One True Thing (1998)

My Review

“One True Thing” is really a highly-refined soap opera with some outstanding performances. Meryl Streep, Renee Zellweger, and William Hurt are at the top of their game here as a very dysfunctional family. Streep had one of her numerous Oscar nominations for this role, loosing out that year to Gwyneth Paltrow for “Shakespeare in Love.”

The well-penned screenplay by Karen Croner, adapted from the 1994 novel by Anna Quindlon, tells the story of a young woman who gives up her successful journalism career to care for her ailing mother. Layers of family problems are skillfully revealed as the film progresses. Director Carl Franklin (“Devil in a Blue Dress” 1995) deserves credit for keeping this project well organized and on the high road.

The supporting cast includes Tom Everett Scott, Lauren Graham, Nicky Katt, James Eckhouse, and Patrick Breen. “One True Thing” was a flop at the box office for Universal Pictures. It was filmed entirely in New Jersey.