My Sister's Keeper (2009)

Anna Fitzgerald looks to earn medical emancipation from her parents who until now have relied on their youngest child to help their leukemia-stricken daughter Kate remain alive.

Director:

Nick Cassavetes

Writers:

Jeremy Leven (screenplay), Nick Cassavetes (screenplay)

Stars:

Cameron Diaz, Abigail Breslin, Alec Baldwin

4 wins & 4 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Abigail Breslin	...	Anna Fitzgerald
Walter Raney	...	Pawn Shop Proprietor
Sofia Vassilieva	...	Kate Fitzgerald
Cameron Diaz	...	Sara Fitzgerald
Heather Wahlquist	...	Aunt Kelly
Jason Patric	...	Brian Fitzgerald
Evan Ellingson	...	Jesse Fitzgerald
Alec Baldwin	...	Campbell Alexander
Nicole Marie Lenz	...	Gloria (as Nicole Lenz)
Paul Butler	...	Jesse age 3 (as Paul Christopher Butler)
Olivia Hancock	...	Kate age 2
Jeffrey Markle	...	Dr. Wayne
Emily Deschanel	...	Dr. Farquad
John DeRosa	...	EMT (as John De Rosa)
Marcos A. Ferraez	...	EMT (as Marcos De La Cruz)

Storyline

In Los Angeles, the eleven year old Anna Fitzgerald seeks the successful lawyer Campbell Alexander trying to hire him to earn medical emancipation from her mother Sara that wants Anna to donate her kidney to her sister. She tells the lawyer the story of her family after the discovery that her older sister Kate has had leukemia; how she was conceived by in vitro fertilization to become a donor; and the medical procedures she has been submitted since she was five years old to donate to her sister. Campbell accepts to work pro bono and the obsessed Sara decides to go to court to force Anna to help her sister.

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Plot Keywords:

leukemia | oncology | terminal illness | sick child | hospital | 

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Genres:

Drama | Family

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 for mature thematic content, some disturbing images, sensuality, language and brief teen drinking

Details

Official Sites:

Metropolitan Filmexport [France] New Line Cinema [United States]

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

26 June 2009 (USA)

Also Known As:

La decisión más difícil

Filming Locations:

Los Angeles, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$30,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$12,442,212, 28 June 2009

Gross USA:

$49,200,230

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$95,714,875

Company Credits

Production Co:

Curmudgeon Films, Gran Via Productions, Mark Johnson Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

109 min

Sound Mix:

DTS Dolby Digital SDDS

Color:

Color (DeLuxe)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Cameron Diaz wore a bald cap instead of shaving off her own hair. This was more for practical reasons as Diaz only needed to be bald for just two scenes.

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Goofs

The phone number that Taylor writes on his hand changes position from shot to shot.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Andromeda 'Anna' Fitzgerald: When I was a kid, my mother told me that I was a little piece of blue sky that came into this world because she and Dad loved me so much. It was only later that I realized that it wasn't exactly true. Most babies are coincidences. I mean, up in space you've got all these souls flying around looking for bodies to live in. Then, down here on Earth, two people have sex or whatever, and bam, coincidence. Sure, you hear all these stories about how everyone plans these perfect families. ...
[...]

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Connections

Referenced in Midnight Screenings: The Book of Henry (2017)

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Soundtracks

Life Is Just a Bowl of Cherries
Written by Ray Henderson and Lew Brown
Produced by Aaron Zigman
Performed by Elizabeth Daily (as E.G. Daily)

User Reviews

A really moving film!

« My sister's keeper » is a drama film which takes place in USA.

The director of the film is Nick Cassavetes. Cameron Diaz and Abigail Breslin are in it. The first as the mother, Sara Fitzgerald, and the second as the youngest daughter, Anna Fitzgerald. There's also Kate Fitzgerald, who's the older daughter and who's acting by Sofia Vassilieva.

It's about parents, Sara and Brian Fitzgerald, who have already two children's : Jesse and Kate. When Kate was two-years-old, doctors discovered that she has a hard form of leukemia. The only way to keep her alive as long as possible, is to give her tissues, blood ans organs almost fully compatibles. The only way to found that, is to conceive an in-vitro baby with the same DNA. So Anna was born ! But her parents seem to love her more for her DNA than for herself and neglect their son. A day, Anna decide to sue her parents for medical emancipation and rights to her body, so, her sister can no longer be treated.

At the end, we understand her choice, and why did she does that and what a surprise ! I don't expect that and found that it made the story even more beautiful because it shows that there's a lot of love between all the characters.

I think it's a beautiful, moving and realistic film. It's not just sad because there is a real story and joyful moments. We can easily get under the skin of every characters and understand them. I think that the actors are good chosen and act well, and that the camera work is realistic, well balanced and simple. There are also many flashbacks all along the film which are really interesting and tell us the past story.

I highly recommend this film because it's very interesting, than we discover little-known methods, and also very moving. At the same time that's easy to identify us with the characters and wonder about our reaction to their place.

Hoping that you will look at it and will enjoy it !