THE AISLE SEAT - "ONE TRUE THING"
by Mike McGranaghan
One True Thing has been heralded as the new Meryl Streep film. It's also been anticipated as the film adaptation of Anna Quindlen's best-selling novel. Those are two good reasons to see the movie, but for me, the real selling point of One True Thing is that it's the third feature from director Carl Franklin. The filmmaker - who also made One False Move and Devil in a Blue Dress - is one of my favorites for the intricate realism he brings to his work. Franklin is a rare, undeniable talent whose special abilities again shine through.
Streep plays Kate Gulden, a Martha Stewart-esque homemaker who insists that everything in her house be just so. Something's always on the stove, and instead of throwing away a broken plate, Kate makes a mosaic out of the pieces. Her husband, George, is a celebrated literature prof with aspirations of becoming the Great American Novelist. His students think he's a genius, but he doesn't always get the recognition of his peers. When Kate becomes ill with cancer, George asks their daughter Ellen (Renee Zellweger) - a magazine writer in New York - to move back home and care for her. Ellen does not want to do it, but George has responsibilities and son Brian (Tom Everett Scott) is too busy trying not to flunk out of college. "You have a Harvard degree, but where's your heart?" her father asks. Reluctantly, Ellen agrees to work freelance and accept the responsibility
One True Thing is not so much about a young woman caring for her ill mother as it is about the way that same young woman must come to accept that her parents are more complex than she had always imagined them. Taking care of an entire household (and juggling the duties as leader of a community women's group) gives Ellen new respect for her mother's skills. The relationship with George, meanwhile, is fraught with difficulty. Ellen looks for his approval as a daughter and as a writer, which he does not easily give. She eventually learns a lot about who her father really is and why he behaves the way he does.
In actuality, there's nothing in One True Thing that hasn't been done in other family dramas. Secrets are revealed, truths come out, lessons are learned. However, rarely has this kind of thing been done so well or so truthfully. This doesn't feel like another domestic drama; it feels real. The characters talk and act in ways that are honest and life-like. Screenwriter Karen Croner has adapted Quindlen's book into a thoughtful, identifiable script. And Franklin is a filmmaker who specializes in examining the minute details of personal interaction. He gives the picture a quiet, unforced tone that allows the drama to unfold realistically. It's a nice touch that the story is set in a quaint little town during the fall and winter. The seasons provide an effective ambiance that enhances the flavor of the story.
Performance-wise, you couldn't ask for a better or more accomplished cast. Streep is, of course, one of our finest actresses and she is superb here. There's a memorable scene about 3/4 of the way through in which Kate has a heart-to-heart talk with Ellen, explaining the need for Ellen to accept her father's flaws. It's a touching moment, handled with conviction by Streep. Even better is William Hurt, who utilizes his introspective intelligence to great effect in this role. Hurt embodies a character who passes his own need for acceptance onto his children. George is stubborn, occasionally cruel, and always as loving as he is needy.
As good as Streep and Hurt are (and they are excellent), One True Thing really belongs to Renee Zellweger, who is absolutely wonderful in this role. The actress blew me away with her work in Jerry Maguire. This performance is just as good, maybe even better. Zellweger makes Ellen professionally driven, but still based in family life; she's smart, determined, strong. The scenes with Hurt are especially good because Zellweger exceeds in showing the inner pain her characters feel. You can practically see the damage being done to Ellen's soul every time George disappoints her. Just look at how she reacts when George asks her to write the forward to his latest collection of essays, then drops his dirty laundry in her arms.
One True Thing is a rare movie in which all the elements fall into place. Carl Franklin keeps this from being another disease-of-the-week movie by playing it real; he closely examines the emotional content of the story without resorting to manipulation. I hope this film is rewarded with many Oscar nominations - it deserves them. One True Thing is a powerful film that discovers many truths about the way children view their parents. It is also one of the best films of the year.
(
out of four)
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