Marvin's Room (1996)

After 20 years caring for her father, a woman with cancer now must re-connect with her trashy sister and nephews she's never met after being diagnosed. Her love helps the angry teen nephew, and her sister learns to relate to people.

Director:

Jerry Zaks

Writers:

Scott McPherson (play), Scott McPherson (screenplay)

Stars:

Meryl Streep, Leonardo DiCaprio, Diane Keaton

Nominated for 1 Oscar. Another 4 wins & 12 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Meryl Streep	...	Lee
Leonardo DiCaprio	...	Hank
Diane Keaton	...	Bessie
Robert De Niro	...	Dr. Wally
Hume Cronyn	...	Marvin
Gwen Verdon	...	Ruth
Hal Scardino	...	Charlie
Dan Hedaya	...	Bob
Margo Martindale	...	Dr. Charlotte
Cynthia Nixon	...	Retirement Home Director
Kelly Ripa	...	Coral
John Callahan	...	Lance
Olga Merediz	...	Beauty Shop Lady
Joe Lisi	...	Bruno
Steve DuMouchel	...	Gas Station Guy (as Steve Dumouchel)

Storyline

Estranged since their father's first stroke some 17 years earlier, Lee and Bessie lead separate lives in separate states. Lee's son, Hank, finds himself committed to a mental institution after setting fire to his mother's house. His younger brother, Charlie, seems unfazed by his brother's eccentricities or his mother's seeming disinterest. When Lee comes to the asylum to spring Hank for a week in Florida so that he can be tested as a possible bone marrow donor for Bessie, Hank is incredulous. "I didn't even know you had a sister," he says. "Remember, every Christmas, when I used to say 'Well, looks like Aunt Bessie didn't send us a card again this year?'" "Oh yeah," Hank says. Meanwhile, Marvin, the two women's bedridden father, has "been dying for the past twenty years." "He's doing it real slow so I don't miss anything," Bessie tells Dr. Wally. In Bessie's regular doctor's absence, it has fallen to Dr. Wally to inform Bessie that she has leukemia and will die without a bone marrow ...

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Plot Keywords:

cigarette smoking | reference to goofy the dog character | bone marrow transplant | leukemia | mental institution | 

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Taglines:

A story about the years that keep us apart... And the moments that bring us together.

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Genres:

Drama

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 for thematic elements and brief language

Details

Official Sites:

Official Facebook Official site

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

28 February 1997 (USA)

Also Known As:

Marvin's Room

Filming Locations:

Greystone Park & Mansion - 905 Loma Vista Drive, Beverly Hills, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$23,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$57,739, 22 December 1996

Gross USA:

$12,803,305

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$12,803,305

Company Credits

Production Co:

Scott Rudin Productions, Tribeca Productions, Marvin Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

98 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Jessica Lange turned down the role of Bessie; subsequently played by Diane Keaton

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Goofs

When Lee and Bessie are waiting in the retirement home, when Lee says "I feel like my life is finally starting" you can see the boom mic in the top left hand corner, above her head.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Bessie: Uh, Janine, I wonder if you could tell me how long I might have to wait, because I left Aunt Ruth at home in charge of dad, and...
Janine: You'll have to see Doctor Wally, because Doctor Serrot is on vacation.
[finishes typing "I quit" letter]
Bessie: See "Doctor who"?

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Crazy Credits

The producers wish to thank ... the staff and guests of Walt Disney World Magic Kingdom, Orlando Florida, ... the residents and staff of The Florida Manor Nursing Home ...

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Connections

Featured in At the Movies: Mars Attacks!/Marvin's Room/The Preacher's Wife/Hamlet/Citizen Ruth (1996)

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Soundtracks

Two Little Sisters
(1996)
Written by Carly Simon
Published by C'est Music/MRX Music/BMG Music Publishing
Performed by Carly Simon
Additional vocals by Meryl Streep
Courtesy of Arista Records

User Reviews

I Have A Confession

This film was on the end of Eraser that I taped off Sky Premier, it was purely accidental that I watched it. I started to watch it thinking that it might get me to sleep, but then I found it great. Robert De Niro had all the best lines with his pathetic brother, Bob(Dan Hedaya). Meryl Streep also shone in her screen time with her son, Hank(Leonardo Di Caprio in his best role ever).

I loved the whole dramatic sequences, and found the acting touching and Oscar worthy. Diane Keaton provided all the tears in the film, with the others all providing laughs.

This film was a huge surprise. I don't usually like dramas(although I loved Di Caprio's and De Niro's other film together, This Boy's Life), and I recommend this to everyone who loves good dramas. Rating=4/5