Diane Keaton's portrayal of the frustrated Aunt Bessie is probably her best role since "Annie Hall." Keaton plays a humane, misunderstood woman who is trying to come to terms with her estranged sister (Meryl Streep) and her troubled nephew (Leonard DiCaprio) after discovering she has leukemia. It is a strong, subtle performance and it deserves to be in a much better movie than the one provided.
At the start of the film, we see Bessie's estranged sister (Streep) majoring in cosmetology, and raising two sons on her own. When her older son (DiCaprio) burns the house down, he is admitted to a mental institution. Then Streep gets a call from Bessie revealing her condition and her dire need for a bone marrow transplant. Streep reluctantly agrees, and brings her two sons to Florida since they qualify as good candidates for a transplant.
Bessie lives with her bedridden, senile father (Hume Cronyn) and kooky aunt who cries while watching soap operas. Predictably, Bessie and her sister do not get along whereas DiCaprio and Bessie do. I don't need to give away much more of the tedious plot since you may have guessed the rest by now.
"Marvin's Room" is basically a TV movie with a better cast and stagy production values (it is based on a play by Scott Macpherson). As aforementioned, Diane Keaton is forceful and magnetic to watch - her scenes with Streep are powerful. Ditto the scintillating DiCaprio who steals the scenes he shares with Streep and Keaton - the scene with DiCaprio trying to eat chips while Streep insists on asking permission from Bessie is tense and comical. Meryl Streep is believably trashy and uptight - a performance that recalls her "Silkwood" portrayal. There's also the ubiquitous Robert De Niro as an affable doctor who rides in a bicycle and comes to work wearing a helmet (he's also one of the producers of the film). De Niro delivers a blast of subtle, comedic touches - too bad, his role is so short (as in "Sleepers") since he brings the film alive whenever he's on screen.
'Somehow, "Marvin's Room" follows a very clear, formulaic path from the beginning and ends just when things start to get really interesting. Every scene is predictable, and there isn't a sense of spontaneity as you might expect from such a great cast. Still, what distinguishes it from the norm is its refreshing lack of overt sentimentality. That and Diane Keaton's bravura performance warrants a look at this mild, flawed piece.
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