Janet
McTeer recieved an Oscar nomination for her performance in this film that made
it's debut at the Sundance Film Festival a couple of years back.
In
Tumbleweeds, McTeer plays a southerner who moves whenever she gets herself into
a little bit of emotional trouble. This does not go over well with her daughter
(Kimberly J. Brown).
This
film bares major resembelences to Anywhere But Here, a film with Susan Sarandon
and Natalie Portman that came out earlier this year. Surprisingly, I liked Tumbleweeds
a little bit better, and I think it's because of a more winning chemistry between
McTeer and Brown. Sarandon did a good job and Portman was spectacular, but McTeer
and Brown seem to have naturalism on there side.
The
real revelation in Tumbleweeds is Brown. She gives an honest, and refreshing performance
as a young girl on the verge of womanhood. There's also a stunning performance
from the underarated Jay O. Sanders as one of McTeer's co-workers.
Tumbleweeds
is a film about finding a place where you belong. It's also a great story about
the love between a mother and a daughter. A nice change of pace from the usual
bickering were used to seeing on the big screen. The Next Best Thing is a big
mess full of attractive and talented people. It's a stunningly displeasing movie
complete with a pretentious walking-off-into-the-sunset ending.
