White Oleander

White Oleander is the story of the relationship between a mother and daughter and the mistakes that the mother makes and the trouble this creates for her daughter. After being put into foster care after her mother (Michelle Pfeiffer) is placed in prison for murder, Astrid (Alison Lohman) leads a troubled life and tries to find her place in the world after living in many different situations.

The film is primarily a vehicle for fantastic performances. Michelle Pfeiffer shines in her role as the troubled mother who turns out a fantastic moral character turn to lead us toward a happy ending, at least for this subject matter. Alison Lohman turns out a shockingly mature performance for her first film role and has a level of emotional depth to her performance that certainly makes it memorable. Robin Wright Penn and Renee Zellweger give notable supporting performances that demonstrate the ability of the mother daughter duo to drive those around them to insanity.

Based on a novel, the film deals with the issues of teens in the foster care system well although at times, it can seem quite formulaic compared to other films. Still, the strong acting and interesting plot twists help to keep the viewer entertained. A solid effort that surely could have gotten Michelle Pfeiffer an Oscar nomination if the academy had better judgement.