Upon receiving a call from her leukemia-stricken sister after not speaking with her for two decades, a devil-may-care single mother packs up her two sons--one, a rebellious teen who has spent time in a mental institution--and heads to Florida to reunite with her ailing sibling and their bedridden father. The women's differences .. Read more
| Starring | Meryl Streep, Leonardo DiCaprio, Diane Keaton, Robert De Niro |
|---|---|
| Director | Jerry Zaks |
| Genres | Drama |
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Upon receiving a call from her leukemia-stricken sister after not speaking with her for two decades, a devil-may-care single mother packs up her two sons--one, a rebellious teen who has spent time in a mental institution--and heads to Florida to reunite with her ailing sibling and their bedridden father. The women's differences in philosophy immediately spark a wrenching confrontation, but help arrives from the most unexpected of sources--the delinquent teen, whose reluctance to accept the family he never knew ultimately melts away when he discovers his aunt's true spirit. An acclaimed drama, adapted by Scott McPherson from his 1990 stage play.
| Starring | Meryl Streep, Leonardo DiCaprio, Diane Keaton, Robert De Niro, Hume Cronyn, Gwen Verdon, Dan Hedaya, Cynthia Nixon, Hal Scardino, Victor Garber, Bitty Schram, Helen Stenborg |
|---|---|
| Director | Jerry Zaks |
| Studio | WALT DISNEY STUDIOS HOME ENTERTAINMENT |
| Run time | DVD: 1 hr 34 mins |
| Certificate | |
| Genres | Drama |
| Language | English |
| Released | DVD: 15 Jun 2006 Production year: 1996 |
| Format | DVD |
Based on the play by Scott McPherson, who adapted his work for the screen before dying of an Aids-related illness, this drama never quite escapes its theatrical roots. Nevertheless, this character-driven tale benefits from a clutch of restrained and impressive performances, including one from a pre-Titanic Leonardo DiCaprio. Diane Keaton plays a carer who has been looking after her bedridden father for years, but who is forced to ask her estranged sister Meryl Streep for help after she is told she has leukaemia. To complicate family relations further, Streep arrives with her two sons — Hal Scardino and DiCaprio — and a stubbornness that makes you realise why the sisters have stayed apart for so long. Keaton was nominated for an Oscar for her portrayal of the proud spinster battling a debilitating disease, but kudos should go to the entire cast, especially Hume Cronyn as the grumpy dad and Gwen Verdon as an eccentric aunt whom Keaton also looks after.
A movie that betrays its theatrical origins, and which gives its cast the opportunity for acting with the stops full out, of which they take full advantage.
It could have been Hollywood cheesy schmaltz, but instead it feels like an independent film with an A-list cast.
All the performances are great. Diane Keaton?s in particular is brilliant as a mother who is trying to keep her family together at all costs even when she faces bad news from her doctor (Robert DeNiro). This film, although tackling what could be a depressing subject, has a lot of comedy in it, and possess a great deal of funny moments along with some very touching ones, resulting in a thoughtful but uplifting film.
Robert DeNiro plays a very different role from those he usually does, and this results in a genuinely very funny (not in a Meet The Parents kind of way), quirky performance.
This film is a must see for anyone who likes films with good performances from all actors. It wasn?t a film I was expecting to like, but after watching it I had to go out and buy it straight away .
It could have been Hollywood cheesy schmaltz, but instead it feels like an independent film with an A-list cast.
All the performances are great. Diane Keaton?s in particular is brilliant as a mother who is trying to keep her family together at all costs even when she faces bad news from her doctor (Robert DeNiro). This film, although tackling what could be a depressing subject, has a lot of comedy in it, and possess a great deal of funny moments along with some very touching ones, resulting in a thoughtful but uplifting film.
Robert DeNiro plays a very different role from those he usually does, and this results in a genuinely very funny (not in a Meet The Parents kind of way), quirky performance.
This film is a must see for anyone who likes films with good performances from all actors. It wasn?t a film I was expecting to like, but after watching it I had to go out and buy it straight away .
Robert De Niro is to return to the genre of films that have made him most famous when he stars as a mafia hit man. Previously the star of Raging Bull, Cape Fear and The King Of Comedy said he wouldn't go back to playing Mafiosi but the latest role has got him hooked. Producer Jane Rosenthal, who also made Analyze That, Meet The Parents and Marvin's Room (all of which starred De Niro), told Daily Variety: "He did say that he wouldn't play a mafia character. "But along came Don Winslow, Read more