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Movies / On DVD / One True Thing
One True Thing

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One True Thing (1998)

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Reviews Counted:18

Fresh:15

Rotten:3

Average Rating:6.8/10

Consensus: Solid performances lift this drama to a higher level.

Runtime: 2 hrs 8 mins

Genre: Dramas

Synopsis: ONE TRUE THING tells the sobering story of a family whose strength is tested when tragedy strikes. Ellen Gulden (Renee Zellweger), a writer living in New York City, has dedicated her life to... ONE TRUE THING tells the sobering story of a family whose strength is tested when tragedy strikes. Ellen Gulden (Renee Zellweger), a writer living in New York City, has dedicated her life to becoming a successful journalist. When she learns that her mother, Kate (Meryl Streep--nominated for an Oscar for her performance) is dying of cancer, her life is forever altered. Ellen's father, George Gulden (William Hurt), a National Book Award winner and university professor, pressures her into moving home and sacrificing her own life for her mother's sake. The pressure of running the household combined with the pain of seeing her mother grow terminally ill threatens to overwhelm Ellen, and she is further upset when she discovers that her father may not be the ideal she thought he was. Based on the book by journalist Anna Quindlen, ONE TRUE THING tackles its serious subject matter without becoming heavy-handed, a tribute to Carl Franklin's (ONE FALSE MOVE) accomplished, compassionate direction. [More]

Starring: Meryl Streep, Renée Zellweger, William Hurt, Tom Everett Scott

Starring: Meryl Streep, Renée Zellweger, William Hurt, Tom Everett Scott, Lauren Graham, Nicky Katt, James Eckhouse, Patrick Breen, Gerrit Graham

Director: Carl Franklin

Director: Carl Franklin
Screenwriter: Karen Croner
Producer: Jesse Beaton, Harry J. Ufland
Composer: Cliff Eidelman

[See More Credits]

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Release:

Mar 16, 1999

No Details Exist
 
 

Reviews for One True Thing

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1 - 18 (sorted by date)
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A well-oiled machine manufactured to tap our welled-up ducts.

Full Review Source: Globe and Mail | comment Comment
04/12/02
Rick Groen
Rick Groen
Globe and Mail
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

Even director Carl Franklin...can't prevent One True Thing from descending into chick-movie hell.

Full Review Source: Rolling Stone | comment Comment
05/11/01
Peter Travers
Peter Travers
Rolling Stone
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

One True Thing demonstrates that the power of simple things, the transcendent nature of the ordinary, can make for riveting filmmaking.

Full Review Source: Los Angeles Times | comment Comment
02/14/01
Kenneth Turan
Kenneth Turan
Los Angeles Times
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

No review available.

comment Comment
01/01/00
USA Today
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Franklin seems ill-suited to this cast and this material.

Full Review Source: Salon.com | comment Comment
01/01/00
Andrew O'Hehir
Andrew O'Hehir
Salon.com
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Streep's performance makes the movie worth seeing.

comment Comment
01/01/00
Bob Fenster
Bob Fenster
Arizona Republic
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Although the plot rarely excels, the actors bring enough to their roles to transform this motion picture into a satisfying weeper.

Full Review Source: ReelViews | comment Comment
01/01/00
James Berardinelli
James Berardinelli
ReelViews
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

One True Thing is real enough to be a film you can believe in.

Full Review Source: New York Times | comment Comment
01/01/00
Janet Maslin
Janet Maslin
New York Times
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

Yes, Meryl Streep is phenomenal again!

comment Comment
01/01/00
Kevin Maynard
Kevin Maynard
Mr. Showbiz
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An emotional drama!

comment Comment
01/01/00
Lisa Schwarzbaum
Lisa Schwarzbaum
Entertainment Weekly
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Streep and Hurt, two of the best gestural actors working, let the showboating tics fly fast and thick.

Full Review Source: Village Voice | comment Comment
01/01/00
Michael Atkinson
Michael Atkinson
Village Voice
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

One True Thing celebrates the very things you don't miss, or even know exist, until they are gone.

Full Review Source: Washington Post | comment Comment
01/01/00
Michael O'Sullivan
Michael O'Sullivan
Washington Post
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

Meryl Streep is an actress of such transcendent skill and sympathy that she regularly elevates her material, taking it up several notches and giving us feelings, insights, feelings and textures the original writer may have just missed expressing.

comment Comment
01/01/00
Michael Wilmington
Michael Wilmington
Chicago Tribune
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Streep shines!

Full Review Source: San Francisco Chronicle | comment Comment
01/01/00
Mick LaSalle
Mick LaSalle
San Francisco Chronicle
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Streep is luminous as the hypermaternal Kate.

Full Review Source: CNN.com | comment Comment
01/01/00
Paul Tatara
Paul Tatara
CNN.com
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It is the craftsmanship that elevates One True Thing above the level of a soaper.

Full Review Source: Chicago Sun-Times | comment Comment
01/01/00
Roger Ebert
Roger Ebert
Chicago Sun-Times
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Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Detroit News | comment Comment
01/01/00
Susan Stark
Susan Stark
Detroit News
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Sensitively written, fluidly directed and expertly acted!

Full Review Source: Variety | comment Comment
01/01/00
Todd McCarthy
Todd McCarthy
Variety
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1 - 18 (sorted by date)
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