The first time I saw this movie I was 9 or 10. The movie is much more about the mother whose recounting events on a audio tapes for her daughter. Her daughter listens to the tapes when she is about 17 or 18. I don't want to give too much away, but by the end of the movie you are totally experiencing the multiplicity of emotions that her daughter experiences. I loved every single person in this movie - all of them. If you need a super deep cry, grab this one and a large box of Kleenex. It is moving, touching, and as the other reviewer said, way ahead of its time.
PS - This is not sappy, unrealistic or predictable, either. It's not a "Terms of Endearment" or anything like that, either.
PS - This is not sappy, unrealistic or predictable, either. It's not a "Terms of Endearment" or anything like that, either.