Marvin's Room (1996)

Director:

Jerry Zaks

Writers (WGA):

Scott McPherson (play)
Scott McPherson (screenplay)

Release Date:

8 February 1997 (Japan)

Genre:

Comedy | Drama

Tagline:

A story about the years that keep us apart... And the moments that bring us together.

Plot:

A leukemia patient attempts to end a 20-year feud with her sister to get her bone marrow.

Plot Keywords:

Leukemia | Nursing Home | Doctor | Fire | House

Awards:

Nominated for Oscar. Another 4 wins & 9 nominations

Cast

Meryl Streep	...	Lee
Leonardo DiCaprio	...	Hank
Diane Keaton	...	Bessie
Robert De Niro	...	Dr. Wally
Hume Cronyn	...	Marvin
Gwen Verdon	...	Ruth
Hal Scardino	...	Charlie
Dan Hedaya	...	Bob
Margo Martindale	...	Dr. Charlotte
Cynthia Nixon	...	Retirement Home Director
Kelly Ripa	...	Coral
John Callahan	...	Lance
Olga Merediz	...	Beauty Shop Lady
Joe Lisi	...	Bruno
Steve DuMouchel	...	Gas Station Guy (as Steve Dumouchel)

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for thematic elements and brief language.

Runtime:

98 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Iceland:L | USA:PG-13 (certificate #34951) | South Korea:12 | Australia:M | Argentina:Atp | Austria:6 | Belgium:KT | Finland:S | France:U | Germany:6 (bw) | Mexico:B | Netherlands:AL | Norway:7 | Portugal:M/12 | Spain:7 | Sweden:7 | Switzerland:12 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:12 (canton of Vaud) | Canada:PG | Singapore:PG

Filming Locations:

Disney-MGM Studios, Walt Disney World, Lake Buena Vista, Florida, USA

Company:

Scott Rudin Productions

Trivia:

Hume Cronyn's final appearance in a theatrical film.

Goofs:

Continuity: As Meryl Streep’s character is packing her suitcase in a hurry, she grabs an article of clothing off the wall and the clock can be seen falling. In the next scene she is grabbing another article of clothing off the wall and the clock is back in place.

Quotes:

Ruth: How could one sister be so good and the other so bad?

Movie Connections:

References The Wise Little Hen (1934)

Soundtrack:

The Green Danube

Keaton/Streep Melodrama

Marvin's Room (1996) Dir: Jerry Zaks Finally a movie of substance that harkens back to Keaton's earlier successes. Keaton co-stars with drama heavyweight Meryl Streep as two estranged sisters who reunite to deal with Keaton's recently diagnosed leukemia. Keaton's character is hopeful that Streep or one of her two screen sons can be a bone marrow donor for her and thereby possibly save her life. Meanwhile, Keaton has been caring for the sister's long suffering and long dying father, Marvin (Hume Croyn). Adding a little box office punch to the flick is current heartthrob Leonardo DiCaprio as one of Streep's "problem" boys. Though the plot reads like melodrama, and to an extent it is, the movie is fairly subtle and unexpected in its story line choices. If nothing else, one doesn't have the feeling that the writers wrote the screenplay over beers and an episode of Married with Children.

Nominated for Best Actress, Keaton gets to present a more controlled and quiet persona than she usually displays. Streep is typically fine as a used to be good time girl who finally is about to graduate out of beauty school and is having trouble dealing with her sick sister, her dying father and her whacked-out teen son. Definitely worth a view if for no other reason than to fill in the missing Keaton and/or Streep movies you may have missed. And gosh, doesn't Leo look cute!