The Glass Castle
Thursday, August 10, 2017 11:08:04 PM | (Age Not Specified)
The Glass Castle is the name of the book by Jeannette Walls, written in 2005. The recently released movie of the same name is based on her memoirs. I read the book just over ten years ago. What I recall was a harrowing tale of a dysfunctional family.
This movie, produced 12 years after the book, has been watered down and portrays a father through more sympathetic and understanding eyes (perhaps after years of therapy). It is amazing that Jeannette, her brother Brian and sister Lori over came a life of poverty and abuse to become the successful people they are today. The youngest, Maureen, was the most scarred and troubled.
Having an alcoholic father, Rex and artist mother, Rose Mary, who are immature, self centred and in many ways suffering from their own traumatic upbringing, loved their children in their own special way. There are elements of mental illness, being delusional, abusive, neglectful, and a desire to reject societal norms.
Really great acting by Woody Harrelson (Jeannette’s father, Rex); he is almost unrecognizable. All the actors are strong and believable from Brie Larson, who portrays the adult Jeannette, to Naomi Watts as Rose Mary. The cinematographer really captures the towns, the run down homes and both the pathetic and successful people, who enter Jeannette’s life. We can pick our friends but we can’t pick our families.
