Need I say more? Joan Cusack, even though she didn't have all that much screen time, absolutely was heartbreakingly convincing. Couldn't take my eyes of her, this remarkable, strangely twitchy face, her darting eyes so deep, so profoundly, incomparably deep - yes, she's the one.
shareShe should have played Sara, not stupid Cameron Diaz.
Having Cameron Diaz play the mother was a slap in the face to everyone who read the book.
Perfect Cast:
Sara: Joan Cusack
Brian: Billy Campbell or Dermot Mulroney
Campbell: AARON ECKHART
Still haven't seen this movie due to the BEYOND *beep* casting + changing the ending.
I think Cameron did a convincing job myself but hey to each his own.
I'm here to talk about JOAN!!! Those few minutes she had on screen were Oscar worthy if you ask me. It takes a truly gifted actress to sit there, not say anything and hardly move and yet create such a true and whole expression of grief.
She made this movie for me.
And the young actress who played Kate... I hope to see much more of her.
I totally agree that Joan Cusack absolutely nailed this part. She's played some wacky roles, like the agent in Where the Heart Is. This role proves she can play them all and get it right!
shareI think diaz played her role convincingly enough, but not really an Oscar worthy performance as such but Joan....oh *beep* wow. that woman is just bloody incredible, i hope she never stops making good films, she has too much talent.
"It's all very complex. Or else it's very simple. Or perhaps both. Or neither."
I totally agree, it was Joan Cusack's performance that I was still thinking about weeks after seeing the film.
shareWow, I logged in here tonight just to say 'bravo' for Joan as well. Absolutely brilliant. Reminds me of her brother John's performance in 'Grace is Gone' - he nailed that as well.
shareI thought she was excellent in Raising Helen however even with limited screen time in MSK, this was her strongest performance. As you mentioned it was her facial gestures that grabbed you. When Anna asked about what it was like when someone died ... I felt the pain. A truly gifted actor.
shareJoan Cusak, Jason Patric, and Sofia Vassilieva were the best actors in this movie. But Cameron Diaz, Abigail Breslin and Alec Baldwin get all the billing.
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joan cusack is always wonderful to watch in any role. once upon a time, she was a lead actress. character or lead actress, she is competent.
and she is beautiful, especially in this movie. what presence. i kept comparing her face with cameron in the court scene, and she wins, hands down.
Her role in this movie is the reason I came to this board. I’ve seen My Sister's Keeper several times. I'm actually watching it now. I have yet to get through the in-chambers scene with Anna without tears. Joan usually plays such a quirky character. I think ‘typical Joan’ of her character in Nine Months or Confessions of a Shopaholic. But there was nothing typical about this role. I can’t imagine anyone else doing it as well as Joan.
shareOh she is AWESOME and I really admire her. She made this movie to me. It was heartbreaking watching her reaction to a minor question which to me seemed to real. That is a real reaction of someone in mourning.
shareExactly ! she was robbed of a Best Supporting Actress Oscar nomination in my opinion. She was fantastic in this movie, a scene stealer
shareI couldn't agree more. There is something about her as an actress that I have always loved, and this movie is no exception. She did a great job at taking a small role and bringing just the right emotion to it. She can really go deep, but she's also very funny. I love the way she delivers her dialogue, even at the part where she was saying "Do you understand how far a thousand yards is?"
She would have made an excellent Julia if the filmmakers had decided to keep that character from Jodi Picoult's book.