Cinema: True Grace

A family tries to accept an approaching death

Kate Gulden (Meryl Streep) is the kind of woman who gives surprise costume parties for her husband's birthday, is worried about her careerist daughter's lack of culinary skills and spends far too much time with like-minded ladies making sure the town Christmas trees are suitably decorated. She is, in short, the kind of person no one, including her loved ones, takes very seriously--until she begins dying before her time.

One True Thing, a patient, unforced adaptation of Anna Quindlen's novel by screenwriter Karen Croner and director Carl Franklin, contains lots of true things about that process. For it immerses us...

Want the full story?

Subscribe Now

Subscribe
Subscribe

Learn more about the benefits of being a TIME subscriber

If you are already a subscriber sign up — registration is free!