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One True Thing (1998)

R | | Drama | 18 September 1998 (USA)
One True Thing Poster
A career woman reassesses her parents' lives after she is forced to care for her cancer-stricken mother.

Director:

Carl Franklin

Writers:

Anna Quindlen (novel), Karen Croner (screenplay)

Stars:

Meryl Streep, Renée Zellweger, William Hurt | See full cast & crew »
63
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Nominated for 1 Oscar. Another 7 nominations. See more awards »

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Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Meryl Streep ... Kate Gulden
Renée Zellweger ... Ellen Gulden
William Hurt ... George Gulden
Tom Everett Scott ... Brian Gulden
Lauren Graham ... Jules
Nicky Katt ... Jordan Belzer
James Eckhouse ... District Attorney
Patrick Breen ... G.A. Tweedy
Gerrit Graham ... Oliver Most
David Byron David Byron ... Senator Sullivan
Stephen Peabody ... Harold
Lizbeth MacKay ... Dr. Cohen
Mary Catherine Wright Mary Catherine Wright ... Clarice
Sloane Shelton Sloane Shelton ... Evelyn Best
Michele Shay Michele Shay ... June
See full cast »
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Storyline

When a tough New Yorker's mother is stricken with a serious illness, she is forced to quit her job and her relationship with her boyfriend to take care of her, finding out a lot of things she didn't know about her mother and father and her life along the way. Written by L. Lim <penny1@es.co.nz>

Plot Summary | Plot Synopsis

Plot Keywords:

cancer | female protagonist | melodrama | dysfunctional family | terminal illness | See All (34) »

Taglines:

Love What You Have.

Genres:

Drama

Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for language | See all certifications »

Parents Guide:

View content advisory »
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Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English | Portuguese

Release Date:

18 September 1998 (USA) See more »

Also Known As:

Cosas que importan See more »

Filming Locations:

Morristown, New Jersey, USA See more »
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Box Office

Budget:

$30,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$6,606,455, 20 September 1998, Wide Release

Gross USA:

$23,245,840
See more on IMDbPro »

Company Credits

Production Co:

Monarch Pictures, Ufland, Universal Pictures See more »
Show more on IMDbPro »

Technical Specs

Runtime:

Sound Mix:

DTS | Dolby Digital | SDDS

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1
See full technical specs »
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Did You Know?

Trivia

Meryl Streep's character, Kate Gulden, is based on Prudence Pantano Quindlen, the mother of Anna Quindlen, the author of the book on which the script is based. Prudence Quindlen died in 1972 from ovarian cancer. See more »

Goofs

The story takes place in 1988 but many of the hairstyles and automobiles are '90s style. See more »

Quotes

George Gulden: It's only in going uphill that you realize you're headed downhill.
See more »

Connections

Featured in The 71st Annual Academy Awards (1999) See more »

Soundtracks

My One True Friend
Written by Carole King, Carole Bayer Sager and David Foster
Produced by David Foster
Performed by Bette Midler
See more »

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User Reviews

 
A well-acted, non-schmaltzy drama
17 August 2001 | by GMJames – See all my reviews

What impressed me the most about "One True Thing" was how up-front it was when the daughter mentions her mother's cancer at the beginning of the movie. As depressing the subject matter was, it was a refreshing change of pace instead of being blindsided with the revelation about a character's fatal illness 2/3 into the movie ("Love Story" "Terms of Endearment", etc.).

Meryl Streep, Renee Zellweger and William Hurt give very strong performances that don't go over the edge. The characters they play seem human; they're not perfect people. (Arguably, one might not say that about the "Martha Stewart"-type character Streep plays but throughout the film, I found her character to be noble in a non-sappy way. She's dealing with her plight the best way she knows how.)

"One True Thing" is an observant, unsentimental family drama in which the tears at the end were well-earned.
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