“The Glass Castle” is a far better book than movie. While this is not surprising on its face, since books are often more complex, moving and involving than their screen adaptations, it is astonishing for other reasons.
The cast is topnotch. Oscar winners and nominees abound. Director Destin Daniel Cretton adapted Jeannette Walls’ bestselling 2005 memoir of a turbulent and destitute upbringing. His previous directorial effort was 2013’s “Short Term 12,” a deeply moving and credible drama about at-risk kids. It would seem an inspired choice having him direct another film about endangered children, especially one starring such stellar actors as Woody Harrelson, Naomi Watts and his “Short Term” star Brie Larson.
But in Cretton’s hands, this fact-based tale of an oddball, destitute upbringing rings false. It’s based on a woman’s complicated personal recollections of her traumatic childhood, and yet it feels like a cloying, one-note Hollywood tale, the beastly trauma all tied up with a pretty bow and de-fanged.
The story centers on Jeannette (Larson), her sisters Lori (Sarah Snook, “The Dressmaker”), Maureen (Brigette Lundy-Paine) and brother Brian (Josh Caras, “Hell on Wheels”), and the parents who kept them out of school and on the run, allowing them to get burned, attacked and otherwise imperiled as they looked the other way. The children are dragged along to a succession of ramshackle living quarters by their dad Rex (Harrelson), a dreamer and ne’er-do-well fueled by a steady stream of alcohol, and mom Rose Mary (Watts), who paints beatifically as her children beg for food.
Rex is belligerent with authority and insists that each place they move to will be better. It never is. Essentially, these two able-bodied adults abdicate their responsibility as parents and jeopardize their children’s lives repeatedly. Rex spends hours, usually drunk, drawing plans for a glass castle. He rarely works. Rose Mary sits at her easel and ignores the world around her, filling each of their dilapidated dwellings with her artwork. Their fights are knock-down, drag-out affairs.
In one scene, the kids haven’t eaten for three days. When they line up and complain that they’re starving, Rex takes a few dollars squirreled away by Rose Mary ostensibly to buy food, then is gone for days on a bender.
Just how many movies do we need about dysfunctional families in which parents do terrible, cruel things to their children and to each other, but are ultimately deemed eccentric, adorable and loving? The fictional list is long and the movies are uneven. (A sampling: “The Family Stone,” “Little Miss Sunshine,” “Margot at the Wedding,” “This is Where I Leave You,” “Happiness,” “The Royal Tenenbaums,” “August Osage County.”) Films based on grim, true-life family memoirs (“Running with Scissors,” “Anywhere but Here,” “Mommie Dearest,” “This Boy’s Life”) have generally failed to fully capture the tone of the book. It’s a tricky feat to pull off.
Here, readers will notice that several scenes and plot points were added for the film. And, as often happens in book adaptations, many scenes and key details were left out. In the book, the kids are nearly taken away from the parents (after an incident involving Rex’s pistol). The family escapes the authorities. Also in the book, Rose Mary supports the family with teaching jobs. She suffers from repeated nervous breakdowns. The movie depicts her with one image — constantly painting, reducing Rose Mary to a caricature and far less essential to the story than the mercurial Rex.
Perhaps the biggest failure of the film lies with its emotional tenor and the desire for a redemptive, upbeat ending. It’s the wrong approach entirely. Growing up in harrowing poverty with untrustworthy, neglectful parents is not easily resolved. Wrapping up all the loose ends (and overlooking the painful scars) as simply as the film does feels reductive and insincere.
Forgiveness is an admirable inclination and, certainly, it’s an instinct that many draw upon in order to cope with family dysfunction and human frailty. But portraying alcohol-fueled violence, child endangerment and chronic selfishness in an endearing light is hard to stomach, let alone enjoy.
Larson as the adult Jeannette does a fine job, though nowhere near as good as her portrayals in “Short Term 12” or “Room.” Ella Anderson (“Henry Danger”), the actress who plays Jeannette from about the ages of 9-13, is even better. Her sad-eyed, worried expression and tired resignation convey reservoirs of unspoken angst. Her authentic performance perfectly suits the unstable and upsetting childhood she and her siblings must endure. She’s the highlight of the film. Anderson’s haunted eyes, which look as if they’ve lived 50 years, will stay with the viewer long after the credits roll.
If only Cretton had found a way to make this Jeannette the main focus of the story, rather than following the adult Jeannette to her career (as a gossip columnist), marriage to a wealthy New York businessman and eventual embracing of her negligent mother and abusive father.
The book, as written by Walls, felt illuminating. As it’s been translated to the screen, it feels exploitative and false. Perhaps this is partially due to the perspective of screenwriters Cretton and Andrew Lanham. The focus of the film becomes Rex and his fickle charm and instability. The final third is all about Jeannette’s coming to terms with this brutal man, embracing her familial bond.
Cretton and Lanham whitewash his callous, unhinged behavior and try to make him into a character that’s benignly stubborn and intolerant of boredom and bureaucracy. They try to render him cute. And Harrelson does his best to pull it off. But it simply doesn’t work.
If they were going to embellish from the original book, as they did in several questionable instances, perhaps they might have explored Rex’s character taking responsibility for his failings. A throwaway sentence on his deathbed is not enough. “I got a lot to regret about my life,” is the closest Rex comes to an apology.
(Interestingly, Cretton and Lanham also co-wrote this year’s “The Shack,” starring Octavia Spencer and Sam Worthington, which explores faith and forgiveness following a tragedy.)
At one point, an angry Jeannette insists: “We were never a family. We were a nightmare.” “The Glass Castle” welcomes us to her nightmare. It’s an unpleasant cinematic trip, a complicated experience approached in much too facile a way to be truly affecting.
50 Actresses Over 50 Who Still Rule Hollywood (Photos)
These strong women have aged gracefully — while still governing Hollywood.
The Australian Oscar winner has kept busy with blockbusters ("Aquaman"), award-winning indies ("Boy Erased") and TV hits like HBO's "Big Little Lies" and "The Undoing."
After starring in 2015's "Cinderella," this Oscar nominee reprised a different Disney role as the Red Queen in "Alice Through the Looking Glass." And then won acclaim on Netflix's "The Crown."
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Yuh-Jung Youn (birthdate: 06/19/47)
South Korean actress Yuh-Jung Youn has graced Korean screens for decades and recently brought her talents to the U.S. in "Minari," earning her an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress in 2021.
Aside from the fact that she's the only black woman to win an Oscar for Best Actress, she recently starred in "X-Men: Days of Future Past," "John Wick: Chapter 3 - Parabellum" and two movies in the "Kingsman" series.
An accomplished SAG and Emmy winner, Davis starred in ABC’s hit series "How to Get Away With Murder" and the two "Suicide Squad" movies (including a 2021 sequel). She also starred in the 2020 drama "Ma Rainey's Black Bottom."
Following the enormous success of her breakout series "Sex and the City," Jessica Parker starred in a string of romantic comedies. She starred in HBO's comedy "Divorce."
The Oscar nominee has been busy, voicing the mother in Pixar's "Inside Out," playing Cleo Trumbo in "Trumbo," and Martha Kent in 2013's "Man of Steel" and 2016's "Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice." She starred opposite Kevin Costner in 2020's "Let Him Go."
Since the '80s, Fox has made a name for herself in both film and TV, including appearances in Fox's "Empire," "Independence Day: Resurgence" and Lifetime's series of "Wrong" movies.
The Oscar-winning Tomei maintains a tireless work ethic, playing roles in "The Big Short," "Captain America: Civil War," and the Tom Holland "Spider-Man" movies.
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Queen Latifah (birthdate: 03/19/1970)
The rapper turned actress and producer stars in CBS' hit reboot of "The Equalizer."
Taraji broke out in "Baby Boy," and has garnered recognition for her roles in "Hustle and Flow" and 'The Curious Case of Benjamin Button." She most recently starred in "Hidden Figures" and rocked everybody's world as Cookie on "Empire."
After turning heads in "The Passion of the Christ" and two of the three "Matrix" films, the Italian actress returned to the silver screen as a Bond girl in 2015's "Spectre." And then starred as Italian photographer Tina Modotti in the miniseries "Radical Eye."
The actress broke out in the late-'90s series "Ally McBeal," then starred in films like "Charlie's Angels" and "Kill Bill." In 2019, she wrapped a long run playing Watson in CBS' Sherlock Holmes series "Elementary."
This three-time Oscar and Tony nominee is working hard, with big roles in shows like "Ozark," "Tales of the City" and Viggo Mortensen's film "Falling."
Octavia Spencer had her big break with her role in "The Help" in 2011 -- and she won an Oscar for it. Since, she's starred in "Fruitvale Station," "Hidden Figures," and "Ma."
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Ming-Na Wen (birthdate: 11/20/63)
In addition to being the enchanting voice of the heroine in Disney's "Mulan," Wen is known for her roles on "Stargate Universe," Disney+'s "The Mandalorian" and ABC's "Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D."
Since her days as a "Friends" leading lady, Kudrow has been active in film and TV, playing characters in Netflix’s "BoJack Horseman," "Neighbors 2: Sorority Rising," the 2019 indie hit "Booksmart" and the Netflix comedy "Space Force."
The "As Good As It Gets" actress drew acclaim in 2012 for her role in Sundance favorite "The Sessions" and recently starred in the sitcom reboot "Mad About You."
Even after the end of ABC's "Ugly Betty" and the short-lived "666 Park Avenue," Williams has kept working with projects like "Daytime Divas" and Justin Simien's 2020 film "Bad Hair."
Whiledoing charity work for her anti-sex-trafficking foundation Thorn, Moore has returned to the screen in TV projects like "Empire," "Animals." and "Brave New World."
After appearing in "Elysium" and "Carnage," the Oscar-winning actress took a break from acting and returned to directing with 2016's "Money Monster" starring George Clooney and Julia Roberts and an episode of "Black Mirror." She then appeared in front of the camera in 2020's "Prisoner 760."
With a career that spans four decades, Jason Leigh earned an Oscar nomination for 2015's "The Hateful Eight," then starred in shows like "Twin Peaks," "Patrick Melrose" and "Atypical" as well as movies like 2020's "The Woman in the Window."
Despite the 2016 cancellation of her short-lived sitcom "Angel from Hell," Lynch has made strides in the past few years, hosting NBC's "Hollywood Game Night" and earning Emmy attention for "The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel."
Having appeared in both mainstream and art-house films, Moore received acclaim for her Oscar-winning performance in "Still Alice." She followed with showy roles in 2020's "The Woman in the Window" and Julie Taymor's "The Glorias."
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Lorraine Toussaint (birthdate: 04/04/60)
Starting her career in theater before transitioning into film and TV, Toussaint has appeared in Ava DuVernay's "Selma" and the short-lived Fox series "Forever." She's also received praise for her work as Vee in Netflix's "Orange Is the New Black" and series like "Into the Badlands" and "The Village."
One of Hollywood and Britain's most accomplished performers, Thompson appeared in 2017's "Beauty and the Beast," Mindy Kaling's "Late Night" in 2019 and 2021's "Cruella."
An actress known for her roles in horror films and the 2003 comedy "Freaky Friday," Lee Curtis has lately appeared on screen in 2018's "Halloween" reboot and 2019's "Knives Out."
Though she's known primarily for her film roles, including her turn in Spike Lee's 2016 drama "Chi-Raq" and 2018's "Black Panther," Bassett is a TV regular, particularly in FX's anthology series "American Horror Story" and "9-1-1."
In addition to being a TV personality, a two-time Oscar host and an LGBTQ advocate, DeGeneres found time to reprise her role as the forgetful blue tang in Pixar's 2016 hit "Finding Dory," the sequel to 2003's "Finding Nemo."
The Georgia-born Oscar winner returned to film in 2012 after a seven-year hiatus, and has since had roles in "The Big Sick," "Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice," and TV shows like "Here and Now" and "Succession."
Known for her early '90s roles in "Sex, Lies, & Videotape," "Groundhog Day," and "Four Weddings and a Funeral," MacDowell has appeared in recent films like "Only the Brave" and 2019's "Ready or Not."
The three-time Academy Award nominee appeared in 2015's acclaimed "Room" and ABC's mystery melodrama "The Family" as well as Apple TV+'s "Lisey's Story."
Russo, a Vogue model-turned-BAFTA nominated actress, juggled lots of roles in recent movies, including Marvel's "Thor," the neo-noir thriller "Nightcrawler" the Nancy Meyers comedy "The Intern" and 2019's "Velvet Buzzsaw."
The actress and producer has kept busy since ending her long-running daytime talk show, overseeing her OWN network and appearing in series like "Greenleaf" and movies such as "The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks" and "A Wrinkle in Time."
The Golden Globe and SAG-winning actress starred in the 2016 crime comedy caper "The Nice Guys" and had a big role in the last two "Fifty Shades" movies.
A well-known character actress, Steenburgen has appeared in several TV shows (Fox’s "The Last Man on Earth," Netflix's "Orange Is the New Black") and films ("Song One," "A Walk in the Woods"). She starred in the 2016 drama "The Devil and the Deep Blue Sea" and 2018's "Book Club."
Since her breakthrough role in 1973’s “Live and Let Die,” Seymour has kept busy in projects like the 2016 spoof movie "Fifty Shades of Black" and the CW’s "Jane the Virgin."
One of the most recognized and active women working in Hollywood today, Streep is keeping her acclaimed acting streak alive. Recent projects include "The Post," "Little Women," Netflix's "The Prom" and HBO's "Big Little Lies."
The "Ghostbusters" alum has been in 12 movies since 2010, ranging from "Chappie" to "The Cabin in the Woods." She had a cameo in 2016's female-led remake of "Ghostbusters" and stars in James Cameron's upcoming "Avatar" sequels.
A multiple Oscar, Golden Globe, and SAG winner, Lange has been drawing acclaim since the '80s, especially for her performance in FX’s "American Horror Story."
Since her breakout debut in Francis Ford Coppola's "The Godfather Part II," Coll has had recurring TV roles in shows like "Switched at Birth," "Glee" and "Teen Wolf." She starred as Alba Villanueva in the CW's "Jane the Virgin."
The "Fatal Attraction" star garnered praise and an Oscar nomination for 2017's "The Wife" and has clocked roles in the "Guardians of the Galaxy" movies as well as 2020's "Hillbilly Elegy."
The Oscar winner is another one of Hollywood's biggest and most active actresses, including memorable turns in recent movies like the "Red" and "Fast & Furious" series as well as shows like "Catherine the Great."
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Nicole Kidman joins Robin Wright, Viola Davis, and Laura Linney among the stars making waves on screen
These strong women have aged gracefully — while still governing Hollywood.