn and Gwen Verdon add to the greatness of the cast's brilliance and excellent performance.And most of all,it provides great themes about the various approaches to love; the strength of family bonds in times of death, aging parents, reconciliation; and the healing power of selfless love.It was one good movie inspite of being dull and slow at times.A can't miss movie.

bandw Bessie is a middle-aged woman who has been caring for her father Marvin since he had a stroke some twenty years earlier. Marvin is on his back in bed and cannot speak, but he does have a limited understanding when spoken to. Marvin's sister Ruth is also in the household and, while still in possession of her faculties and ambulatory, her life seems to center around what is happening on her favorite soap operas. Bessie finds out that she has leukemia. What to do? Bessie's only hope is for a bone marrow transplant and the only possible donors are her sister Lee, estranged since Marvin's stroke, and Lee's two sons.Rather than concentrating on the grim details, the focus is on the changes in the family dynamics precipitated by Bessie's illness. Bessie calls Lee and tells her the story and Lee packs up her two sons and takes out from Ohio to Florida. All those years ago Lee and Bessie split over Marvin's illness and care - Bessie took it over and Lee got away as fast as she could. So, a good part of the movie has the sisters dealing with old wounds. A subplot concerns the relationship that develops between Bessie and Lee's rebellious seventeen year old son Hank. What raises this film above the ordinary is the great cast and some well written scenes. Streep and Keaton are in good form and play well off of each other. There are a lot of awkward and intense moments between them - I particularly liked the scene where they meet each other for the first time in twenty years. Hume Cronyn, as Marvin, never says a word, but his presence is felt throughout the film. Leonard DiCaprio, as Hank, is so good that you wonder if he is playing Hank or just being himself. Playing against type Robert De Niro puts in an appearance as Bessie's somewhat maladroit doctor.What didn't work for me was the attempted comic relief. Ruth seemed just a bit too ditsy and her pain relief device operating the garage door was forced humor. De Niro's brother's role was solely to interject some dim-witted comments.Bessie's comment about how privileged she had been to have loved so deeply stuck with me. I had never stopped to think of the delight in loving as something to be valued in itself, requited or not.