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, Wide Release

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

Sofia Vassilieva shaved her hair and eyebrows off in order to play Kate Fitzgerald. She described it as being the least she could do to understand Kate's pain. Because she was filming both this movie and the TV show Medium (2005), her hair on the show was a wig.

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Goofs

Campbell Alexander's commercial "I'm Campbell Alexander. I have a 90% success rate. What can I do for you?" violates Rule 7.1 of ABA Model Rules of Professional Conduct. Comment 3 of Rule 7.1 states a lawyer may not make statements that create an "unjustified expectation" that the same results could be obtained for other clients in similar matters without reference to the specific factual and legal circumstances, even if the statements are literally true. This applies to Campbell Alexander's statement about his 90% success record, which is a violation of the rules.

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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 Jeopardy!: Episode #26.99 (2010)

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Soundtracks

Heaven
Written by David Byrne and Jerry Harrison
Performed by Jimmy Scott
Courtesy of Warner Bros. Records Inc.
By arrangement with Warner Music Group Film & TV Licensing

User Reviews

Potential Story with a Promising Beginning, Confused Screenplay and Melodramatic Conclusion (15 October 2009)

In Los Angeles, the eleven year old Anna Fitzgerald (Abigail Breslin) seeks the successful lawyer Campbell Alexander (Alec Baldwin) trying to hire him to earn medical emancipation from her mother Sara (Cameron Diaz) 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 (Sofia Vassilieva) 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.

"My Sister's Keeper" has a potential story with a promising beginning. However, the screenplay entwines flashback of situations of Kate's cancer sometimes in a confused way and has a melodramatic conclusion that could be shorter. The greatest problem is the shallow and unrealistic Hollywoodian approach, reducing the strength of the powerful drama, and I believe that this theme would be better explored by an independent director in a more realistic environment. The teenager Sofia Vassilieva has an awesome performance and Cameron Diaz is also great in the role of a mother that becomes obsessed to save her daughter and forgets her family. My vote is seven.

Title (Brazil): "Uma Prova de Amor" ("A Proof of Love")