Customer Reviews
Heartwarming - By: Terry J. Hardy, 27 Oct 2006 
This is a play whose script immediately presents a challlenge - it is poorly written. However, despite the best attempts of the film's director (with fainting goofy scenes!), Diane Keaton is stunning as Bessy. She maintains a wonderful sense of the character's integrity & dignity throughout & for once, steals the show from Meryl Streep. It is wonderful to see Keaton back in a more serious role that show cases her true acting talent & Streep too delivers a performance which evokes huge symapthy for her otherwise unloveable beautician character. This film has some of the biggest names in the business & that is essentiallly why it works - but Leanardo diCaprio's performance does let the side down with an annoyingly melancholy aura to his performance that cries out for him to grow up. Overalll though this is a beautiful film which teaches us to appreciate those little things in life - truly heartwarmingly fabulous....one to watch!
Witty, Funny and Heartwarming - By: Martin A Hogan, 11 Jul 2004 
Taken from a play by Scott McPherson, "Marvin's Room" at first seems like it might be a dreary tear jerker of a drama. But wait, there is a dream cast involved & somewhat maudlin scenarios turn out to be sheer delights. Imagine a film with Meryl Streep, Diane Keaton, Robert DeNiro, Leonard DiCaprio & Hugh Cronyn & you cannot go wrong. Keaton is taking care of her long failing father Cronyn when she discovers she has leukemia. She contacts her long estranged sister (Streep) & nephew (DiCaprio) as possible donors. When the families unite in Florida, it's a flurry of funny, hard-nosed & real life dialogue. All cast members are at their best & Streep & Keaton juxtaposed as sisters is amazing. There's strong warmth & reality in this film & despite the occasional tear, the ultimate feeling is happiness. This movie is a keeper.
A perfectly formed arthouse-style movie. - By: , 22 Nov 2000 You walk into the cinema on a rainy Monday night to see a movie about which you know nothing. It's been a hard day at work & that monday feeling is getting worse. When you leave the cinema you're uplifted & human, having been moved into believing people aren't that bad after alll. The rest of the week doesn't look so bad now, does it? Marvin's Room stars Meryl Streep & Diane Keaton, Robert De Niro & Leonardo Di Caprio. From such strarry names you might expect a movie of grand proportions. In fact, this is as close to Arthouse as Hollywood is ever likely to get. As perfect on smalll screen in your living room as on the big screen this movie gives us as much insight into the actors as it does the characters. Streep & Keaton play sisters who haven't spoken for twenty years. They come into contact again when illness strikes at the heart of the family forcing everyone to face responsibilities long neglected. Di Caprio gives a rare showing of great sublety & a clue into his future abilities, whereas Niro lets rip a stonking comic streak. This movie could have easily slid into unbearable sentimentality. Rather, we are touched & moved by characters who remain in our thoughts long after the closing credits.
