Wild Iris

Gena Rowlands and Laura Linney turn in outstanding performances in this dark tale of mother-daughter love and hate. Built around small-town life, suicide, and failure, this story takes a few dark turns before finding the light. Linney is outstanding as the lost daughter who can't get her life back after her husband commits suicide. Gena Rowlands is (as always) excellent as the domineering mother who seems to thrive on her daughter's failures. Superior TV movie with good work from Fred Ward and Emile Hirsch as the boy who takes a drastic step to save all their lives.

This is a quiet film and many haven't even heard of it. Non the less, it's worth it's one and a half hours.

At first glance u might think it's a little "Hallmark", but trust me this is much more.

Kent Broadhurst has written a beautiful script and one can even think it was written for the actors playing in it.

This is the kind of film u see at home alone, or with someone u care about and someone u can show some feelings to.

If u allow it, this movie can bring some feelings out.

Laura Linney plays beautifully as she portrays a some what drunken single mom, with her dreams shattered as her husband takes his own life.

Emile Hirsch shines in the part as her teenage son. Brining his softly spoken being to the cast, he makes u want to stretch out a hand and help him in his struggles.

This is a film that leaves u with you're brain working, and that's how i like it.

A good movie with nice moments.

Henning - Norway!

Not a cheery film, but riveting. Rowlands and Linney are both brilliant, and Laura Linney is especially so. She equals or exceeds her performance in You Can Count On Me, and she should have won the oscar for that film going away. If Linney does not soon win an Academy Award, there is no justice. She is one of the best actors working today, ranking right up there with Meryl Streep. She is totally convincing and incredibly moving in this role; as Iris, playing once more against type. I stumbled on to this film on one of the Showtime channels late at night. I've seen no promotion for it, and I'm shocked that I haven't. In its way, and certainly in the Linney and Rowlands performances, it's as good as Dinner With Friends, which had its premiere on HBO earlier the same night. Dinner With Friends was promoted hugely. Wild Iris is equally rewarding. I can't imagine why the Showtime publicity engines have not been running overtime. I'd be very proud to have produced this film with these two principals.

This is not a Hollywood "feel good" movie. It centers around a daugher, played wonderfully by Laura Linney, who abuses alcohol while she bickers with her mother. Laura Linney is one of my favorite character actors and turns in yet another exceptional performance as a bitter and frustrated mother and daughter trying to cope with the aftermath of losing a husband and moving back in with her mother.

This is a "slice of life" movie where we get the opportunity to see characters evolve through their life experiences. We come to care about the people in this movie and see them make mistakes and sometimes learn from them.

If you these plot-centered movies such as "You Can Count on Me", you will enjoy this movie.

Iris Bravard (Laura Linney) is an alcoholic mother and widow, living and working with her dominating mother Minnie Brinn (Gena Rowlands), due to the lack of professional and financial options. Iris has a sweet teenager son, Lonnie Bravard (Emilie Hirsch), who feels the absence of his father. Lonnie is divided by his feelings for his mother and for his grandmother. Minnie `builds' marriages through wedding dresses and parties, but ironically has destroyed her daughter's marriage. Iris` husband Ronnie Dale Bravard (Scott Gibson) had not supported the treatment spent by Minnie to him and committed suicide eight years ago. Iris dreams of finding a job and leaving her mother's home. Although having a very sad non-commercial story, this movie is excellent. First of all, due to the performance of Laura Linney and Gena Rowlands, which certainly are among the best actresses in the worldwide cinema industry. I believe that presently I am one of the greatest fan of Laura Linney's work, mainly since after watching `You Can Count on Me'. Gena Rowlands (from `Gloria') has always been a synonym of a good movie. Watching them working together, is a dream for a movie maniac like me. Then, because of the screenplay and director, who conducts the plot without being corny. Although having space for a melodramatic point of view, Daniel Petrie (from the marvelous "Rocket Gibraltar") conducts the dramatic story very honestly without any final redemption of the characters, except Iris. My vote is eight.

Title (Brazil): `Marcas de um Suicídio' (`Marks of one Suicide')