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Hi Everyone:
Has anyone see the video/movie entitled "White Oleander?" It stars one of Hollywood's popular female actresses. Michelle Phiefer (sp)
Has anyone see this heart gripping movie? Please post your thoughts about it. Would your recommend this movie and why or why not? Would it be good for one group of people but perhaps not another?
There seemed to be some life lessons in it. Did anyone else think so?
All opinions and thoughts are welcome and will be held as your private opinion nothing more nothing less.
What did the character named "Star's" lifestyle make you think about?
There are good foster homes that are made up of a mother and father that love each other. For some reason this story did not include a young girl's experience in healthy family settings.
It made me wonder where was the mother's family? And thoughts about why couldn't her daughter stay with a family member? Of course this is a movie and not someone's real life. Did anyone think about any particular life lessons or attitudes after seeing this video/ movie?
Please post.
Warm regards,
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...but I read the book, which was very intriguing and heartbreaking. "Star" was obviously extremely unstable and her love for her daughter seemed more along the lines of obsession or "you belong to me."
I thought the book gave a dark view of the foster-care system, but not having been involved in the system myself, I'm not sure how accurate the picture was.
All in all, a good read.
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Hi Happy Twin:
Thanks for your post. I did not read the book but saw the movie. Does the book has the same title as the movie?
I agree with what you said about the mother. To me the movie showed how the daughter's needs and hurt needed to be addressed. In the movie it does not show that the daughter is helped through a counselor or a therapist. Did it mention any care for the daughter in this manner in the book.
Thanks. Were there any author's notes mentioning if the story is complete fiction?
Warm regards,
Ditto HappytwinsMom. I've never been involved in foster care and don't know how accurate Astrid's experiences are. She certainly found herself in a lot of INTERESTING foster homes... I would think that the reality, as opposed to the fictionalized version, would be not so much "better" or "worse" as simply less exciting and more humdrum. A teenager Astrid's age with a number of failed placements behind her would likely spend a lot more time in institutions than Astrid did. Astrid was supposed to be very beautiful in the book, and I can see how beauty could be a liability in her situation, making her a vulnerable target for adult predators of one type or another.
I'm sure there are a lot of healthy "normal" foster situations out there... but there are also some unhealthy, dysfunctional ones, and I guess it's within the realm of possibility that a child could have the misfortune to end up in a string of bad situations... remember also that Astrid's mother did not want her to be happy or settled (or adopted), and was using her influence, even from prison, to sabotage any and all attempts by Astrid to "settle in permanently" anywhere.
Interesting read, so-so movie.
JMO, Sharon
WHITE OLEANDER BY JANET FITCH WAS A OPRAH BOOK CLUB READ (ONE OF THE BOOKS BEFORE SHE STOP THE FIRST CLUB)
MY FAVORITE REVIEW OF THE BOOK WAS.....
WHITE OLEANDER IS JUST WHAT THE TITLE PROMISES- A TALE OF POISONOUS BEAUTY, DANGEROUS, HEADY SCENTS AN FORGETTABLE STORY OF A YOUNG GIRL GROWING UP.... IT'S NARRATOR IS PART POET, PART SEDUTRESS, PART SCHEREZADE, PART STREET PUNK.... LONG AFTER THE BOOK HAS ENDED, YOU'LL FEEL THE HOT BREEZE OF THIS NOVEL SCORCHED IN YOUR MEMORY, LINGERING IN YOUR HEART
-NEW ORLEANS TIMES-PICAYUNE-
THIS IS THE TRUTH (I HOPE I DON'T GET IN TROUBLE FOR WRITING THIS REVIEW)
MY OPINION ABOUT BOTH ARE THE BOOK IS BETTER THAN THE MOVIE. WHICH I'VE NOTICED ABOUT EVERY BOOK MADE MOVIE. I JUST THOUGHT THE BOOK WAS MORE INDEPTH WITH THE STORY. THE CHARACTERS WERE WHAT I SORT OF IMAGINED WHEN I SAW THE MOVIE. THE ACTRESS THAT PLAYED ASTRID WAS REALLY PRETTY AND WAS EXCELLENT. I ENJOYED THE BOOK BETTER THOUGH.