Why the caged bird sings
On film, White Oleander flies free of Oprah's influence
REVIEW
WHITE OLEANDER
Starring Michelle Pfeiffer, Alison Lohman and Renée Zellweger
Directed by Peter Kosminsky
Now showing
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What I knew about White Oleander before I saw it was that it was based on the popular Oprah Book Club novel of the same name that chronicles the complex relationship between a young girl and her domineering mother, who controls her from prison. And, essentially, that's what the movie is: the tale of a mother and daughter traversing the difficult territory of growing up and growing apart, with the unusual hitch being that mom is behind bars for murder.
Thankfully, White Oleander doesn't play out as a catalogue of female abuse and degradation – a trait that many of the talk show host's book selections had in common. No doubt Janet Fitch's novel had the potential to become such a film, as it follows the hardships of a girl who is bounced in and out of foster homes. Luckily, the film concerns itself with the relationship between its two leading ladies – the mother who won't let go and the daughter desperately longing to be set free.
Michelle Pfeiffer stars as the celebrated and fiercely independent artist, Ingrid Magnussen. After killing her abusive boyfriend, Ingrid is sent to the Big House for a life sentence, setting her beautiful and talented daughter Astrid (Alison Lohman) adrift in the world of foster care.
Taking residence in a collection of dysfunctional homes throughout California, Astrid encounters Star (Robin Wright Penn), a born-again Christian with a penchant for spandex and jealous rage; Claire (Renée Zellwegger), a loving, unstable failed actress; and Rena (Svetlana Efremova), a money-hungry Russian gypsy. As Astrid settles in to each new place, she is haunted by her mother. Through numerous letters and occasional visits, Ingrid defiantly reminds her daughter to hold true to the values and beliefs she taught her. But, in spite of all of her admirable talk of individuality, the jealousies and narrow-minded ways of the elder Magnussen surface.
Part monster and part mother, Pfeiffer's caged bird is the real draw here. Putting a new spin on a character similar to the one she played in Dangerous Minds – whose looks convinced her inner-city students to read Dylan Thomas more than her teaching did – Pfeiffer brings dignity to a character whose "strength" is seemingly predicated on her beauty. In White Oleander, she takes advantage of richer screenplay material and turns a sheep in wolf's clothing into a truly memorable onscreen mommy. |
