Marvin's Room Reviews

To be honest, it has been a while since I have seen this flick but, even though it is a rather obscure drama, I thought it was actually pretty good. I mean, first of all, there was an impressive cast (Meryl Streep, Leonardo DiCaprio, Diane Keaton, Robert De Niro), any movie starring these actors would be worth a look and they all delivered some solid performances. To be honest, the material itself was not exactly really strong as it was pretty much some average family melodrama but the actors involved definitely made it compelling to watch. Even though, at the time of its release, Meryl Streep and Diane Keaton (deservedly) reserved much of the critical praise, I think it was above all interesting to see Leonardo DiCaprio just before his career will be changed forever because of or thanks to ‘Titanic’. Man, the guy was already a fine actor back in those days and I think that his chaotic character was quite necessary here in order to spice up the proceedings. Concerning Diane Keaton, I have noticed that her work has been increasingly disappointing in the following 20 years and this movie was probably one of her last really worthwhile performances. Anyway, to conclude, even though it was nothing really amazing, I thought it was a decent drama and I think it is worth a look, especially if you like the genre.

A cast this good could make even the weepiest of Hallmark Hall of Fame presentations into something worth watching and mildly notable. Such is the case here with Marvin’s Room, a movie that aims for the tear-ducts, but at least finds some humor, warmth and great acting along the way.

Based on an Off-Broadway play, Marvin’s Room sees an estranged family come back together to make peace with the past and face looming illness together. Diane Keaton and Meryl Streep star as sisters who are forced back together after 20 years apart. Keaton has spent the years devoted to taking care of their ill father (Hume Cronyn) and elderly aunt (Gwen Verdon). With a diagnosis of leukemia, Keaton is in dire need of a bone marrow transplant, so she calls up her sister and asks that she come visit and see if they’re a match. The role feels tailor made for Keaton, allowing her to be remarkably restrained and hit moments of quiet grace.

Streep gets the showier role of the chain-smoking sister who just escaped a bad marriage and now has to raise two kids on her own. Her oldest son (Leonardo DiCaprio) set fire to their house, and her youngest (Hal Scardino) is quiet and bookish. She ran away and stayed away for 20 years, and comes back with a list of resentments and the urge to drop everything and run away at the first sign of trouble. Streep does great work, which isn’t a shock, but given her recent run of domineering performances that feel out-of-key with everyone else (August: Osage County), it’s refreshing to look back and see her engaging in an ensemble so smoothly.

While Marvin’s Room is dominated by the story of the two sisters hashing it out, making peace, and bringing up old wounds and finding a place to heal, the supporting players are given ample room to do a lot of solid work. Cronyn has no lines, but is effective in crafting a small portrait of how awfully old age can wreck a person. Verdon just about steals the show as the absent-minded aunt, providing the film with moments of humor and small bits of relief from the emotional sucker punches. And DiCaprio creates an affecting look at a wild-child learning to be tamed in his supporting turn. Only Robert De Niro and Dan Hedaya feel like an unnecessary bit of distracting star casting and under-utilized character actor, respectively, in very minor roles.

While the film is glossy and clearly aimed at prestige picture glory, Marvin’s Room at least feels genuine in its sympathy and tear-jerking impulses. It never quite overcomes its stage bound origins, the dialog and narrative structure can often feel like a theatrical production, but it’s sensitively directed by Jerry Zaks. It’s a mixed bag, but as far as big screen movies about fractured families coming together that feels a little bit like a big budget TV movie go, Marvin’s Room is one of the better productions.

An all star cast, that was bored by a very slow moving story. It drags a lot and just didn't end up giving me that kick that good movies give me. The story had a lot of potentional but was just shown in a really slow moving way. I do like dramas they are usually what I always watch but this was just too slow for me. The acting was average even though we have some incredible actors in this movie. I am not saying they sucked I am just saying it wasn't their greatest performance to date. Its not a bad movie, just a movie with a good story that didn't develop well at all.