The movies I enjoy most are the ones I can relate to, or at least identify with a character to the point I can be moved by what they are experiencing. Such is the case of ONE TRUE THING. I lost both my mother and sister to cancer and had the agonizing experience of watching them both deteriorate before the end came. Meryl Streep gives the greatest performance of her life as Kate Gulden, whose life has been totally dedicated to giving herself sacrificially to her family. Now, as this debilitating illness overtakes her, she can't accept the fact her family now has to take care of her. Yet, it is only in this transfer of power that her family comes to know and appreciate just how strong she really is. How Ms. Streep was overlooked by the Academy is beyond me. Perhaps it is, as another has said, we just take her great talent for granted. To watch her character change through the progression of her illness and the resulting chemotherapy was astounding to watch. She is truly one of the greatest actresses ever to grace the screen. Renee Zellweger is convincing as the daughter who is forced to come back home to care for her dying mother, who she has never been close to. It is a traumatic experience to, once you have worked so hard to earn your independence, have to return home to live with your parents again. Even Ellen Gulden is not aware of the family values that have been instilled in her by her mother but, although naturally rebellious at the thought, she is willing to give up her promising career as a writer for a New York magazine to take on this responsibility because "It's the right thing to do". This character trait is revealed again later in Ellen's pursuit of a hot story that could make her career--the expose of a Senator and former classmate at Harvard whose political career is in jeopardy because of a variety of indiscretions. Ellen gets the interview, but lacks the "killer instinct" to pull it off, knowing her article would ruin not only his career but his family as well. Renee turns in a really sensitive performance. Her comedic genius comes through as well in the scene where she attempts to make a luncheon for her mother's ladies' club meeting and nearly sets the kitchen on fire. For some reason, the women barely touch their lunch, but they are still so impressed by her efforts, they make her an honorary "Minnie". It is then Ellen's greatest fears are realized; she is starting to feel trapped in the very world she tried so hard to escape. William Hurt is the father and husband, George Gulden, literary professor at the local university, winner of the American Book Award. He is an intellectual giant whose acquaintances include some of the great authors of the day. He does not understand his wife's housekeeping and ladies' club lifestyle, but finds it a convenience to him and a complement to his own career. In literary circles, George is a master of words, but in communicating to his family, he suffers "inflammation of the sentence structure and hardening of the paragraph". George was Ellen's idol when she was growing up, but now, as an adult, she sees his vulnerabilities and cannot accept them. Ellen's entire work ethic was motivated by her dad, now he has become, in her eyes, weak and helpless in a time of crisis. ONE TRUE THING is a story of how a family, so diverse yet so much alike, can be drawn together by tragedy. In the end, they all learn to accept each other as they really are--flaws and all. The film and the characters all come across as very real and, yes I cried even though I'm a guy. Anna Quindlen's story is very moving and thought-provoking. The music in the film really helps to set the mood, the score by Cliff Eidelman, and a very beautiful rendition of "Silent Night" by the Morrow Memorial United Methodist Church Choir of Maplewood, New Jersey (the film was shot in and around areas of New Jersey, not in Langhorne, Pennsylvania). There is also a terrific song by Bette Midler, "One True Friend", sung over the ending credits. Some of those who leave a movie as soon as the last scene fades and don't stay for the credits don't know what they miss. Unfortunately, neither of these two songs are on the soundtrack CD. It could have been the greatest soundtrack of all time and they blew it. Bette's song is on her CD "Bathhouse Betty" for all you Midler fans who might be wondering. Nevertheless, ONE TRUE THING has become one of my all-time favorite movies.
Review of One True Thing
