White Oleander

White Oleander (2002)

  • 70% of critics liked it
    (133 reviews)

  • 78% of users liked it
    (50,116 ratings)

The Oprah Book Club best-seller by Janet Fitch makes it to the big screen in this adaptation from British director Peter Kosminsky. White Oleander recounts the traumatic adolescence of Astrid Magnusson (Alison Lohman), who finds herself an orphan after her short-fused, enigmatic artist mother Ingrid… More

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PG-13,
Directed By
Written By
Mary Agnes Donoghue
Genres
Drama
In Theaters
Oct 11, 2002 Wide
Warner Bros. Pictures

Critic Reviews

  • Joe Baltake, Sacramento Bee

    'Synthetic' is the best description of this well-meaning, beautifully produced film that sacrifices its promise for a high-powered star pedigree.

  • Eleanor Ringel Gillespie, Atlanta Journal-Constitution

    A smart, compelling drama.

  • Richard Roeper, Ebert & Roeper

    The film is worth seeing for its honest heart and for the magnificent acting.

  • Stephen Hunter, Washington Post

    Though it flirts with bathos and pathos and the further Oprahfication of the world as we know it, it still cuts all the way down to broken bone.

  • Geoff Pevere, Toronto Star

    A movie that wafts in and out of clarity like a wavering transmission.

Read all 13 critic reviews

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Fresh (60% or more critics rated the movie positively)

Rotten (59% or fewer critics rated the movie positively)

Featured Audience Ratings

  • Sophie B


    Really good and interesting story with brilliant performances.

  • Jennifer X


    Alison Lohman is not, in my opinion, the best choice for a protagonist for this one, but Michelle Pfeiffer's never blinking reptile eyes are just about perfect. The story is rather lackluster, but the acting power can be quite extraordinary when handled correctly.

  • Red L


    What happens to a teenager when her single mother is sent to jail for killing her boyfriend? She lands up in various foster homes and institutions. In this movie, we follow Astrid (played by Alison Lohman) through a number of different situations which seem to be Hollywood's… More

  • Randy T


    "No matter how much she's damaged me, no matter how flawed she is, I know my mother loves me." Nice, off-beat, coming-of-age drama that's reinforced with outstanding performances from Alison Lohman and Patrick Fugit. An intriguing mix of lite dysfunctionality and… More

  • Veronique K


    i enjoyed this movie because of the performances of the actresses whose accomplished talents transcend the larger-than-life melodrama into believability. frankly, i don't appreciate the ending, even it does dramatize the flick toward another paramout of "hard-boiled… More

Read all 20 featured audience ratings

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