White Oleander

A film about a girl growing up in the foster system. Astrid is fifteen. Her mother Ingrid is an artist: strong, controlling, living by her own rules. After a relationship ends she poisons the man and is given life. Astrid is placed with foster families. Each house is another world: one devout and jealous, one wealthy but sunk in its own troubles, one a hard woman who lives by selling goods at a market. Astrid becomes someone different in each house: her speech, her clothes and her manner change. She rebuilds her identity every time. At the centre is the mother. Ingrid writes from prison, talks on visits and keeps directing her daughter from a distance. Astrid's real struggle is to get free of that influence. The source is Janet Fitch's novel. Alison Lohman plays Astrid and Michelle Pfeiffer plays Ingrid. Robin Wright, Renée Zellweger and Svetlana Efremova play the foster mothers. Peter Kosminsky directed. A strong example for anyone who likes family drama and character studies. Before you watch, know this: the film deals with abuse, suicide and violence.