Bessie is a middle-aged woman who has been caring for her father Marvin since he had a stroke some twenty years earlier. Marvin is on his back in bed and cannot speak, but he does have a limited understanding when spoken to. Marvin's sister Ruth is also in the household and, while still in possession of her faculties and ambulatory, her life seems to center around what is happening on her favorite soap operas. Bessie finds out that she has leukemia. What to do? Bessie's only hope is for a bone marrow transplant and the only possible donors are her sister Lee, estranged since Marvin's stroke, and Lee's two sons.
Rather than concentrating on the grim details, the focus is on the changes in the family dynamics precipitated by Bessie's illness. Bessie calls Lee and tells her the story and Lee packs up her two sons and takes out from Ohio to Florida. All those years ago Lee and Bessie split over Marvin's illness and care - Bessie took it over and Lee got away as fast as she could. So, a good part of the movie has the sisters dealing with old wounds. A subplot concerns the relationship that develops between Bessie and Lee's rebellious seventeen year old son Hank.
What raises this film above the ordinary is the great cast and some well written scenes. Streep and Keaton are in good form and play well off of each other. There are a lot of awkward and intense moments between them - I particularly liked the scene where they meet each other for the first time in twenty years. Hume Cronyn, as Marvin, never says a word, but his presence is felt throughout the film. Leonard DiCaprio, as Hank, is so good that you wonder if he is playing Hank or just being himself. Playing against type Robert De Niro puts in an appearance as Bessie's somewhat maladroit doctor.
What didn't work for me was the attempted comic relief. Ruth seemed just a bit too ditsy and her pain relief device operating the garage door was forced humor. De Niro's brother's role was solely to interject some dim-witted comments.
Bessie's comment about how privileged she had been to have loved so deeply stuck with me. I had never stopped to think of the delight in loving as something to be valued in itself, requited or not.
Rather than concentrating on the grim details, the focus is on the changes in the family dynamics precipitated by Bessie's illness. Bessie calls Lee and tells her the story and Lee packs up her two sons and takes out from Ohio to Florida. All those years ago Lee and Bessie split over Marvin's illness and care - Bessie took it over and Lee got away as fast as she could. So, a good part of the movie has the sisters dealing with old wounds. A subplot concerns the relationship that develops between Bessie and Lee's rebellious seventeen year old son Hank.
What raises this film above the ordinary is the great cast and some well written scenes. Streep and Keaton are in good form and play well off of each other. There are a lot of awkward and intense moments between them - I particularly liked the scene where they meet each other for the first time in twenty years. Hume Cronyn, as Marvin, never says a word, but his presence is felt throughout the film. Leonard DiCaprio, as Hank, is so good that you wonder if he is playing Hank or just being himself. Playing against type Robert De Niro puts in an appearance as Bessie's somewhat maladroit doctor.
What didn't work for me was the attempted comic relief. Ruth seemed just a bit too ditsy and her pain relief device operating the garage door was forced humor. De Niro's brother's role was solely to interject some dim-witted comments.
Bessie's comment about how privileged she had been to have loved so deeply stuck with me. I had never stopped to think of the delight in loving as something to be valued in itself, requited or not.