Ellen Foster

I was astonished to read the review characterizing Ellen as a "brat" who "couldn't get along with anybody." The title character in the story is sweet, gentle, and patient (although sometimes pushed to the point of frustration with people who repeatedly trample her.) She, in fact, gets along with everyone in the movie who is even slightly kind to her. The movie is a heartwarming and thought-provoking story that avoids being whiney or saccharrine-sweet.

i've read positive reviews of this program and only signed on here to counterpoint the first writer. EF is a brilliant little book and the title character is so far from being a brat that the first reviewer here sounds like one of ellen's relatives. i don't know how successful the film is in conveying the powerful combination of poverty and abuse that EF overcomes on her own, but the book is a dry-eyed treasure, just like its heroine.

I saw this movie last night for the first time on the Odyssey Channel, and it is on again now. I thought it was brilliant, and nobody could have matched the way Jena Malone brought Ellen to life. Jena is one of my favorite actresses (I've seen 3 of her movies this month!) and I have been a fan of hers for a long time. I think that this is one of her most powerful roles, and she did a great job in her portrayal as the child of an alcoholic father being shuffled from relative to relative after her mother dies. Jena is definitely going to be a major actress when she gets older, as her acting talents are unbelievable. :)

Ellen Foster is the story of a 10 year old girl desperately searching for a true family to call her own. When her mother dies she is left with her father until taken away when the school learns he hits her. She stays with a teacher who volunteers to take her in and who gives her a taste of what a happy family could be like. This ends when her harridan of a grandmother lies in court by telling the judge that she wants custody. Turns out she just wants cheap slave labor, and she goes so far as to tell Ellen that she intends on making her pay for the death of her mother, though Ellen had nothing to do with anything that the father did to her. Soon the grandmother has a stroke and then dies. She is taken in by one of her aunts who is nicer than the grandmother but only on the surface. Ellen's cousin despises her and this situation soon leads to a fight that has Ellen leaving the house on Christmas Day to go to The Foster house. She thinks that the home is a family named Foster, but it is a woman who takes in girls that are unwanted or orphaned. Jena Malone as in her previous film, Bastard Out of Carolina, stars as the abused child, but rather than seem like the pedestrian movie of the week, it is a standout performance. She may still be considered a child actress, but it is very hard not to notice that she's got some great acting chops.

Like many Hall of Fame movies, this is not a romance. There isn't even a romance side story. This movie has a depressing tone through all most all of it. There are some funny moments sprinkled in but they are overwhelmed by the darkness. Basically this is a story of a child who is abused. Most of the abuse is emotional and it is severe. She gets hit at least once. Her sick mother dies in her arms and after that she gets shuffled into mostly bad situations. The worst part for Ellen is that almost everyone, with two exceptions, not only doesn't want her but takes joy in making her suffer. The theme of being wanted is the heart of the story.

This movie is set in the South where "white trash" is a thing. Many of the characters in the movie, especially Ellen's relatives, consider her father to be white trash and that extends to Ellen by relation.

This movie examines the irony that when it comes to social services, family is worse than the system. In the first court case, the judge is adamant that family is supreme and that Ellen belongs with members of her family. (Was there no report by a social worker in this case? Hmm.) This despite a speech by Ellen criticizing her family members and expressing the desire to remain with an unrelated couple who loves her. Actually, in this regard, the system is pretty bad, meaning the court, but foster families are viewed as wonderful by comparison to relatives.

Jena Malone dominates the movie as what I think is a ten year old girl. Ellen's courage and perseverance are amazing. I find it hard to believe that such a person could exist given what happens to her.

As I said, the tone of the movie is mostly depressing. Despite that, the story held my interest. The pace was good. The character Ellen draws in the viewer.