Jerry Zaks

This is the story of two sisters, estranged for 19 years, who get together when one of them receives bad news.

Bessie is almost too good to be true, caring for her bed-ridden father, and eccentric Aunt Ruth. Almost, but not quite. Her sister Lee, by contrast, has made her own way in the world as a single mother, with a rebellious 18-year-old son and a bookworm younger son.

The production is good, the acting excellent. Meryl Streep excels herself as Lee, by no means typecast yet quite believable. There are some moments of humour that made us chuckle, and some medical moments that made us cringe. The family dynamics work well, and it was encouraging to see the potential for healing - no spoiler there; this is part of the blurb on the back.

Unfortunately the movie ends rather suddenly, leaving many threads wide open. But it was still excellent, and we would recommend it highly.

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