Review of Marvin's Room (1996) by David A — 20 Apr 2010

(from The Watermark, 03/06/97).

Keaton is a faithful daughter who has selflessly cared for her infirmed father and crazy aunt for many years. When she is diagnosed with leukemia, she must contact her sister (Streep) and ask that she and her sons be tested to see if they can donate bone marrow to save her life. The older of Streep's boys (DiCaprio) is having some problems with the law, mostly because of his broken family and Streep's inability to properly express her love for him. When they all come together, Keaton and DiCaprio bond, the estranged sisters realize how much they love each other, and ultimately everybody benefits from their reunion in this time of crisis.

To the film's credit, first time director Jerry Zaks finds many cinematic moments that broaden the film beyond its stage roots. But he also misses the mark by trying to give Marvin's Room a laughter-through-tears treatment, along the lines of Steel Magnolias. There are some clever laughs that work, but there are also many moments where the humor is imposed and inappropriate. All in all, it is the excellent cast who give more credibility to the material than it sometimes deserves. See Marvin's Room for the great performances and the sweet sentimentality. And bring your hankies for the happy-sad ending. QUEER QUOTIENT: DiCaprio is just so interesting and so talented for such a young lad. I'm not into children, but let's just say I can't wait for him grow up and let me work on a real crush.