The Book of Stars

This movie is all about love and facts of life. May be that is the way which love,solidarity and hope really need to be told. Book of stars may be the story of the ordinary people' life that don't hide behind the painted masks.

This is one of those small independent gems that apparently the studios refused to take a chance on and as a result is being seen solely on videotape and at assorted film festivals. I just had the pleasure of viewing it at the Sedona Film Festival, where after one showing word of mouth spread and the second and last viewing was packed. One of the things that made this film so memorable for me is that it took what could have been a terribly maudlin plot line -- one sister dying of cystic fibrosis being cared for by an older sister -- and elevated it to what I found to be a fascinating story of redemption and inspiration. It helps that the older sister is a cynical hooker, played by the ever-effective Mary Stuart Masterson, and that the younger sister is upbeat without being ickypoo cute, as played by Jena Malone, who no doubt is bound for glory despite's this film's failure to get wide distribution. Delroy Lindo, always effective but perpetually underused, is also marvelous as a kindly yet prickly friend to both sisters.

Finally, I shed tears at the end of this film, and I'm a cynical writer.

I hate "Disease of the Week" movies that centre on the plight of a character with a major disease. One of the few to date with redeeming social value was "Lorenzo's Oil." I saw Book of Stars at the Victoria Independent Film and Video Festival, and now we can add this movie to that list. Michael Miner's visual imagery is stunning, and the acting performances of Mary Stuart Masterson and Jena Malone are searing, riveting and astounding. Delroy Lindo adds some weight with his performance, and the story telling is superb. Even the potentially cliched hospital sequences ring true and are sure to moisten even the hardest heart's eyeballs. See this movie now!

It's entitled "There isn't enough cement in the form of actors' performances or plot beats to solidify and manifest this melodrama's intentions."

I just HATE factual errors. This person said the movie is about a girl dying of lung cancer. NOT TRUE NOT TRUE NOT TRUE. And very important to note, thank you! Jena Malone's character is dying from a genetic disease called CYSTIC FIBROSIS that affects roughly 30,000 Americans. For those of you that actually wish to learn, try here: http://www.cff.org/home/

Other movies about characters with CF include: Sick http://imdb.com/title/tt0120126/ Alex: The Life of a child http://imdb.com/title/tt0090602/ Lifebreath http://imdb.com/title/tt0102267/

These aren't necessarily really spectacular movies, but they all address CF.

"The Book of Stars" is a tale of two sisters; a 15 year old who is dying (Malone) and an older sib (Masterson) who turns to prostitution to pay medical expenses while trying to cope emotionally. With the look and feel of a low budget indie, "Book..." comes off like a weeper with a purpose although that purpose never quite crystallizes in spite of a brief narrated explanation at the end. The film showcases some solid performances by its ensemble cast and has many poignant moments which make it a worthwhile watch. However, the attempt to be visually poetic and work the "star" angle is nebulous (no pun) and a little less window dressing might have worked better though the final product does show sensitivity, heart, and compassion. An okay watch best saved for cable.