WHITE OLEANDER
US, 2002, 110 minutes, Colour.
Alison Lohman, Michelle Pfeiffer, Robin Wright Penn, Renee Zellweger, Patrick Fugit, Cole Hauser, Billy Connolly, Noah Wyle.
Directed by Peter Kosminsky.
White Oleander is a movie where men seem almost insignificant except when they hurt women.
The focus of the movie is Astrid, a fourteen year old who knows nothing of her father and depends on her free-spirited, free-thinking artist mother. When her mother is arrested for murder, Astrid begins an odyssey that takes her into the intimate life of two foster families as well as into a social services institution. It is a journey of growth, despite her mother, a journey of love of which her mother is jealous, a journey of freedom to find her inner strength and to accept the support of those who love her.
Astrid is played by Alison Lohman, 21 at the time. She is utterly convincing as she ages from fourteen to early adulthood. Lohman was also seen to great advantage (again playing young teenager) in the con artist comedy, Matchstick Men with Nicolas Cage. Her performance helps the audience to get into the mind and heart of a damaged girl and what she has to go through emotionally before she finds her deeper self.
Michelle Pfeiffer is also excellent as her mother. At first she seems strong and sympathetic. As we get to know her better, we see a self-centred and resentful woman. In prison, her poisonous bitterness comes to the fore, continually destructive of her daughter's chances to grow. Finally, we learn more of the truth about her and watch her face the dilemma of her life when Astrid challenges her to sacrifice her love for her.
The two foster mothers could not be more different. Robin Wright Penn has tended to play very serious, sometimes impassive roles. This time she lets rip as a born-again alcoholic and addict whom people write off as 'trailer trash'
and who falls victim to her jealousies and rage instead of trusting in her faith and her capacity for mothering. Renee Zellwegger plays a mousey would-be actress, affluent, sentimental, rather naive but who shows Astrid glimpses of
motherly love. Patrick Fugit, the young journalist of Almost Famous, plays an artist who is able to give Astrid the support she needs.
The movie was directed by Peter Kosminsky who made a number of docudramas for the BBC. Amongst the screenplays written by Mary Agnes Donaghue was Veronica Guerin, the story of the murdered Dublin crusading journalist.
1. Dramatic film? Melodramatic? A focus on women? Insight into women?
2. The city settings, the homes, the outskirts of Los Angeles, the wealthy homes on the beach? The juvenile centres? Prison? A cross-section of American city living? The musical score? Songs?
3. The title, the explanation of the oleander, the visuals, its poison, its beauty, kept in milk? As a symbol for Ingrid? As a potential symbol for Astrid?
4. The structure of the film, the flashbacks inserted to explain Ingrid's behaviour, Astrid's memories and feelings? The overall flashback with Astrid's comments about her mother, her memories, her breaking free from her mother? The episodic nature of Astrid's experience with her mother, in the foster homes, on her own?
5. The perspective of the film, Astrid's point of view? Her voice-over? The flashbacks? As a young girl, not knowing her father? Her mother's strong personality, points of view, seeing her daughter as perfect, the irony of the final revelation that she loved Astrid's father, that he walked out on them, that he returned when she was eight and Ingrid didn't let him see her daughter, the fact that she herself was absent for a year and Astrid was looked after by a kindly woman, Anna? Astrid watching her mother and her principles, with men? Sitting on the roof of the building, feeling the wind? Barry, watching them in the restaurant, in the house? The build-up to the murder, Astrid feeling that she knew that this was going to happen and blaming herself? Her mother's arrest, her being left alone, the Social Services coming and taking her away?
6. Social Services, the kindly officer and her trying to find places for Astrid? Driving her out of the city, Starr and her receiving her? Starr's other children? Her husband? Starr as born again, her continued talk about Jesus and personal salvation, the Bible study groups, Astrid being baptised, wearing the cross (and her mother's anger at this brainwashing)? Her fitting into the family, the cantankerous older girl, her moodiness, getting out the window to escape, Starr drinking again and abusing her daughter verbally? The little boy, his friendliness, not wanting Astrid to upset life in the house? The little African-American? boy? Starr, the story of her past, a hooker, her glamour, her drinking and drugs, her conversion? Her clothes, buying them for Astrid? Astrid and her friendship with her stepfather, flirting with him unconsciously, being in his presence, the seduction, going to the building site? Starr and her anger, wanting to get rid of Astrid, Astrid's promise - and her breaking it? The character of Starr as a strong personality, her love for her de facto husband, his strength of character, weakness?
7. The return to the centre, with the girls, her being waylaid and bashed, her cutting her hair, threatening the girl with a knife? Paul and his seeing her drawings, her continually drawing, the portraits of Starr and her husband, going out Paul, observing people at the beach, sketching them? The friendship with Paul, admiring his drawings, going to the comic book shop? Paul and his proposition to go to New York, her refusal? His promising to send letters, her later going to the shop, receiving his letters, his return to California, the happy reunion, their going off together to New York? Her skill as an artist?
8. Claire, welcoming into the house, affluence? Younger surrogate mother, wealthy, her inability as an actress? Looking at the scene of her test? Her relationship with her husband, his being away, his later taunts, working, deriding her acting abilities? Astrid and Claire getting on well, Astrid experiencing tenderness and love, sharing things together? Claire and her simplicity? Corresponding with Ingrid, Astrid not to know? Ingrid's criticism of Claire to Astrid? The visit to the prison, her needling Claire, talking to her privately? Mark and his leaving Claire, her grief, drinking, Astrid trying to console her, in the bed, finding Claire dead? Astrid's grief, smashing things? Accusing her mother, her mother saying that Claire was on the way to suicide? Astrid and the effect of experiencing affection from Claire?
9. The return to the centre, the nice family and the interview, Astrid getting older, changing her appearance, clothes? Seeing the woman cross the lawn and lose her shoe, opting for her? The Russian woman, the collecting of old clothes, cleaning them and selling them? Astrid sending her own dress for a hundred dollars? Her friendship with the Russian woman, being offered a partnership? Her continuing her studies, graduation, her art?
10. The visit of the lawyer, wanting Astrid to lie in the stand for her mother's appeal? Astrid going to the prison, the discussions with her mother, breaking off? Wanting her to stay in prison? The second visit, the deal, getting the truth from her mother about her father, his coming back, her mother's abandoning her, the truth about Barry? Her agreement to lie in court? Waiting with Patrick outside, finding that her mother was going back to jail? Her mother's being willing to sacrifice herself for her daughter and go to jail? The news of her mother's art exhibition, the article, being seen with the prison bars in the background? (And the two young research girls who had also done the article on Ingrid?)
11. The film as a portrait of women, mothers and daughters? The fragile relationships? The portrait of a young girl, growing into womanhood, an absent father, her need for a surrogate father, the harshness of her mother, her needing to feel tenderness, being able to think for herself, to draw and to progress with her art? The relationship with Patrick? With Paul? Her finding herself, the final scene and the suitcases with the symbols of the various phases of her life?
