One True Thing

Monday, May 11, 2009 6:20 | Filled in 1. MOVIES - OVERVIEW

Cast: Meryl Streep, Renée Zellweger, William Hurt, Tom Everett Scott, Lauren Graham and Nicky Katt

Director: Carl Franklin

Writer: Anna Quindlen novel) and Karen Croner (screenplay)

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The movie One True Thing tells the story of Ellen Gulden (Renée Zellweger), a New York woman who must leave her job in New York and go to her hometown to take care of her mother who is dying from cancer.

Ellen is very close to her father, George (William Hurt) who is a known novelist and a college professor. Ellen has had success herself, went to Harvard and writes for a New York newspaper. She is known for never giving in and is pretty hard on herself as well. Ellen is struggling in her personal life as well and her boyfriend has been cheating on her.

Ellen identifies herself with her father and turns home to attend a surprise birthday party for him. But Ellen’s relationship with her mother, Kate (Meryl Streep) is restrained and she doesn’t seem to think highly of her and the life she has chosen.

When Kate’s cancer is discovered, Ellen’s father tells her she must come home and take care of her mother. Ellen is indignant that her dad is demanding this from her, knowing it could jeopardize her career. But her father suggests she does her work freelance from home and and finally Ellen aggrees to do that.

Ellen starts helping her mother with the housework and cooking ,while her father keeps his days as nothing were wrong and Ellen soon sees a new side of her dad. And as days goes by, Ellen starts having flashbacks of her childhood, remembering things that don’t fit in her fixed ideas of her parents …