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Movie Overview
Cast
Michelle Pfeiffer
Alison Lohman
Robin Wright Penn
Director
Peter Kosminsky
MPAA Rating
PG-13 - mature thematic elements concerning dysfunctional relationships, drug content, language, sexuality, and violence
White Oleander (2002)
REVIEWS
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INTERVIEWS
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(1 - 29) of 29
OFCS Rating: 74% Fresh
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"I'm shocked at the depth of cruelty Pfeiffer projects here as a manipulative mother. She actually frightened me!"
ReelTalk Movie Reviews
Betty Jo Tucker
3/4
"Exemplary performances across the board...Poignant without turning into a sapfest, and subtle when it could have more easily been overwrought."
TheMovieBoy.com
Dustin Putman
2/4
"An Oprah Book of the Month gets the Lifetime Movie of the Week treatment in Peter Kosminsky's consistently hysterical
White Oleander
."
Slant Magazine
Ed Gonzalez
B-
"It's worth mentioning that any movie that ends with the phrase "I know my mother loves me" already has two strikes against it in my book."
Film Blather
Eugene Novikov
2.5/4
"This soapy gem can be overlooked by the star-studded element that enhances the feminine message of misplaced empowerment.
White Oleander
is a cinematic flower that could use some more blooming but the scent is still pleasing enough to acknowledge"
TheWorldJournal.com
Frank Ochieng
C
"A Dickensian story recast for the age of Oprah...well-meaning but episodic and ultimately pat."
One Guy's Opinion
Frank Swietek
"A compelling coming-of-age drama about the arduous journey of a sensitive young girl through a series of foster homes and a fierce struggle to pull free from her dangerous and domineering mother's hold over her."
Spirituality and Practice
Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat
2.5/4
"For what it is, Kosminsky's picture is polished and effective. If only the movie had taken more risks or possessed a keener edge..."
ReelViews
James Berardinelli
3/5
"Michelle Pfeiffer book adaptation is a better, Oscar-level showcase for newcomer Alison Lohman."
Netflix
James Rocchi
2.5/4
"The melodramatic machinations of Peter Kosminsky's well-intentioned chick flick White Oleander don't exactly come as surprise or a disappointment, but it ultimately fails to live up to promise of its all-star cast."
MovieMartyr.com
Jeremy Heilman
7/10
"Thanks to convincing and strong performances, decent writing and only the occasional smattering of melodrama or other contrived emotions, the film mostly succeeds at telling such a tale."
Screen It!
Jim Judy
7/10
"Like the eponymous flower, Pfeiffer's Ingrid is beautiful and deadly, generating enough poison to be remembered at Oscar time."
Planet Sick-Boy
Jon Popick
4/5
"While Alison Lohman is the star, Pfeiffer (as does Ingrid) saps Astrid off the screen with her icy smolder."
Cinerina
Karina Montgomery
B-
"Lohman adapts to the changes required of her, but the actress and director Peter Kosminsky never get the audience to break through the wall her character erects"
Reeling Reviews
Laura Clifford
"Feng-shuied into fabricated exactness at the expense of an organic authenticity."
Flick Filosopher
MaryAnn Johanson
B+
"An emotionally powerful story with some electrifying performances."
Laramie Movie Scope
Robert Roten
C+
"“White Oleander,” the movie, is akin to a Reader’s Digest condensed version of the source material."
Reeling Reviews
Robin Clifford
B+
"The leaping story line, shaped by director Peter Kosminsky into sharp slivers and cutting impressions, shows all the signs of rich detail condensed into a few evocative images and striking character traits."
Seattle Post-Intelligencer
Sean Axmaker
B
"Praising the performances in
Oleander
comes easy. Answering questions about character motivations isn’t so simple."
Eclipse Magazine
Sean O'Connell
"At its best it offers pleasures similar to those of 1940s women's melodramas."
Salon.com
Stephanie Zacharek
2/4
"A broad, melodramatic estrogen opera that's pretty toxic in its own right."
Film Freak Central
Walter Chaw
"Click here to see review"
Wolf Entertainment Guide
William Wolf
8/10
Read review
Modamag.com
Brian Orndorf
C
Read review
EricDSnider.com
Eric D. Snider
3.5/4
Read review
Movie Habit
Marty Mapes
4/5
Read review
Movie Mom at Yahoo! Movies
Nell Minow
C+
Read review
Matinee Magazine
Nick Schager
Read review
Nitrate Online
Cynthia Fuchs
Read review
Shadows on the Wall
Rich Cline
(1 - 29) of 29
OFCS Rating: 74% Fresh
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