If you want to see a great actors do a bad job then watch this film. Hume Cronyn one of Americas greatest actors should have been told toned his performance. He was so bad in this that Diane Keaton looked so good that she got an Academy Award Nomination. The best thing about this film however is Meryl Streep who once again proves she is the greatest.In this film A leukemia patient attempts to end a 20-year feud with her sister to get her bone marrow.The film is okay to watch but Hume is so bad that it sinks the entire thing

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-??

Even more interesting than the film Marvin's Room is the short tragic life of its creator Scott McPherson. Four years after he died after just completing the screenplay adaption of the play this film was based on, Marvin's Room came to the screen. No doubt the director and cast felt a particular responsibility to honor his vision.Watching Marvin's Room I was reminded of South Riding a novel that has been adapted once to the big screen and twice as mini-series for British television. The author Winifred Holtby had a short life as did McPherson and wrote a novel based on her love of the Yorkshire area of England and the people she grew up among. Though her story is an epic and McPherson's a family portrait both represent a race against mortality that both authors endured to have their work live. I recommend the film South Riding very highly, it stars Ralph Richardson and Edna Best, see my review here.Although Diane Keaton was honored with a Best Actress Oscar nomination the whole ensemble could have been honored. She plays a woman who is the chief caregiver for her aged father Hume Cronyn. Keaton has been diagnosed with leukemia and is in need of a bone marrow transplant. Among likely donors are her sister Meryl Streep and Meryl's sons, Leonardo DiCaprio and Hal Scardino. DiCaprio is a kid with some issues, he was in a mental institution for burning down their house and Streep has to get him sprung for the trip.Nothing is ever resolved for any of these people, but they do come together kind of in this crisis. That's as far as I'll go.One performance that doesn't seem to be talked about much is that of Hal Scardino as the younger son. He reminded me a lot of my younger brother, the age spread between DiCaprio and him is about the same. My family had a lot of drama as well and my brother developed certain defense mechanisms of observing silently what went on around him without necessarily participating thereof. Marvin's Room is a great ensemble production and I certainly hope that Scott McPherson one of the innumerable talents lost to the AIDS epidemic is pleased with what was done with his creation.

i liked this drama starring Meryl Streep and Diane Keaton.the movie starts out as two seemingly separate stories,which end up connecting together under less than ideal circumstances.Leonardo DiCaprio also stars.the acting is good here,particularly from Streep,although Dianne Keaton is good too.DiCaprio(one year before he exploded into super stardom from Titanic)is good but his role is small.Robert De Niro has a role in what amounts to a bit more than a cameo appearance as does Dan Hedaya.you would think the movie would be depressing,but i didn't think it was.it is however,all about the drama,and so it's not fast moving,so that could be a put off for some.if you like dramatic movies,you might like this one.for me,Marvin's Room is a 7/10