White Oleander (White Oleander)

Production and year: Germany, USA 2002 Original title: White Oleander Genre: Drama Director: Peter Kosminsky Screenplay: Mary Agnes Donoghue Cast: Alison Lohman, Michelle Pfeiffer, Renée Zellweger, Robin Wright, Noah Wyle Medical topic: Dependent personality disorder, adjustment disorders Description: I capped off another day of studying for my psychiatry exam by watching the film listed in the table by Professor Andrzej Czerniekiewicz included in the LEK psychiatry textbook, in the chapter on personality disorders. This time, I took a closer look at dependent personality disorder. Peter Kosminsky’s film depicts the relationship between Ingrid, an artist and mother (Pfeiffer), and her teenage daughter Astrid (Lohman). For Astrid, Ingrid is her model of femininity; she learns everything from her. The lives of these two undergo a drastic change when the mother meets a man with whom she falls deeply in love. Rejected by him, she kills him by concocting a cocktail of poisonous white oleanders for him. Ingrid is sentenced to life imprisonment, and Astrid begins a journey through foster families and reform schools. She maintains correspondence with her mother throughout this time and occasionally visits her in prison. It is her mother who makes the most important decisions regarding her life, despite Astrid’s resistance. Finally, the girl ends up in the care of a seemingly wonderful woman (Zellweger). It turns out that this is only an illusion. Claire is a classic example of a dependent personality. She cannot live without her husband, who spends most of his time traveling. When Mark (Wyle) leaves her, she commits suicide. This, however, changes Astrid’s life. It is a turning point for her. Astrid meets with her mother one last time and tells her she no longer wants any contact with her. Her mother won’t give up. She speaks in prison with journalists and lawyers who are trying to contact Astrid. They promise her money and help, urging her to talk to Ingrid and, by implication, to give false testimony in court. Astrid decides to meet with her mother to clear up certain ambiguities from the past. She agrees to testify in exchange for honest answers to the questions that have been bothering her and learns the truth about her parents. However, when the trial begins, Astrid is not called to testify. Her mother “sets her free,” breaking the unhealthy dependency. The film effectively captures the theme of dependent personality disorder, but it’s hard not to mention that it’s a bit too “drawn-out” and rather tedious.