A lot less black-and-white than it could have been.
One True Thing (1998)
Tomatometer
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Reviews Counted:61
Fresh:54
Rotten:7
Average Rating:7.2/10
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
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Reviews for One True Thing
Streep and Hurt, two of the best gestural actors working, let the showboating tics fly fast and thick.
Zellweger and especially Streep both bring their roles to vivid life with a multi-dimensional blend of warmth, vulnerability, and underlying strength.
One True Thing celebrates the very things you don't miss, or even know exist, until they are gone.
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.
Franklin is a rare, undeniable talent whose special abilities again shine through.
One True Thing has the most honest, layered and authentic family dynamic of any American movie in recent memory.
It is the craftsmanship that elevates One True Thing above the level of a soaper.
How effective can a tear-jerker be if you're waiting for them to be jerked?
In a time when most movie families are hopelessly dysfunctional, it is refreshing to see one that doesn't quite fit the mold.
Renee Zellweger, in particular, is captivating; she is irresistible as an actress, while Meryl Streep is luminous, perceptive, and courageous.
A convincing but restrained melodrama, at times attaining true emotional power.
Latest News for One True Thing
June 23, 2008:
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| 15% 15% | The Ugly Truth |
| 98% 98% | Up |
| 36% 36% | G.I. Joe: The Rise of … |
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| Tomatometer Percentage | Movie |
|---|---|
| 36% 36% | Angels & Demons |
| 68% 68% | Funny People |
| 25% 25% | Four Christmases |
| 45% 45% | Shorts |
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