Cheap One True Thing (DVD) (Meryl Streep, Renée Zellweger, William Hurt) (Carl Franklin) Price

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Customer Reviews of One True Thing

ONE OF 1998'S BEST
ONE TRUE THING could be described as a more thoughtful and quiet TERMS OF ENDEARMENT in the sense that it addresses relationships between mothers and their adult daughters--but this time the dying process is reversed as Kate Gulden (Streep), beloved wife and homemaker of the June Cleaver/Martha Stewart variety, is suddenly stricken with cancer. Her adult daughter (Zellweger) is asked to come home to help her father deal with daily chores and, presumably, to prepare for the death vigil. On the surface, it sounds like the plot of a network movie, but the performances of Meryl Streep and Renee Zellweger raise the quality far beyond that. Streep, in particular, continues to amaze. After twenty years at the top of her game (and earning her 11th Oscar nomination for this role), she still finds the heart of every character and creates the nuances that complement them. This performance ranks with her best work in SOPHIE'S CHOICE and THE BRIDGES OF MADISON COUNTY. But Ms. Zellweger is no slouch either; though the character of Ellen Gulden is initially off-putting, this young actress has enough imagination to show us the evolution of a self-obsessed careerist (like her father, played incisively by William Hurt) to a mature and compassionate woman. As the overlooked son, Tom Everett Scott registers strongly, as he did in THAT THING YOU DO, with an emotionally poignant turn as Streep's alter-ego: a son with as much joy of life as his neglected mother. The movie also features a lovely, understated score by Cliff Eidelman and sensitive direction from Carl Franklin, who is a smashing success in every genre he attempts. Highly recommended.

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STAR STREEP : GENERATIONS
Carl Franklin's ONE TRUE THING is the kind of movie you can't dislike. A universal moving story, above-average actors and a classical treatment by a talented new director. Pretty rare these days, isn't it ? So let's enjoy this motion picture.

ONE TRUE THING is about the generations' clash and family life. It describes the growing understanding of a young modern girl for her mother's life. This mother, played by a sumptuous Meryl Streep, has dedicated her life to her husband and her two children, sacrificing herself for a selfish family.

Along with Renee Zellweger, we will discover what is hidden behind the boring everyday life of that woman. Discreetly, Carl Franklin's camera chases the little tragedies and joys of human condition and reminds us that life is not worth living without mutual tolerance.

A DVD for the family.

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THE EXTRAORDINARY SOUL OF A REGULAR "HOUSE WIFE"
If there's one actress that can get into the skin of her character, Streep is it. She effortlessly portays a regular housewife, embroidering pillows and decorating cribs one minute, and being a veritable fountain of love and understanding the next! William Hurt turns in a convincing performance too, as the aloof and careless Regular Husband, while Zellweger adds a mean punch with her rich and dynamic presence.

The theme is hardly anything earth-shattering, but there's a fine line between the genuinely moving and the saccharine, and under Franklin's low-key direction "One True Thing" succeeds where many pictures fail by maintaining its dignity and, just as importantly, its honesty. You won't cry out of a sense of obligation, but because the incredible cast drive the material straight to the heart.

Highly recommended if you're in the mood for a stirring "Ordinary People" type of a drama. Keep a Kleenex handy.