My Sister's Keeper-Cameron Diaz, Abigail Breslin

SEE.

You can't really criticize cancer movies. Especially cancer movies involving children with cancer. Especially when the movie is based on a best-selling novel. I can't say this movie wasn't exactly what I expected it to be. It was, in fact, totally what I expected except for the "I'm not really a serious movie even though I'm about cancer" vibe that was all over the screen from the opening credits to the shot of Alec Baldwin and his dog driving away. Somewhere between light-hearted summer fare and depressing Oscar season drama seems to be where this baby falls. The question is why? I mean sure I shed a tear or two, but it did feel a wee bit obligatory. (I know, I know. I'm a monster.)


Anna (Abigail Breslin) battles for the right to control her own body so she doesn't have to give pieces of it to her sick sister, Kate (Sofia Vassilieva.) This was actually the story I came to see. I had hoped for a conflict between family members as each one took a side in an impossible battle. (Afraid I didn't read the book again. I'm such a loser.) I mean I'm not the brightest bulb, but if my kid tells me she's suing me to keep her from having to help her sick sister, I'm pretty sure there would be some physical coercion. Since the other siblings including said sick sister seem to take the whole conflict pretty well, you, the audience member who has not already read the book may suspect that things are not really as they seem.


As cancer patients go, Miss Vassilieva (Please. Can we shorten this last name or take out some vowels?) is certainly a bright spot, yet her character is not given enough depth to make the audience truly care. (Or maybe it was just me, the monster.) There is very little interaction between the siblings on screen so it's hard to feel their loss at the inevitable end. How can we understand the impact of her absence if you don't get to see the effect of her presence? Just a thought. Go-see-sniffle. You know what you're in for.


EAT.

There is a scene meant to draw the audience into the budding romance between fellow cancer survivors, Kate and Taylor (Thomas Dekker.) This scene (or montage really) involves an inordinate amount of french fries. These actors must have starved themselves for days in order to consume the number of french fries necessary to complete the scene. Coulda been worse. It could have been the hard boiled eggs of Cool Hand Luke. In solidarity for their suffering-can anyone like french fries that much?-fry up a batch or visit your favorite burger joint. My new favorite is 8 Oz. Burger Bar located at 7661 Melrose Avenue in Los Angeles.


SHOP.

Scarves?! That would be too easy. Scrapbooks. That's the ticket. With an almost savant-like talent, our sick girl constructs an unbelievably detailed and artistic scrapbook (Thank you, Art Department.) which poignantly details the trials and triumphs that her family has experienced throughout her illness. Yours does not have to be quite as depressing. You could chronicle your life in booze or something equally fascinating. To learn about the fine art of scrapbooking turn to
www.scrapbookscrapbook.com/beginners.html. No, I have no idea why you would need directions to make a scrapbook, but there you are.