Marvin's Room (film)

Last updated
Marvin's Room
Marvins room poster.jpg
Theatrical release poster
Directed by Jerry Zaks
Screenplay by Scott McPherson
Based on Marvin's Room
by Scott McPherson
Produced by Scott Rudin
Jane Rosenthal
Robert De Niro
Starring
Cinematography Piotr Sobociński
Edited by Jim Clark
Music by Rachel Portman
Production
companies
Distributed by Miramax Films
Release date
  • December 18, 1996 (1996-12-18)
Running time
98 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$23 million [1]
Box office$30 million [2]

Marvin's Room is a 1996 American drama film directed by Jerry Zaks. The script was written by John Guare and based on the play of the same name by Scott McPherson, who died in 1992. McPherson had completed a screenplay for a film version before he died; however Guare was hired to update it when the film eventually started production years later. [3] [4]

Contents

It stars Meryl Streep, Leonardo DiCaprio, Diane Keaton, Robert De Niro, Hume Cronyn, Gwen Verdon, Hal Scardino, and Dan Hedaya. Original music for the film was composed by Rachel Portman. Carly Simon wrote and performed the theme song "Two Little Sisters", with Meryl Streep adding background vocals.

Plot

Marvin, a man who had a stroke 20 years ago, is left incapacitated and bed-ridden. He has been cared for by his daughter Bessie in their Florida home, and ignored by his other daughter, Lee, who moved to Ohio with her husband 20 years ago and has never contacted her family.

Now, however, Bessie's doctor has informed her that she has leukemia (the same disease her and Lee's mother died from in their youth) and needs a bone marrow transplant and she turns to her sister for help. Lee, in turn, turns to her 10-year-old son Charlie and 17-year-old son Hank, the latter of whom has been committed to a mental institution for setting fire to his mother's house. However, the rebellious Hank says he won't submit himself to be tested for a match.

Nevertheless, they all travel down to stay with Bessie. When Lee finds that she may have to take over her father's care, she at first begins shopping around for nursing homes, fearing that she'll have to uproot her life. Eventually, however, the estranged family grows close and Hank agrees to get tested.

As Bessie progressively seems to get worse, and testing shows the boys are not a match as bone marrow donors, Lee comes to terms that it is now her turn to take care of her family. The film closes on Lee familiarizing herself with her father's medication, as she walks into his room with his lunch, overlooking Bessie flashing sunlight off the mirror that makes Marvin smile.

Cast

Reception

The film holds an 84% approval rating on review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes based on 50 reviews and an average rating of 6.7/10. The website's critical consensus reads, "Marvin's Room rises above the pack of dysfunctional family dramas thanks to an impeccable cast that includes Meryl Streep, Diane Keaton, and Leonardo DiCaprio." [5] Metacritic gave the film a score of 68 out of 100 based on 20 critical reviews, indicating "generally favorable reviews". [6]

The film grossed $12.8 million in the United States and Canada and $30 million worldwide. [1] [2]

Accolades

AwardCategoryNominee(s)Result
Academy Awards [7] Best Actress Diane Keaton Nominated
Awards Circuit Community AwardsBest Actress in a Leading RoleNominated
Blockbuster Entertainment Awards Favorite Actress – Drama Meryl Streep Nominated
Camerimage Awards Golden Frog Piotr Sobocinski Nominated
Chlotrudis Awards Best MovieNominated
Best Director Jerry Zaks Nominated
Best Supporting Actor Leonardo DiCaprio Won
Best Supporting ActressMeryl StreepNominated
Christopher Awards Motion PicturesWon
Critics' Choice Awards [8] Best Actress Diane KeatonNominated
Golden Globe Awards [9] Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Drama Meryl StreepNominated
Kyiv International Film Festival Best Full-Length Fiction FilmJerry ZaksNominated
Moscow International Film Festival [10] Golden St. GeorgeWon
National Board of Review Awards [11] Special Recognition for Excellence in FilmmakingWon
Screen Actors Guild Awards [12] Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture Hume Cronyn, Robert De Niro, Leonardo DiCaprio, Dan Hedaya,
Diane Keaton, Hal Scardino, Meryl Streep and Gwen Verdon
Nominated
Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading Role Diane KeatonNominated
Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role Gwen VerdonNominated

Further reading

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Leonardo DiCaprio</span> American actor (born 1974)

Leonardo Wilhelm DiCaprio is an American actor and film producer. Known for his work in biographical and period films, he is the recipient of numerous accolades, including an Academy Award, a British Academy Film Award, and three Golden Globe Awards. As of 2019, his films have grossed over $7.2 billion worldwide, and he has been placed eight times in annual rankings of the world's highest-paid actors.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gwen Verdon</span> American actress and dancer (1925–2000)

Gwyneth Evelyn "Gwen" Verdon was an American actress and dancer. She won four Tony Awards for her musical comedy performances, and she served as an uncredited choreographer's assistant and specialty dance coach for theater and film. Verdon was a critically acclaimed performer on Broadway in the 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s, having originated many roles in musicals, including Lola in Damn Yankees, the title character in Sweet Charity, and Roxie Hart in Chicago.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Meryl Streep</span> American actress (born 1949)

Mary Louise "Meryl" Streep is an American actress. Known for her versatility and accent adaptability, she has been described as "the best actress of her generation". She has received numerous accolades throughout her career spanning over four decades, including a record 21 Academy Award nominations, winning three, and a record 33 Golden Globe Award nominations, winning eight.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Diane Keaton</span> American film actress (born 1946)

Diane Keaton is an American actress. She has received various accolades throughout her career spanning over five decades, including an Academy Award, a British Academy Film Award, and two Golden Globe Awards, in addition to nominations for a Tony Award and two Emmy Awards. She was honored with the Film Society of Lincoln Center Gala Tribute in 2007 and an AFI Life Achievement Award in 2017.

The 62nd Golden Globe Awards, honoring the best in film and television for 2004, were held on January 16, 2005. The nominations were announced on December 13, 2004.

The Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Castin a Motion Picture is an award given by the Screen Actors Guild to honor the finest acting achievements in film. It is the final award presented during the ceremony.

<i>This Boys Life</i> 1993 film by Michael Caton-Jones

This Boy's Life is a 1993 American biographical coming-of-age drama film directed by Michael Caton-Jones. It is based on the eponymous memoir by author Tobias Wolff. The film stars Leonardo DiCaprio, Robert De Niro, and Ellen Barkin. It marks the first time Leonardo DiCaprio and Robert De Niro ever collaborated. The film also features Chris Cooper, Carla Gugino, Eliza Dushku and Tobey Maguire's first credited appearance in a feature-length movie.

<i>Ironweed</i> (film) 1987 film by Héctor Babenco

Ironweed is a 1987 American drama film directed by Héctor Babenco. Adapted to the screen by William Kennedy from his similarly-named Pulitzer Prize-winning novel, Ironweed stars Jack Nicholson and Meryl Streep, with Carroll Baker, Michael O'Keefe, Diane Venora, Fred Gwynne, Nathan Lane and Tom Waits in supporting roles. The story concerns the relationship of a homeless couple--Francis, an alcoholic, and Helen, a terminally ill woman--during the years following the Great Depression. Major portions of the film were shot on location in Albany, New York. The film received mixed reviews and was a box-office bomb, but Nicholson and Streep received Oscar nominations for Best Actor and Best Actress, respectively, for their performances.

The National Board of Review Award for Best Acting by an Ensemble is an annual film award given by the National Board of Review.

Tod Scott Brody was an American film producer, editor, and still photographer who, during the 1980s, was an executive at both Cannon Films and MGM. He was associated with Miramax and the producer Scott Rudin during the 1990s, and was an executive producer on the film Marvin's Room, which starred Meryl Streep, Diane Keaton, Leonardo DiCaprio, and Robert De Niro.

Marvin's Room is a play by the American writer Scott McPherson. It tells the story of Bessie and her estranged sister, Lee, who confront a family crisis.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Robert De Niro</span> American actor (born 1943)

Robert Anthony De Niro is an American actor and film producer. Known for his collaborations with Martin Scorsese, he is considered to be one of the greatest and most influential actors. De Niro is the recipient of various accolades, including two Academy Awards, a Golden Globe Award, the Cecil B. DeMille Award, and a Screen Actors Guild Life Achievement Award. In 2009, De Niro received the Kennedy Center Honors, and earned a Presidential Medal of Freedom from U.S. President Barack Obama in 2016.

The 67th Golden Globe Awards was telecasted live from the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills, California on Sunday, January 17, 2010 by NBC, from 5:00 PM – 8:00 PM (PST) and 8:00 PM – 11:00 PM (EST). The ceremonies were hosted by Ricky Gervais, and were broadcast live for the first time.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Meryl Streep on screen and stage</span>

Meryl Streep is an American actress who has had an extensive career in film, television, and stage. She made her stage debut in 1975 with The Public Theater production of Trelawny of the 'Wells'. She went on to perform several roles on stage in the 1970s, gaining a Tony Award nomination for her role in 27 Wagons Full of Cotton (1976). In 1977, Streep made her film debut with a brief role alongside Jane Fonda in Julia. A supporting role in the war drama The Deer Hunter (1978) proved to be a breakthrough for Streep; she received her first Academy Award nomination for it. She won the award the following year for playing a troubled wife in the top-grossing drama Kramer vs. Kramer (1979). In 1978, Streep played a German, "Aryan" woman married to a Jewish man in Nazi Germany in the television miniseries Holocaust, which earned her a Primetime Emmy Award.

<i>Hope Springs</i> (2012 film) 2012 film by David Frankel

Hope Springs is a 2012 American romantic comedy-drama film directed by David Frankel, written by Vanessa Taylor, and starring Meryl Streep, Tommy Lee Jones, and Steve Carell.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Leonardo DiCaprio filmography</span>

Leonardo DiCaprio is an American actor who began his career performing as a child on television. He appeared on the shows The New Lassie (1989) and Santa Barbara (1990) and also had long running roles in the comedy-drama Parenthood (1990) and the sitcom Growing Pains (1991). DiCaprio played Tobias "Toby" Wolff opposite Robert De Niro in the biographical coming-of-age drama This Boy's Life in 1993. In the same year, he had a supporting role as a developmentally disabled boy Arnie Grape in What's Eating Gilbert Grape, which earned him nominations for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor and the Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor – Motion Picture. In 1995, DiCaprio played the leading roles of an American author Jim Carroll in The Basketball Diaries and the French poet Arthur Rimbaud in Total Eclipse. The following year he played Romeo Montague in the Baz Luhrmann-directed film Romeo + Juliet (1996). DiCaprio starred with Kate Winslet in the James Cameron-directed film Titanic (1997). The film became the highest grossing at the worldwide box-office, and made him famous globally. For his performance as Jack Dawson, he received the MTV Movie Award for Best Male Performance and his first nomination for the Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Motion Picture Drama.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">71st Golden Globe Awards</span> Awards ceremony for film and TV from 2013

The 71st Golden Globe Awards, honoring the best in film and American television of 2013, was broadcast live from the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills, California, on January 12, 2014, by NBC, as part of the 2013-14 film awards season. The ceremony was produced by Dick Clark Productions in association with the Hollywood Foreign Press Association. Woody Allen was announced as the Cecil B. DeMille Award honoree for his lifetime achievements on September 13, 2013, and Diane Keaton accepted the award for him. On October 15, Tina Fey and Amy Poehler were announced as the co-hosts for the second time in a row and as the co-hosts for the 72nd Golden Globe Awards. The nominations were announced on December 12, 2013, by Aziz Ansari, Zoe Saldana and Olivia Wilde. American Hustle, Behind the Candelabra, Breaking Bad, Brooklyn Nine-Nine, and Dallas Buyers Club were among the films and television shows that received multiple awards.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">74th Golden Globe Awards</span> American media award ceremony

The 74th Golden Globe Awards, honoring the best in film and American television of 2016, was broadcast live on January 8, 2017 from The Beverly Hilton in Beverly Hills, California beginning at 5:00 p.m. PST / 8:00 p.m. EST by NBC. The ceremony was produced by Dick Clark Productions in association with the Hollywood Foreign Press Association.

<i>The Audition</i> (2015 film) 2015 American comedy short film by Martin Scorsese

The Audition is a 2015 comedy short film directed by Martin Scorsese and written by Terence Winter. It stars Robert De Niro and Leonardo DiCaprio, playing fictionalized versions of themselves, who travel through Asia and compete against each other for a potential role in Scorsese's next film. Brad Pitt, also playing a fictionalized version of himself, makes a cameo appearance.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Martin Scorsese and Leonardo DiCaprio</span> Collaborations

Martin Scorsese and Leonardo DiCaprio are frequent collaborators in cinema, with DiCaprio appearing in six feature films and one short film made by Scorsese since 2002. The films explore a variety of genres, including historical epic, crime, thriller, biopic, comedy and western. Several have been listed on many critics' year-end top ten and best-of-decade lists.

References

  1. 1 2 "Marvin's Room (1996)". The Numbers . Retrieved February 19, 2020.
  2. 1 2 "International Star Chart". Screen International . 5 September 1997. p. 16.
  3. Marks, Peter (December 8, 1996). "Two Wrenching Dramas Find Unexpected New Lives". The New York Times .
  4. A Door Left Opened accessed 11/23/2016
  5. "Marvin's Room (1996)". Rotten Tomatoes . Fandango Media . Retrieved March 1, 2018.
  6. "Marvin's Room Reviews". Metacritic . CBS Interactive . Retrieved March 1, 2018.
  7. "The 69th Academy Awards (1997) Nominees and Winners". Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Archived from the original on November 9, 2014. Retrieved October 23, 2011.
  8. "The BFCA Critics' Choice Awards :: 1996". Broadcast Film Critics Association. Archived from the original on December 12, 2008.
  9. "Marvin's Room – Golden Globes". HFPA . Retrieved July 5, 2021.
  10. "20th Moscow International Film Festival (1997)". MIFF. Archived from the original on March 22, 2013. Retrieved 2013-03-22.
  11. "1996 Award Winners". National Board of Review . Retrieved July 5, 2021.
  12. "The 3rd Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards". Screen Actors Guild Awards . Archived from the original on November 1, 2011. Retrieved May 21, 2016.