MY SISTER'S KEEPER
Rated PG-13 for mature thematic content, some disturbing images, sensuality, language and brief teen drinking.
109 minutes
Warner Bros.
*** out of 5
By now everyone has seen enough previews of this to know if it may be for you or not. I know there are plenty of other choices to pick from right now playing at your local megaplex. And yes, it is not what you could call the feel good movie of the year. But if it piques your interest and you have a box of tissues handy you definitely can find more than you may have expected.
"My Sister's Keeper" comes from the director of “The Notebook,” Nick Cassavetes, and I’m sure it was intended to be the weeper of the year. Especially when you count in the fact that its based on a best-seller about a child with cancer and her mother’s over-dedicated efforts to keep her alive in spite of everyone’s best interest.
Sara Fitzgerald (Cameron Diaz) and her husband Brian are told that their daughter, Kate (Sofia Vassilieva) has cancer and will probably not live past the age of five. Neither of them are a match for any kind of surgeries and neither is her brother, Jesse (Evan Ellingson). A doctor suggests they have a test tube baby that they could genetically alter to make absolutely sure that the new child would be an exact match for Kate’s operations. And thus, Anna Fitzgerald (Abigail Breslin) is born.
We first meet Anna as she is going into the law office of Campbell Alexander (Alec Baldwin) with a collection of $700. She explains that she wants to be medically emancipated from her parents even though she knows what it could mean for her sister Kate. After a freak out episode when Sara is served and receives Anna’s request she remains totally mind boggled as to why Anna would not want to help her sister anymore. This is the first so-called twist even though it may be a twist most viewers will see a mile away whether they want to admit it or not, much the same as Sara’s character.
The story is told through an interesting use of flashbacks which in the long run never really add anything to the story and actually wind up just being confusing in some parts. Such as Sara shaving her head to get Kate out of bed and then nowhere else in the movie is there even any hint that she had to grow her hair back. The true meat of the movie comes not between the two sisters but between Kate and a boy, Taylor (Thomas Dekker) who she meets in chemotherapy. This is how teenage romantic natured films should be handled. Not the glowering, stare-happy wannabe “vampires” of the “Twilight” universe. Stephanie Meyer could learn a thing or two about how to write an entire saga from watching maybe ten minutes total of this film.
Some supporting characters really give their all and almost basically play themselves which is way more than fine when you’re talking about Alec Baldwin and Joan Cusack. Cusack plays the judge presiding over Anna’s case and has lost a daughter of her own and quite surprised Campbell Alexander when he finds out that she’s back on the bench. The heartbreak in Judge De Salvo shines thru in every scene she’s in and as always she’s just a wonder to watch on screen.
I’m sure the outcome to everything in the film will not surprise anyone, but luckily the cast, even Jason Patric included, gets some kind of chance to shine throughout. Yes, even Cameron Diaz is afforded her first chance to actually act in quite some time. So bring some hankies, a shoulder to cry on, or a hand to hold, because if you’re the target audience you will probably be moved to tears. I just couldn’t help but wonder when all was said and done though, is it really that cold in Montana in the middle of August?
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