One True Thing Review
by Scott Renshaw (renshaw AT inconnect DOT com)September 27th, 1998
ONE TRUE THING
(Universal)
Starring: Meryl Streep, Renee Zellweger, William Hurt. Screenplay: Karen Croner, based on the novel by Anna Quindlen. Producers: Harry Ufland and Jesse Burton.
Director: Carl Franklin.
MPAA Rating: R (profanity, adult themes)
Running Time: 121 minutes.
Reviewed by Scott Renshaw.
[Note: Some of the content in this review may be considered spoilers]
Director Carl Franklin (DEVIL IN A BLUE DRESS) and screenwriter Karen Croner take a calculated risk in setting up the story for ONE TRUE THING. The framing sequence, introduced in the first few minutes, finds Ellen Gulden (Renee Zellweger) in a district attorney's office, answering questions about the death of her mother Kate (Meryl Streep). The narrative then proceeds through flashback, introducing Ellen as a career-minded journalist summoned home by her stern academic father George (William Hurt) to care for Kate after she is diagnosed with cancer. The risk, of course, is that knowing the outcome way ahead of time might somehow reduce its emotional impact. How effective can a tear-jerker be if you're waiting for them to be jerked?
ONE TRUE THING deftly sidesteps that problem -- at least for half its running time -- by being nothing at all like a conventional tear-jerker. At its core, it tells a story of one of adulthood's most daunting tasks: coming to terms with the humanity of one's parents. It is clear from the start that Ellen is George's daughter -- she has followed in his footsteps as a writer, craves his approval, and emulates his disciplined, intellectual approach to life. Kate, on the other hand, is a slightly embarrassing enigma to her. Ellen sees Kate's delight at being a life-long mother and home-maker as simple-mindedness; she sees Kate's sunny optimism as obliviousness. Spending time with both parents forces Ellen to recognize George's hidden weaknesses, Kate's hidden strength, and the value understanding both parents can have for her growth.
As long as the focus remains on those three characters and their relationships, ONE TRUE THING is solid film-making. Meryl Streep delivers yet another winning performance, finding the warmth and compassion in Kate without ever turning her into a cartoon. The small mannerisms in her attempts to connect with Ellen -- an almost imperceptible rejected touch, hidden disappointment at her daughter's dismissals of her -- are the stuff great screen acting is made of. Zellweger is nearly as good both in awe of her father and in contempt of her mother, while Hurt makes good use of the remoteness which has hindered his performances inother films. The Guldens are a thoroughly recognizable modern family, their interactions real enough to evoke emotion and sympathy without resorting to sobs or recriminations. There's something particularly wrenching about watching people who love each other trying to like each other.
Alas, the plot device which brought Ellen back home soon rears its head and pulls ONE TRUE THING in the wrong direction. It's not that the cancer storyline is mawkish or overly manipulative. Indeed, Franklin's direction and Streep's performance avoid most of the traps which can turn such stories into melodrama. Kate's battle with cancer simply occupies too much screen time, time which had been so well-spent on Kate, George and Ellen battling with each other. Once the Big C starts taking over the proceedings, the nuances of character which had made ONE TRUE THING such compelling viewing begin to lose their force. Conversations become confrontations; the words sound progressively more scripted and less genuine.
A tighter, leaner screenplay might have been able to keep Ellen's journey of discover squarely at the center of ONE TRUE THING. Unfortunately, screenwriter Karen Croner handles sub-plots like Ellen's unstable relationship with her boyfriend (Nicky Katt) and her pursuit of an interview with a scandal-ridden Senator (David Byron) with find-the-metaphor urgency. There's only one true thing which makes ONE TRUE THING glow with realism, and that's the struggle of parents and their adult children to deal with each other as adults, as equals, as fellow human beings. That's the reason it was so wise to remove the live-or-die suspense from a story that's not about who will live or die. That's also the reason it was so disappointing to watch the film linger on a foregone conclusion.
On the Renshaw scale of 0 to 10 parental guidances: 6.
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