Marvin's Room (1996)

Even though it is almost 20 years old I only managed to see this movie now. It is mainly notable for DiCaprio's performance as a troubled teen right about the time he was in 'Romeo + Juliet', a movie I didn't care for, and about a year before 'Titanic' a movie I like very much.Meryl Streep is Lee, a hair dresser and not a very caring mother. She has two sons, Leonardo DiCaprio as 18-yr-old Hank and his younger brother Charlie. It is clear early that Hank does not like his mother and misses his dad. To the point that he takes a box of photos, dumps them on the upstairs bedroom floor, douses the pile with lighter fluid, and burns the pile.Unfortunately the whole house burns down so Hank ends up in a mental hospital to deal with his anger and poor decision-making.The movie's primary story really gets going when Lee's sister down in Florida, Diane Keaton as Bessie, lets her know that she was diagnosed with a form of leukemia and her only hope might be to get a marrow transplant from a suitable, compatible family member. So Lee, Hank, and Charlie make a road trip.The dad of the two sisters is Marvin, he is very sick and barely lucid, Bessie is his caregiver. He has his room he mostly stays in "Marvin's Room", which seems a rather arbitrary title to choose.The story is about family dynamics, including Hank's anger, Aunt Bessie seems to understand him and deals with him in a productive manner, something Lee can't quite seem to grasp. Bessie has no regrets, "there has been so much love in her live." When Lee agrees that people loves her she corrects that, it is the love Bessie has been able to give to others, something Lee had never understood before.Good, interesting movie but not great nor memorable.Robert De Niro has a nice supporting role as Bessie's physician, Dr. Wally. Old veteran Hume Cronyn, just a few years before he died, is Marvin.

I saw this movie shortly after it came out back in '97 I think, and loved it! I just got out my DVD and watched again last night. You probably have seen this already, but if not, it's a real gem! Robert DeNiro produced this, and has a supporting role, but the two principle leads in this are the ladies- Diane Keaton and Meryl Streep. Streep plays the blue-collar mom to a pyromaniac son (Leonardo DiCaprio), who takes the family from their home in Ohio down to see their cancer-inflicted sister/aunt (Keaton), who needs a bone-marrow transplant, and one of her two sons may be a match. The late (I think- ??) Hume Cronyn plays her dying father- the titular character, who doesn't have much in the way of dialogue in the film due to him being pretty out of it. And that kid actor from "The Indian in the Cupboard" is the younger brother.What I remember about this movie most are so many little scenes here and there that just grab you and make you take a second look at life's little moments, and also continue to prove that Meryl Streep is the best there is- wow! The scene with the hair brush (if you've seen it already, you know what I'm talking about). On a side-note- you may recall this movie before it's release as the Disney World movie Meryl Streep, Diane Keaton and Leo DiCaprio were all filming, maybe due to it being a small film still within the Miramax division of the overall Disney conglomerate-??

There is going to be subtle debate for years as to which leading lady steals this film-Golden Globe Nominee Meryl Streep or Oscar Nominee Diane Keaton, playing unlikely sisters reunited after a long estrangement when Keaton discovers that she has leukemia and may need bone marrow. Streep vanished years before in order to prevent herself from being trapped by taking care of their ailing dad (Hume Cronyn), now bedridden, and suffering from all sorts of malady's including obvious dementia. All he does is groan and mumble, making this a very difficult role to watch the beloved Broadway veteran play.Cronyn's "Cocoon" co-star, Broadway musical diva Gwen Verdon, steals every moment in which she is on screen as his equally ailing sister who has a mechanism implanted in her hip which causes the garage door to either open or close every time she twists it. She's a soap addict who wears a fur and tiara to the wedding of her two favorite characters, played by "All My Children's" Kelly Ripa and John Callahan. Ironically, "All My Children" was the only soap on which Verdon ever appeared. Streep's youngest kid, a bespeckled geek, shows an eerie talent for applying make-up as he prepares Verdon for "the wedding" with subtle hints of what he will grow up to be.The oldest son, Leonardo DiCaprio, obviously despises his mother, and probably for good reason. Streep plays one of her most unsympathetic characters, and at times, doesn't fully seem comfortable playing this role. Even though she's a cosmetology student and very capable as to what she does, she's far too messed up emotionally to always look so physically well put together. Of course, the character is hiding behind a facade of bitterness, so as Streep pulls away these layers, the character becomes a bit more tolerable even though she's often inconsistent.Getting away from the "La Dee Da" attitudes she's inhibited in most of the roles she's played since "Annie Hall", Diane Keaton for me make the film pull out its heart. She has given up her own life and romantic possibilities in order to take care of the pathetic Cronyn (who by the way they talk about him should have died years ago) and the dizzy Verdon, and it is obvious from the time she meets the troubled pyromaniac DiCaprio she wants to make up for lost time in getting to know her nephew. When he angrily smacks her hand away from his face during a light caress, you can see her invisible tears flowing, and it is heartbreaking. However, joy takes over when they bond with a wild ride on the beach, and even the lost child DiCaprio plays seems to return to humanity as his heart opens to the aunt he hadn't met until recently.DiCaprio is a tough nut to crack here, showing an iron shield for long periods of time interrupted by the bleeding little boy inside, not understanding the resentments of his maternal family and aching for his unseen father, a race car driver who abandoned his mother years before. So while this is a very tough film to like, especially when it interrupts the family drama with the presence of the befuddled doctor played by Robert DeNiro, and his idiotic brother (Dan Heydara) who works as his receptionist (after the regular receptionists resigns simply by typing a note which says "I Quit!"), there's some truth in its dissection of the fall of families over the past few decades and how dysfunctions of earlier generations can carry on to the next.

MARVIN'S ROOM is a character-driven drama based on the Scott McPherson play. Director Jerry Zaks manages to get the best from an all-star cast. Bessie(Diane Keaton)is a care-giving soul that discovers she has her own health dilemma. Bessie takes care of her bedridden father Marvin(Hume Cronyn), who always seems to be nicely dressed right down to his bow tie. Marvin has retired himself to his room. Aunt Ruth(Gwen Verdon)is a handful that is not too damn close reality. She likes to wear a garage door remote around her waist and insists on huge hugs. Bessie is told by her own physician (Robert De Niro)that she has leukemia and needs bone marrow. She is forced to contact her sister Lee(Meryl Streep)with whom she has had a 20-year old feud. Lee, a beautician, seems to be only interested in supporting herself and two sons. Ten-year old Charlie(Hal Scandino)does well to stay sane by ignoring the drama that surrounds him. On the other hand 17 year-old Hank(Leonardo DiCaprio)is earthy and troubled after being institutionalized for burning down the house. There is a lot of emotional ground the two sisters must decide on to discard and what to forgive and forget. The characters are so well defined and its easy to understand where each is coming from. Isn't it great that life allows humor to be found in times of discouragement and ill-fortune.