This time around the film is Marvin's Room, released in 1996. The story of two sisters who have been estranged for over 20 years. Bessie (Diane Keaton) is single, lives in Florida, and is helping to care for her bedridden father and his aging sister. Lee (Meryl Streep) moved to Ohio, had two children, and worked to be independent with a career in cosmetology. After decades apart, Lee discovers that Bessie has been diagnosed with leukemia (the same disease that took their mother from them) and needs a bone marrow transplant. With kids in tow, Bessie heads to Florida and the dysfunction of all the characters is laid bare as they attempt to establish their own sense of family again.
The acting is superb. How could it not be? The cast is rounded out with such acting legends as Lionardo DiCaprio as Lee's troublesome son, Robert De Niro as Bessie's unorthodox doctor, Hume Cronyn as the bedridden father, and Gwen Verdon as Aunt Ruth. Diane Keaton was a particular stand-out in this film for me, as she never once employed the cliched "befuddled" technique she often relies on. Keaton was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actress for this film.
The actors are superior to the script, and that helps make the film feel better than it is. While not entirely predictable in its journey, one pretty much knows that the reuniting of family, one way or another, is how things will conclude. The film wraps a beautiful bow on its ending that reminded me very much of Billy Wilder films such as "The Apartment" or "The Lost Weekend" where a tidy ending seems a tad overplayed, and yet the viewer is left wondering... "did it really work out?" and believing that the ending could actually be a wonderful jumping on point for a completely different film. This one was a solid B+ for me.
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