Review of My Sister's Keeper (2009) by Thomas W — 13 Nov 2011

Heartless I must be ... because this isn't a good movie. The following is an odd statement, but a true one: the "best cancer movies" are still One True Thing and Terms of Endearment. This one doesn't even come close to those two.

I feel bad disliking this movie because it tries so very hard; but it is pretty implausible and I had some issues with the story and its "timeline". The performances were all fine. Cameron Diaz does a nice job as an angry mother who is no longer in control (she isn't always good and she isn't Vanilla Sky good here; but .

..). Abigail Breslin gives us a tender performance -- it is nice to see she can pull in some dramatic strings when needed because she was an ace at comedy in Little Miss Sunshine. Sofia Vassilieva is rather a newcomer to film with this and she gives a brave performance; but she actually struggles with the scripted scenes in which she "plays healthy".

I don't really see any reason why this would be recommended to anybody because it is terribly sad ... I cannot imagine anybody rushing out to add this to their movie collection because they want to watch it over-and-over again.

Even as a Kleenex movie ... it is kind of "enhhh ...".