One True Thing (1998) User Reviews

A well-acted, non-schmaltzy drama

[GMJames · 7/10 · 17 August 2001]

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.

A Sombre Movie With Good Performances

[sddavis63 · 7/10 · 29 July 2009]

The DVD jacket in which this movie came describes it as "uplifting and humorous." Those are not the words I would have chosen - not by a long shot. I would choose a word like "sombre," sometimes even "depressing." Which isn't to say that it's a bad movie. It's actually a pretty good movie, featuring good performances from the leads, with enough uncertainty throughout about what's going to happen at the end that you keep watching. The uncertainty comes from the structure of the movie - it seems to revolve around Ellen's reminiscences of her mother's slow death from cancer, as she is interviewed by the DA. So, we know from the start that something suspicious happened at the end - the questions are "what?" and "who?"

Renee Zellweger was very good as Ellen - the somewhat resentful daughter who has to give up her life and job in New York to return home to care for her sick mother. Ellen evolves through the movie - moreso than any other character - as she learns to deal with both the strengths and weaknesses of her parents. Her relationship with her father (William Hurt) is quite interesting. My initial impression was that they were quite close, but the warts in the relationship start to show after a while. Hurt was effective as the detached husband - detached not in an uncaring way, but in the sense of being unable to cope with what's happening to his wife, and seeking escape from it in various ways. Finally, Meryl Streep as the cancer-stricken Kate was very convincing in the role, seeking to live out what remains of her life in the most fulfilling way possible, then dealing with the anger she feels at her increasing debilitation. In a way, watching a family deal with this kind of crisis reminded me a little bit of "Ordinary People," although this movie was far less emotionally intense. So, not "uplifting and humorous" (with all due respect to whoever wrote the synopsis on the DVD jacket) but very good in its own way. 7/10

A wonderful, wonderful film.

[Lothwesta · 29 October 2005]

This is one of my favourite films of all time, no doubt about it. Everything about it is superb. While it may appear to be a film which mainly appeals to women, I think that the men should give it a chance too - a substantial part of the storyline is from George Gulden's (William Hurt) point of view, as the father of the family.

Through 'One True Thing', we see how a family copes with disease - from everybody's point of view. Although we follow the story from Ellen Gulden's (Renee Zellweger) eyes, it never feels like we're missing out on anything.

The strongest point of the film is the superb acting. Hurt and Zellweger give very strong, convincing performances, and the supporting cast are also very good; however, it's Meryl Streep who stands out here. I truly believe this to be not only one of her best performances to date, but one of the best ever. Her work in this film is absolutely astounding. She's everything and anything the film could require from her - and then so much more. What she brings to this role is truly magical; the woman is a genius. How she could have missed out on the Oscar that year, I have absolutely no idea.

There isn't much more to say, except for SEE THIS FILM. It is all at once extremely insightful, moving, humorous and beautiful. You won't regret watching this one.

Slow start, great finish

[GrumpyOldMan60 · 7/10 · 26 July 1999]

I loved this movie. To be very fair, the movie starts off very slowly, with none of the characters being terribly sympathetic. It continues in this way for a good half of the film.

But, if you're patient, you'll be greatly rewarded. What the first half of the movie lacks in character development and/or sympathy is adequately compensated for in the second half. It's a bit like riding a roller coaster - a slow, uphill climb to strat off with, and then speed, twists and turns, and a few surprises.

As usual, Meryl Streep is wonderful. She is the finest actress of our time. William Hurt is good, if a bit wooden in spots. Renee Zellweger does a very good job, showing that her performance in Jerry McGuire wasn't a fluke.

A Sensitive Film...

[namashi_1 · 7/10 · 11 May 2011]

Based on the Novel by Anna Quindlen, 'One True Thing', directed by Carl Franklin, is a Senstive Film, that is Real & Moving. Another thing, the performances are super here!

'One True Thing' tells the story of a career oriented girl, who is forced to take care of her cancer-stick-en mother. It's about pleasure, It's about pain and it's about a family.

Screenplay by Karen Croner, is challenging & moving. The relationships are effectively executed. Carl Franklin directs this story efficiently. Cinematography & Editing are good.

Performance-Wise: Meryl Streep is dependable, as always. Renne Zellweger is fantastic. She delivers in every sequence. William Hurt is restrained. Tom Evertt Scott has a brief role. Nicky Katt does well.

On the whole, A Well-Made film, that deserves a watch.

Streep is One of Our Finest Actresses!

[Sylviastel · 7/10 · 28 September 2009]

This film is based on Anna Quindlen's novel about a Harvard graduate who returns home to care for her ailing mother played by who else but Meryl Street. Her daughter is played by Renee Zellweger. Her husband and family patriarch is played by William Hurt who is an English professor in a college town and department chair with his own secrets. The film was filmed in New Jersey and at a professor's house in Madison, New Jersey not far from Meryl Streep's hometown of Bernards, NJ. The film was filmed in New Jersey and featured a lot of New York City based actors like the wonderful Sloane Shelton and Marcia Jean Kurtz. Lauren Graham is featured as one of Ellen's best friend. The story is the usual-based and Meryl Streep does give a terrific performance. She makes the film come alive but she has a terrific supporting cast that makes a mediocre script come alive.

Fabulous!

[pooky37027 · 10/10 · 26 September 2004]

The reason I think this movie is fabulous is that it has so many layers of emotion. From the script and the fabulous acting you can tell that there is a history behind all of the feelings that there are. You understand why the characters take certain actions and why the do not make others. You can feel sympathy and joy and love and sorrow for them all at once. You see humanity at its best AND at it's worst. You can relate to the characters because although you may have never been in their exact situations before you see qualities and downfalls in them that you see in yourself. To a certain extent this movie kind of keeps you wondering but then at the end it explains itself and you feel a certain peace and understanding not only in you but for the characters. I will say that I have have never EVER cried so much in my life nor have gotten so much out of something. I implore you to watch this movie and take it's meaning to heart. That there is only one true thing and that is... love.

The One True Thing is Meryl.

[anaconda-40658 · 7/10 · 6 November 2015]

One True Thing (1998): Dir: Carl Franklin / Cast: Meryl Streep, Renee Zellweger, William Hurt, Tom Everett Scott, Lauren Graham: Drama about sacrifice and hanging on even when your last breath hangs in balance. Meryl Streep plays an ambitious housewife busy preparing her husband's birthday. Renee Zellweger plays her daughter who arrives home to discover that her brother flunked out of college. When it is learned that Streep has cancer Zellweger reluctantly puts her job on hold. William Hurt plays Streep's husband, a university professor who acts as if nothing has changed. Zellweger distances herself when she catches him in the midst of an affair. Plot bares too many similarities to another Streep film Marvin's Room and it follows too many predictable developments. Fine directing by Carl Franklin who also made One False Move. Strong performances by Streep who focuses on family as oppose to her illness. Zellweger is excellent as the frustrated daughter trying to maintain emotions and sanity. Hurt is well cast as a husband fleeing from his emotions. Tom Everett Scott as the son who flunked out of college provides comic relief. Aside from the family, other roles are less interesting and limited at best. We all know where this is all going to end up but it examines trauma and the important things we often take for granted. Score: 7 ½ / 10

A Terrific Family Drama with Three Outstanding Actors

[gregorybnyc · 9/10 · 29 March 2010]

Meryl Streep has played lots of married women in her long and storied career. But none quite as radiant and loving as she does in this outstanding family drama. In fact, I wouldn't have thought this a part for Streep at all (this is Susan Sarandon territory). Streep is the total wife and mother to her English professor husband, and published author (William Hurt), and two adult children who have come home to celebrate their father's 55th birthday. I remember liking this movie a lot when it was first released in theaters. I found a copy of the DVD and bought it and last night watched it. I had an entirely different appreciation for Anna Quinlan's richly observed story of a family in crisis as the result of the mother's suffering from a harrowing illness. This is not a spoiler. You know the mother has cancer from the very first frame.

My recollection was that Streep was playing a tightly controlled Martha Stewart-type domestic perfectionist and of course, watching it the second time, I realized nothing could be further from the truth. At first you are lulled into thinking this might be the case. She throws a costume birthday party for her husband and seems ridiculous dressed as an aging Dorothy from The Wizard of Oz, complete with ruby red slippers and a toy Toto. When her daughter, played by Renee Zelwegger is in the kitchen with her mother, she finds herself corrected constantly but only because her daughter has rejected her mother's domesticity and in the family home, she is a stranger in a strange land--inept and uninterested. The day after the party, we learn that Streep's character is being kept in the hospital for surgery, and suddenly Dad is insisting that his daughter take leave from her job as a reporter for New York Magazine, and stay home to take care of her ailing mother. Bristling with resentment, she obeys her beloved father's demands, but this sets up the stage for many shifting changes in the family dynamic.

Tellingly, the daughter says at upfront that she was never close to her mother, and was the perfect Daddy's little girl. She emulated her father to the point where she also became a writer, and looks to him for approval, which he is rather stingy with and often with backhanded criticisms. Meanwhile, the daughter takes on the chores of running the household while taking on the duties of ministering to her mother. She makes lunch for her mother's club, The Minnie's, a group of the town's women who do lots of beautifying and other civic chores. She arrogantly assumes, it's not big deal to cook, but can't cook a lick and the badly prepared meal lays on the plates, mostly untouched. But her mother's praise for her daughter's effort is genuine and laced with love. As Daddy's feet of clay become more brittle, the mother's non-judgmental behavior and warmth and appreciation for her daughter begins to open the younger woman's eyes to the reality of her parent's marriage. Daddy's probable infidelities, his vanity, his literary snobbishness and willingness to kiss ass of a visiting writer he idolizes, show him to be less of a hero in his daughter's eyes. Worse, she see that he does nothing in the house to help make his wife more comfortable, and he increasingly stays away as her condition deteriorates. The daughter's resentment builds to confrontation that leaves her confused and more angry.

There's a telling scene near the end of the movie when Streep confronts her daughter about her anger at her father. It is in this beautifully staged scene with Streep and Zelwegger playing superbly together, that the mother reveals to her daughter that she knows everything her daughter knows about her father. She has made her accommodations because that is what you do in a long marriage. She neither asks for her daughter's sympathy, or the audience's indulgence. She's not one of those embarrassed politician's wives who have been humiliated in public and then made to feel shame for sticking it out. She has created a loving home for her family. The mother in this film simply plays her part--as does her husband in this relationship. Streep is absolutely at her subtle best here, never never sacrificing the dignity of this dying woman. There could have been plenty of opportunity to go for the emotionally-charged big moment, but Streep refuses to ask us to feel sorry for her. She is totally in the moment of this character's situation and she's utterly fabulous. Zelwegger, an often outstanding screen actress who has become a bit mannered and fussy in her recent roles, shows how this character has matured through grief and anger, and as she begins to see just how great a mother she's always had, we share those revelations.

William Hurt doesn't flinch from this unlikeable character, and the final revelation is cathartic. He's never been my favorite actor, often taking on roles that are hard to like. But his work is rich in characterization and he never overplays or reaches for a cheap emotional payoff either. The role of the brother is not very detailed here, nor is Zellweger rather caddish boyfriend. It was nice to see the young Lauren Graham, playing Zellweger's best friend--her delightful Lorelai Gilmore persona in chrysalis.

In many ways, ONE TRUE THING is a throwback--an absorbing family drama full of words and emotions, a throwback to the era of the "woman's pictures" of the 30s and 40s. The three main characters never lose their focus. A very fine movie, well worth your time.

Definitely not a movie for the holidays!

[moviedude1 · 7/10 · 6 January 2004]

Renee Zellwegger turns in an excellent performance as a young woman who's mother has come down with cancer. Along the way, she deals with a boss who has no idea what she's going through (in fact, he thinks she has ulterior motives behind her reasons), a father who deals with his pain by sharing it with other women, and, of course, a mother fighting cancer.

Renee shows a lot of calm in the movie. The only part that I did not understand is how someone could BE so calm when they go through what she did. If it were me, I think every other word out of my mouth would be based on anger and resentments towards what my family was being forced to go through.

I do like Zellwegger, which is the only reason I chose to watch this film. I always thought I was not much into the "chick flick" genre, but some of them have some pretty intense moments!

True Thing is True to Life

[LibertyBelle · 10/10 · 10 November 2001]

It's not surprising that the majority of higher-rated votes were submitted by females aged 45+. This is the timeframe in women's lives when they become the caretakers of aged and ill parents. I lost my mother, from complications of cancer, in June, and went through most of the same emotions portrayed by Zellweger in this film. Yes, it made me cry, but the tears were real, the characters were real, and the plot development extremely accurate. Kudos to the entire cast and crew for a wonderful portrayal of life and death, and the promises of tomorrow.

Current problems in a family

[esteban1747 · 7/10 · 19 February 2003]

The plot of the film goes deeply into the current problems of any family. A couple with two children, both studying, the lady very well but the boy doing someething different of what his father wants from him, the mother as a housewife happy organizing parties and other social activities and also aware of what his husband beside his work is doing. She felt sick with cancer, and she does not want to be helped, she wants to work and to do what every day she does. Her daughter, already a professional inspired in the example of her father who is a professor, started to take care of her mother but also noticed that her father was doing something wrong out of the family. They discussed in a violent way publicly, and the mother before her death asked her to accept the life as it is and his father too. If you analyze the plot you may find that the situation drawn here is common in several other families all over the world. Life goes more or less smoothly until one of the member starts decaying, the family goes well but need all elements functioning, nobody is perfect and it is necessary to co-exist with the problems of the others making the life of each one compatible in the family and in the society. So the content of the film is quite interesting, but we should also acknowledge the acting of Meryl Streep, who in every film shows her extraordinary class, she is probably among the all-time five best actresses of cinema, while young Renée Zellweger did a work even much better than the one she did in "Bridget Jones's Diary" (2001). Her acting was so natural that at certain point I thought she was real. Certainly she is better to star in dramas than in comedies. William Hurt, as usual, acted also splendidly.

Even with all the right ingredients in place, it tastes bitter

[serflood · 5/10 · 21 September 1998]

Renee Zellweger and Meryl Streep both give remarkable performanaces in this oddly off-putting movie. I expected to leave the theater as bleary-eyed as Streep's character was close to her final scenes, but instead felt empty and a bit depressed. In my opinion, for a movie like this to succeed there must be a) characters you warm up to early on, b) enough humor to balance out the extreme morbidity of the plot, and c) a sense that there is some greater reason for sitting through 2 hours of this. One True Thing did not make the case in any of these areas, so I am calling it a failure.

Less is more

[mdefranc · 18 March 2004]

As William Hurt also said in The Accidental Tourist, "Less..is invariably more". I guess many of us do live in denial, trying to slip through life as if certain things weren't happening. It is true that rude awakenings sometimes are the only ways for some of us to open our eyes and smell the coffee.

William Hurt executed the egotistic father's role like no one ever has before. He is gifted at portraying the role of the "blind" husband. I guess if Kathleen Turner had played the wife's part in this movie he would have had a much harder time. I believe the three of them (Hurt, Streep and Zellweger) portrayed a real family story, something far from the typical Hollywood drama. They were able to show the strong and weak sides of being human and bearing family responsibilities. Very beautiful movie, very descriptive with several not-so-long scenes. Indeed, sometimes less..is invariably more.

Not great, but very good

[JaipurTea · 7/10 · 2 February 2004]

One might consider the premise of this film to be that around the edges of life, sometimes we see that ordinary things make us who we really are. In that space we can come together and really love each other for what's good in each of us and despite what's not so good. That's the thing that really counts.

As others have said here, the performances were the best part of the film. The framing device of Renee Zellweger's character telling her story to the District Attorney didn't really work. Some of the relationships seemed underdeveloped. There should have been more of the son, and either more (or less) the best friend. Still, the film definitely transcends the 'disease of the week' genre into which some might categorize it. It isn't sentimental or schmaltzy. Much of that is because of the tension in the family relationships here on display.

William Hurt isn't scared to play a really flawed person without trying to necessarily redeem him. Zellweger's discovery that he's not quite the hero she thought and her subsequent anger because of this gives the film an edge it might not have had if this was the story of a less complicated happy family. But guess what? Most of us are "dysfunctional," and that's what makes us human. The writer and the director subtly bring these things forward.

Renee Zellweger, with her sweet face, takes a little while to make herself believable as the outwardly tough Ellen, but ultimately hers is a really thoughtful, moving performance. You can really see her character growing up. During the worst of circumstances, Ellen learns who her parents are as people, not as the images of the brilliant intellectual father and the fluffy suburban mum she's always seen.

As usual, Meryl Streep is magic. That almost sounds unfair, like she's always the same in everything. But Kate Gulden is really different to any character she's played before. She really makes this woman a fully realized human being, showing us sides of the character that Kate's children, her friends, maybe even she herself never knew she had.

Kate appears at first to be a kind of Martha Stewart/Suzy Homemaker perfectionist who is nevertheless a kind and sweet woman. And Streep's portrayal gives us the sense that before her illness, essentially Kate was that. But through her insightful performance, we learn that perhaps that image was what she put out for others to see, maybe even as a coping mechanism to gloss over those parts of her life that she was unsatisfied with.

Director Carl Franklin really shows restraint in this film. It's definitely a tear jerker, but it doesn't manipulate the viewer with a sugar sweet picture of a dying woman and her family. Instead, "One True Thing" shows us what this situation might really be like, and invites the viewer to empathize. The Christmas scene at the town square with the singing of "Silent Night" is maybe the saddest but strangely also the most uplifting moment of the film.

As the outward trappings that made up the Gulden family as they saw themselves fall away during Kate's illness and death, they learn about the nature of love. It isn't always easy or pretty or deserved. It isn't even always a choice that we make. Love just IS, and will carry us on even after those we love have gone.

Superb drama about realistic characters

[vincentlynch-moonoi · 7/10 · 27 July 2013]

We're used to Meryl Streep being brilliant in films. She's probably the preeminent actress of our time. But here (as the mother with cancer) she is upstaged a bit by a wonderful performance by Renée Zellweger. I think what stands out about Zellweger's performance is that it isn't movie-real...it's real-life real. I've seen her in some other flicks and she was good, but here she was stupendous.

In terms of the other actors, William Hurt turns in a fine performance as the husband. Tom Everett Scott is fine as the son/brother, as is Nicky Katt as the boyfriend.

This is what I generally refer to as an absorbing drama. A mother has cancer. Her husband, a college professor, convinces the daughter to come home from her job as a magazine feature writer in New York City, while the father doesn't fulfill his own responsibilities. The daughter is left to be nurse maid and run the house, while dad simply goes about his everyday life...including having flings with a few students (although this is mostly implied). The mother eventually succumbs, with an autopsy showing the cause of death as an overdose of morpheme. Throughout the film a detective is questioning -- though not accusing -- the daughter about the events leading up to the death. However, this is not a mystery. The detective is just a means by the author/director to tell the story of the life the family was experiencing. This is heart warming in spots, incredibly sad in spots, and just life in other spots...in other words, real life.

Highly recommended for the serious film-goer.

This film is good stuff and that's one true thing.

[=G= · 7/10 · 19 February 2001]

"One True Thing" puts Zellweger in the midst of a family crisis as an adult journalist who returns home to care for her dying mother (Streep). Somber and plodding, the film studies the adult child coming to terms with the adult view of her parents as they are slowly revealed to be something less than the ideal she grew up knowing as a child. An excellent character study and a find production with little to fault, "OTT" offers three fine performances by a trio of top actors and some plaintive reflections on life and death.

The story takes a very realistic view on the illness of a parent. If you want to see good acting and the reality of life do not miss this movie.

[macpherr · 8/10 · 16 September 1999]

Kate Gulden, played by one of the most nominated actresses of the last decade of this century, and also one of the most talented actresses Meryl Streep(Out of Africa). She is wonderful is every part that she plays. The Yale graduate is the pride and joy of the American Cinema.

Kate's health is deteriorating and her husband, George, role well developed by brilliant actor and also Oscar winner, William Hurt (Smoke, Kiss of the Spider Woman) has a hard time with the deteriorating health of his one true thing, and seeks his daughter's help. The poor daughter, Ellen Gulden, Renée Zellweger (Jerry Maguire) has way too much expected of her. No breaks! The story takes a very realistic view on the illness of a parent. In this movie the only daughter has to put her life on hold to care for the needs of others. There is always one in every family who faces that kind of responsibility. Ellen is angry the beginning of the movie, but as time passes she ends up understanding her mothers' life time dedication to her family. She even asks her mom: How do you do his, every day, in and out and nobody notices it? That is what women do, a lot of what I call invisible work. Moreover we clean, we fix, we mend, we stretch, we celebrate, we are the best friends, we are confidants, the mistress, outreachers, disciplinarians, sensitive. Some of us, like both women in this movie, have the perfect education, are the psychological pillar for the entire family and also do all that invisible work! That is Kate Ellen, and many women in our society. Many of us have already gone through that stage of life when our parents age and died. I have been there. They just went too young. I have given my parents my thanks, but I never understood them as well as when I had to play their roles, and had to walk in their shoes. This movie mirrors the reality of life. Perhaps it is sad, but that is how life is, at times. George a Professor at Harvard is complicated person, who appears to think that his work is more important than everybody else, and has a very "master/servant" mentality toward the women in his life. He is not strong enough to cope. If you want to see good acting and the reality of life do not miss this movie. Favorite Scenes: The restaurant coming to Kate, violins and all. The making of a table out of broken china. That I so symbolic! We are all broken vessels! Favorite Quotes: George: "It is only by going uphill, that you realize that you are really going downhill." George "You have a Harvard education but where is your heart?"

all about Meryl

[SnoopyStyle · 7/10 · 29 November 2013]

Ellen Gulden (Renée Zellweger) is a driven NY interview writer. Her father George (William Hurt) is a writer and professor. Her mother Kate (Meryl Streep) gets cancer and Ellen returns home to help out. Only she's not good at it, and has little in common with her housewife mother.

The movie probably needs a bit of comedy to lighten the mood. The subject matter is fairly dark. There is cancer, family dysfunction, and a murder investigation. Renée Zellweger could have shined in comedy. Instead she and Hurt have such angry persona that they are hard to like. The great performance comes from Meryl Streep. This could have been a bad melodrama. Meryl Streep makes it infinitely more. She breathes life into this dying character. There are incredible scenes in this that verifies her as the most talent actresses working.

A very true movie about what we don't want to imagine.

[gremma · 10/10 · 8 January 2008]

Written by someone who has been there, you can tell, but only if you've been there. Excellent performances by Meryl Streep (of course!), Renee Zellweger and William Hurt.

Many people have said that it is about a dysfunctional family, I think every family is dysfunctional when they are facing this kind of torment. To NOT be dysfunctional would be dysfunctional! You are losing your family as you know it, can anything be worse? People need to see this movie so when they are faced with this nightmare maybe they will change how they do it. Maybe they will see that the father is denying himself valuable time he'll never get a chance at again. Maybe they will realize how hard it is to die, or to watch someone you love die. They didn't miss much of the nightmare, it's hard to forget.

Good movie

[jfgibson73 · 7/10 · 16 February 2020]

One True Thing tells the story of Ellen Gulding, an ambitious writer living in New York who has to move back in with her parents because her mother is dealing with cancer. Ellen always idolized her father, a professor of literature, and didn't quite understand what he saw in her mother. As the cancer progresses, Ellen grows closer to her mother and begins to resent her father's habit of putting his career first. Her mother begs her to help end her life, but Ellen is unable to go through with it. Her mother takes her own life, and Ellen goes back to writing, her life forever changed.

A Moving Film about life and values

[sallysue · 8/10 · 24 October 1999]

I don't cry easily over movies, but I have to admit, this one brought me to tears. Although I am not a Ms. Streep fan, her performance was excellent. The title defines in a sentence what a mother's love is. For the first hour I didn't like any of the characters, but that changed as the movie went on. The movie also explained why certain marriages last even though there are obstacles. A must see film.

Family Imperfections

[rollernerd · 7/10 · 18 September 2020]

Welcome to another edition of Adam's Reviews!! **queue in intro music**

Today's movie review is the family drama One True Thing (1998) where a young ambitious writer Ellen, played by Renee Zellweger goes back home to look after her terminal ill mother played by the queen herself Meryl Streep. Ellen grows up admiring and idolizing her father, a famous writer while she doesn't have a real connection with her mother, a common housewife. We see a few childhood flashbacks where she has happy moments of her father only. But as the story continues, we get to see that each parent has their own strengths and weaknesses, which is a something children in the family do not really see.

A slow start to the movie however with the engaging character development around personal growth helped unfolding what every family is - imperfections. A solid performance by all the actors and the supporting cast are very good but it is Streep who stands out once again. Her portrayal as a typical American housewife, which may seem cliché is actually a mask to ensure her family is happy. What is behind that mask is a strong-willed woman who cares about the simple things in life including supporting her children to whatever they wish to do with their lives. This is hard to do with acting however Streep is a genius, the lady can do anything. The family members around Streep's character Kate, do well however we see little of Ellen's brother and his point of view including the death of Kate. Hurt does well as the ambiguous father/husband who confesses towards the end of the film that his wife was the light and his one true thing who kept the family together. The bedroom conversation between mother and daughter is exceptional., which highlights that as children we go through life telling ourselves a story about our childhood and our parents, but we are the authors of that story, which at times can be more fiction then fact. Overall 7.5/10

One True Yawn

[sgoldgaber · 4/10 · 17 January 2003]

One True Thing may have seemed like a horror movie to the yuppies of the 80's, but it doesn't ring true today... unless you happen to be part of a pampered, upper-middle class family which is so insulated from the world that it has never tasted suffering.

Avoid this shallow flop.