Product Details

• Actors: Meryl Streep, Leonardo DiCaprio, Diane Keaton, Robert De Niro, Hume Cronyn
• Format: Closed-captioned, Color, DVD, Letterboxed, Widescreen, NTSC
• Language: English (Dolby Digital 2.0 Surround)
• Region: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only. Read more about DVD formats.)
  
• Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1
• Number of discs: 1
• Rated: PG-13 (Parental Guidance Suggested)
• Studio: Miramax
• DVD Release Date: February 9, 1999
• Run Time: 98 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (99 customer reviews)
• ASIN: 6305268827
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #61,599 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)
• For more information about "Marvin's Room" visit the Internet Movie Database (IMDb)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com essential video

Scott McPherson's off-Broadway hit made a strong transition to the screen in this 1996 film by director Jerry Zaks. Diane Keaton stars as a woman who, while taking care of her vegetating father in Florida, discovers that she has leukemia. Only her long-estranged sister (Meryl Streep) or the sister's children can provide a possible match for a bone-marrow transplant. But the reunion is a rocky one, marked both by Streep's guilt at having abandoned her sister to take care of their father, and by the explosive dynamic between Streep and her rebellious, pyromaniac oldest son (Leonardo DiCaprio). As grim as this all sounds, there is a strong vein of black humor running through it that has the viewer laughing at unlikely moments (particularly Keaton's visits to her distracted doctor, a surprisingly funny Robert De Niro). But rest assured: tears will flow, even as the film makes you reassess all of your own family relationships. --Marshall Fine

Product Description

Leonardo DiCaprio (TITANIC, CATCH ME IF YOU CAN) drives an electrifying performance as the criminally rebellious son in this funny and stirring tale of one family's humor and heartache. Seventeen years ago, fiercely independent Lee (Meryl Streep -- ADAPTATION) left home ... and left behind her kindhearted sister Bessie (Diane Keaton -- THE FIRST WIVES CLUB) to care for their father, Marvin (Hume Cronyn). But now Lee is returning with her teenage son (DiCaprio), for a homecoming that's sure to turn the entire household upside down! Also starring Robert DeNiro (CASINO), this entertaining motion picture proves that people you know the least may be the ones you need the most!

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Deeply touching!, October 26, 2004

By 

Thayer - See all my reviews

This review is from: Marvin's Room (DVD)

One of the best dramas of the 90's. I've seen this movie a number of times since its release and it never fails to move me. It is a story of two estranged sisters whose life choices drove them to different paths but after years of no contact brought them together again when one needs a bone marrow transplant due to cancer. That's when they had the chance to talk about unsaid feelings and provide them a closure. Diane Keaton played the sister with the cancer and Streep the sister who'll try to give the transplant. Leonardo di Caprio (underrated actor) plays Streeps rebellious son and De Niro has a semi cameo as Keaton's doctor. The titular Marvin is the father of Streep and Keaton whose been dying for years without actually dying.

Meryl Streep and Diane Keaton were perfection. I especially enjoyed Streep's performance. It was fun seeing her play a bitch and she nailed the role. But Diane Keaton ultimately takes over the movie especially in the end. I was deeply moved by her performance, so natural and true that it stays with me long after the movie ends.

There's a moving scene towards the end of the movie, when out of the blue Keaton said to Streep that she's very lucky because her life was full of love and then Streep consoled her and said yes many people loves her. But Keaton said it's not about that. What she meant was she's very lucky to love her dad and her aunt so much. Makes you realize that the best feeling in the world is to love someone regardless whether reciprocated or not. The ending was just perfect, it's still sad but in a good way where the characters reached the peak of their character arcs. It's a triumphant ending.

I recommend this film to the highest regard possible. It's full of heart and I don't want to say life lessons because the movie ain't preachy, but I guess in some ways made you think about your own life.

Grade: A

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Good Performances In A Good Movie, January 28, 2002

By 

Barry "Barrybgb" - See all my reviews

This review is from: Marvin's Room [VHS] (VHS Tape)

This movie is based on Scott McPherson's off - Broadway play. It has been turned into a wonderful little movie. A movie that is sort of one of those lost gems. Meryl Streep heads an impeccable all star cast as a woman who comes back in contact with her long estranged sister, played by Diane Keaton. Keaton's character has been taking care of her and Streep's very old and very ill father(played so realistically by Hume Cronyn). Keaton's character then finds out that she has leukemia and needs a bone marrow transplant. The only donors that can help are Meryl and her wayward kids(headed by the solid Leonardo DiCaprio). Meryl and the kids head down to Florida where Keaton is and, well, they bring along some of their own little dysfunction. The movie is sad, but not in the ball your eyes out way. It avoids the usual scenes of death beds and a huge dying scene. None of that is here. The movie is about the family, and the two estranged sisters coming together. Not to mention Meryl's character coming to terms with her son Hank(Leo). The film definitley hits some emotional highs, but it's not, as I've said above, the usual way we've seen it a hundred times before. Robert De Niro appears in a fairly small role as Keaton's character. He also co-produced the film. Our main stars here all shine brightly. Keaton is great, as always. Meryl and Leo makes their characters believeable, if not very sympathetic. In the end, it's Keaton who shines the brightest. Marvin's Room is a nice family drama that was horribly overlooked and forgotten by most people. Give it a chance.

19 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I LOVED IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!, April 5, 1999

By 

Golden Girls fan "Adam" (Alabama, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Marvin's Room [VHS] (VHS Tape)

Words cannot express how much I love this movie! I bought like 8 copies of it and gave them out for Christmas. The music makes me cry and I love the story. My family is sorta like the one in the film and my grandpa is a lot like Marvin. It was very easy to relate to the story. Meryl Streep, Diane Keaton, Leo, Gwen Verdon, Robert De Niro and Hume Cronyn all deserve Oscars and I don't know why that Academy can't recognize great stories when they see it but Keaton deserved her Oscar nomination for Best Actress and did Meryl's Golden Globe nomination. I truly loved Verdon's performance as she reminds me of my grandmother, Leo was terrific and should stick to roles like this more often. I'm still peeved that the Academy didn't give this more Oscar nominations. This is one of the greatest family films to come out of Hollywood in like forever and all should see it. It presents a strong moral of family life and should make others see that we need each other somewhere in our lives and should just lay aside our petty differences about each other. I love this movie so much I encourage all to see it. Box office grosses and awards don't matter with a film like this. My deepest admiartion goes to the writer and director of this film and to Rachel Portman for her touching music. I bought the soundtrack and it is one of the greatest I've heard in years. "TITANIC" has nothing on it and I love it as well. As you can tell, I really, really love this movie! NOW GO SEE IT!!!!!!!!!!!!