White Oleander

Name: White Oleander
Genre: Drama
Released: October 11, 2002
Duration: 109 min
Rating: 61

2002

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Generally favorable reviews based on 35 Critic Reviews

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Generally favorable reviews based on 22 Ratings

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7.5

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7.5	User Score Generally favorable reviews based on 22 Ratings

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White Oleander

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Movie Details & Credits

Warner Bros. Pictures | Release Date: October 11, 2002 | PG-13

Summary: Based on the acclaimed best-selling novel by Janet Fitch, White Oleander follows a young woman's journey through hardship and loss to maturity, joy and true independence. (Warner Bros.)

Director: Peter Kosminsky

Genre(s): Drama

Rating: PG-13

Runtime: 109 min

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Critic Reviews

Ella Taylor

With its open, spontaneous elasticity, White Oleander is that rare Hollywood film -- an attempt to understand, without judgment, a world on its own terms. Read full review

Stephen Holden

The accumulation of sharp candid flashes adds up to a disturbing vision of Los Angeles as a teeming jungle of dysfunction. Read full review

Michael Sragow

Overall, you're left wondering why every big novel needs to be a movie. White Oleander would work better as a four-part miniseries -- or at least as a less conventional screenplay. Read full review

Roger Ebert

The story is determined to be colorful and melodramatic, like a soap opera where the characters suffer in ways that look intriguing. Read full review

Michael Miller

Ultimately sacrifices nuance to tidy epiphanies about personal growth. Read full review

Stephanie Zacharek

Maybe it's only half of what it could be, but at least it's a healthy half. And in this era of mainstream cookie-cutter moviemaking, that's a feat in itself. Read full review

Desson Thomson

The worst mistake is the screenplay, which not only cuts everything into superficial pieces but fails to make authentic moments of anything. In the end, White Oleander isn't an adaptation of a novel. It's a flashy, star-splashed reduction. Read full review

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User Reviews

NicoleM.

Sep 21, 2007

I thought the book and movie was the best that I have ever seen in a long time.

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jamiemeghan

Sep 6, 2011

White Oleander is an emotional-heartwreck coming of age story written by Janet Fitch and published in May of 1999. This fictional novel tells of Astrid Magnussen, beginning in early childhood. Astrid is living with her feminist, poet of a mother in Southern California--prey to the blistery,White Oleander is an emotional-heartwreck coming of age story written by Janet Fitch and published in May of 1999. This fictional novel tells of Astrid Magnussen, beginning in early childhood. Astrid is living with her feminist, poet of a mother in Southern California--prey to the blistery, dry-warm wind of the Santa Anas. â… Expand

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KenR

Aug 25, 2021

It’s a grim view of the Foster Parent scheme that’s offered up in this dark and often depressing story - of a young girl’s nightmarish journey for loving ‘support’. From a selfish mother to multiple foster failures, we follow Astrid (perfectly played by Alison Lohman) as she experiencesIt’s a grim view of the Foster Parent scheme that’s offered up in this dark and often depressing story - of a young girl’s nightmarish journey for loving ‘support’. From a selfish mother to multiple foster failures, we follow Astrid (perfectly played by Alison Lohman) as she experiences varying levels of the ‘careers’ from hell - before finding her own place in the world. This cast is professional all the way with some of the best female stars of the day - showing us the way it should not be for a young girl to grow into young womanhood. The script is above average, complete with failed ‘Christians’ (and we, unfortunately, know some are out there) but, also suggests maybe the writers could have a scant understanding of what constitutes a ‘true’ Christian...as against the deluded. The ending is about compromise but also shows a maturing - that sets Astrid on her way to a balanced life. Direction seems a bit erratic to begin but settles down to a well-informed last half. The large degree of handheld Cinematography at times feels claustrophobic (good for some scenes) but while not as shaky as we all too often see - needed better visual style for a smoother feel to the broader involving moments. Powerful entertainment, and strong indictment of a failed social structure within too many modern family units, and the welfare state that tries to save what it can - with limited resources leading to many failures for those who seek something to believe in, and a place to call home.… Expand

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Hypn0s6

Sep 15, 2021

Редкий случай , когда случайно попавшийся фильм оказывается действительно стоящим потраченного на просмотр времени. Белый олеандр как раз из такой категории.
История, которая показана в фильме очень оригинальна в своём роде. Борьбе за выживание главной героини можно только позавидовать. Она,Редкий случай , когда случайно попавшийся фильм оказывается действительно стоящим потраченного на просмотр времени. Белый олеандр как раз из такой категории.
История, которая показана в фильме очень оригинальна в своём роде. Борьбе за выживание главной героини можно только позавидовать. Она, как только завязавшийся росток , пытается зацепиться за единственную возможность прорости. Но её бесчеловечно отрывают и отправляют дальше в пучину неизвестности.
Главная героиня Астрид невероятно сильна духом, тут сказалось фанатичное воспитание матери, которая прививала дочери спартанскую выдержку. Но независимость мысли не всегда приводит к положительным результатам. Чем ты циничнее, тем меньше счастья ты повидаешь. Этому главному уроку фильм нас как раз и учит.
Проблем же , которые подняты в фильме масса: тут и взаимоотношения дочерей и матерей, взаимоотношения полов, проблема семейного быта да и много других. Отметить бы ещё хотелось, большую символичность названия. Все девушки , которые так или иначе играли роль в жизни Астрид, как и Белый Олеандр блондинки и так же как этот кустарник кто то чем то был отравлен. Ингрид была отравлена своим цинизмом, Стар травила себя алкоголем, Клэр же отравила себя лекарствами.
Фильм хорош , даже очень хорош, он не идеален, но выстроен он превосходно, он не динамичен , но в то же время смена событий ошеломляет. Вот ничего не происходит , а в следующем кадре героиня славливает пулю и так на протяжение всего фильма. Заскучать он точно не даст. Подводя итоги хочется сказать , что фильм я смотрел в очень сложный период своей жизни, и он очень помог обрести силы , чтобы этот момент пережить.
Моя оценка этому фильму 8 из 10… Expand

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DawdlingPoet

Nov 25, 2021

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I thought this was a good drama film - at the start, the turn of events took me by surprise as her mother, Ingrids arrest seemed to come out of the blue, much as it maybe seemed to Astrid at the time. As the story develops, Astrids personality changes and it seems she's dealt some very unfortunate blows - at first she's very clingy towards her newly imprisoned mother but their relationship clearly suffers and she realises that their relationship has never been entirely healthy, what it should have been. As the storyline develops, its quite shocking the extent of manipulation that unfolds and its actually quite powerful to watch.

The acting is very good and the plotline kept me guessing - the musical score is pretty understated and I felt it was emotionally somewhat powerful, though thankfully not too sentimental. Its got quite a haunting feel to it, thanks to the use of music. This is a character driven film and I felt both the main characters, Astrid and Ingrid, were quite complicated and intriguing and as the plotline develops, we learn more about each, through the eyes of Astrid - its a film that will have you second guessing what will happen next. I felt the ending was quite satisfying too.

I'll also add here, for anyone wondering, that the title 'White Oleander' relates in part to method which Ingrid murders Barry. The flower is mentioned in the dialogue during the film. I suppose there's an irony in that the seemingly pretty flower has a deadly aspect to it, which of course could also be said about Ingrid.

Yes, I'm happy to recommend this film as I felt it was quite gritty, a good character driven drama with a decent plotline. The only down side perhaps is that I suppose it was hard to believe some of the plot twists as they seemed so cruel but it certainly left me second guessing the outcome and I felt overall this was a well made film.… Expand

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