What a beautiful, affecting story. Twin sisters from Holland, raised by gay fathers, travel to the US to help out the injured birth mother they've never met. One is serious, uptight, hardworking, career-obsessed; she has issues to work out with the misogynistic, belittling boss who undervalues her. The other is sunny, fun-loving, optimistic, family-oriented; she has issues to work out with her controlling, infantilizing husband. (Yeah, a bit of a Twilight Sparkle/Pinkie Pie dynamic.) The former has never let herself waste time wondering about their "womb," while the latter has always had a bit of an obsession with her visions of their American hippie mom. Yes, there are rotten male characters (on top of the boss and husband, the sisters get assaulted by a despicable group of men outside a tavern), but they're balanced by good ones, and the movie doesn't shove any ham-fisted or misandrist messages down your throat. It's 'feminist,' not obnoxious.The film is carried by excellent performances from the three leading ladies. Carice is truly an extraordinary gem every single time--she's impossibly beautiful AND irresistibly adorable ("cuteiful," I daresay), crazy-good at acting and emoting, graceful, dainty, etc. Her natural wide-eyed innocence and vulnerability can also seep into a character just enough to render her more sympathetic in moments where perhaps the same role, filled by another actress, might not be. Everything she's in is simply so much better than it would be without her. Jelka holds her own alongside her sister and Holly. And Holly? Is every bit as great as you'd naturally anticipate, in the role of the mother who's definitely not what anyone expects. I found myself wondering whether these characters might in any way connect with the van Houtens' real-life personalities and relationship. It's a journey of self-discovery, bonding, learning, love, and growth, and things develop quite interestingly as we learn more and more of Jackie. The drama is amped up by such debacles as running out of gas in the middle of the desert, a terrifying snakebite, being attacked by rapists, the sisters' personal problems, and so on, while the end takes an unforeseen turn. I'd have liked it if both sisters got to do karaoke, since Carice sings wonderfully as well, but that's not an inherent quibble with the script, which gave Sofie her own rewards.This is also the kind of film whose glorious scenery and RV theme spark in me nostalgia for family vacations and road trips, and stoke my own sense of wanderlust. It's gorgeous and should definitely be on people's watchlists.

The basic story is simple: two daughters fly to the USA to go on a road trip to meet their mother for the first time to take her to some hospital, and along the way they bond with their mom, learn to love themselves, and kick out the toxic men in their lives.The best parts of this movie are the interactions between the two sisters. Their conversations and fights seem very natural, and are enjoyable to watch. Holly Hunter's character is mainly there as a catalyst for these interactions, and seems a bit of a waste of her talents.The plot is very contrived at times, especially at the beginning and the end. A precise plot is clearly not the aim of the movie, which is all about the Van Houten sisters reconnect with each other. It's not a great film, nor does it pretend to be, but it's very enjoyable to watch on a Sunday afternoon.

Thoroughly enjoyed this road movie that made me forget I watched it with my friends. There is a good mix between drama and humor. The dutch actresses (sisters Van Houten) act very natural and the American (Holly Hunter) actress acts intriguing. You follow the journey of the Dutch sisters with their long lost Americain mother. Although a difficult process the journey leads to some insight in their lives. It clarifies the way they live their life. By driving their mother round they also add value to her miserable life. The music adds to the atmosphere of the movie that ends with a nice twist in the tale. The story is simple and not flawless, but overall I give it a 8 because of the good mix of drama, humor and atmosphere.

Road-movies can be fun depending on the depth of the story and the journey there and back might even leave you begging for more. "Jackie", however, is an insipid excursion into boredom city, where the waiting-for-something-to-happen is the only thing actually happening. We've all been on that road before, looking for that something meaningful we think we lost and finding it after a long search may not bring the satisfaction we were expecting. It's not a long movie, but the slow pace and lack of rhythm makes it the perfect sleeping medicine. Unfortunately you realize you're still in the theater, so snoozing through the credits might not look very nice. The story is not so bad, but the fact that it takes so long for everything to wrap up makes this movie quite a pain to watch.