If any film could be unfairly dismissed as a chick flick, this is it. It's not only based on the hugely popular Oprah's Book Club selection by Janet Fitch about a troubled mother-daughter relationship, it stars
three name-brand actresses and one exceptional newcomer. But while the film may drop a few of the novel's more disturbing moments, it still travels some emotionally rocky territory, and each of those actresses — particularly Alison Lohman, who carries most of the movie on her young shoulders — turns in a first-rate performance. Fifteen-year-old Astrid Magnussen (Lohman) is tossed into the California foster care system when her mother, the brilliant but ...
Released:
2002
Rated:
PG-13
Length:
110 mins