October 11, 2002

By Veronica Mixon

White Orleander follows teenage Astrid through a series of California foster homes and facilities after her home life is disrupted by her mother's arrest for murder. Newcomer Alison Lohman is astonishing. I left the theater awestruck that this young actress could hold her own with the best (most serious) blondes in the business. Surely Ms. Lohman will ascend to their stature one day.

When Astrid's (Lohman) artist mother, Ingrid (Michelle Pfeiffer) goes to jail while awaiting trial for killing her boyfriend (Billy Connelly), she's forced into the fickle foster-care system. Shell-shocked by the events, social workers dumps Astrid with Starr (Robin Wright Penn), a born-again Christian and recovering alcoholic who goes ballistic when she detects an attraction between her boyfriend (Cole Hauser) and the teen. One minute she's preaching love and the next minutes she's spewing hate and blasting Astrid in a jealous rage. Of course, the two have grown close and director Peter Kosminisky soft-pedals their relationship leaving the audience to imagine what truly happened.

After a horrific time in a youth facility where she's beaten, Astrid lands in the home of wealthy actress, Claire (Renee Zellweger) who's married to a filmmaker (Noah Wyle). Claire is loving and very caring despite her obvious vulnerability about her life and failing marriage. To make matters worse, Ingrid refuses to fade into the background and continually intrudes into Astrid's life even though she's is the source of the trouble and she can't possibly help her daughter.

Ingrid is a self-centered woman who has put her desires for career and love before her child. Nevertheless, she treats Astrid like she's propriety and acts like her turf - 'motherhood' - is being invaded. When Astrid refuses to introduce Claire to her, Ingrid slyly saddles up to Claire in letters and quickly destroys the woman's confidence. Astrid must 'mother' herself to survive and that means letting kind people - like the cartoon drawing orphan, Paul (Patrick Fugit "Almost Famous") - get close. After living with the most cynical, cash hungry foster mother, Astrid finally decides to be kind to herself. The confrontation with her possessive, evil mother is incredible.

White Orleander - a beautiful poisonous plant indigenous to California - is a metaphor for Astrid's survival from poisonous situations and people. The tough teenager acknowledges the good she inherited from her mother but she also gives herself credit for her own choices and that's wonderful. Besides the wondrous Lohman, Michelle Pfeiffer is so icy and unrelenting in her evil portrayal that you can't believe is the same golden girl. Renee Zellweger is gentle and frail, and Robin Wright Penn fleshes out her white trash sexpot, Starr and excels beyond the angry, aging stereotype. This isn't your ordinary "chick flick" - as one critic called it. No, White Orleander is one of the best films to open this year.