My Sister’s Keeper

A young girl (Abigail Breslin) sues for “medical emancipation” from her parents (Cameron Diaz, Jason Patric), no longer wishing to be used as spare parts for her leukemia-stricken sister (Sofia Vassilieva). Jodi Picoult’s novel makes a high-class tear-jerker thanks to an intelligent script by Jeremy Leven and Nick Cassavetes, tasteful direction by Cassavetes himself, and strong performances from a pedigreed cast (others include Alec Baldwin as Breslin’s lawyer, Joan Cusack as the judge hearing her petition and David Thornton as Vassilieva’s no-nonsense doctor). Diaz is a standout; she has often seemed like an amiable amateur when teamed with real actors (in The Holiday, for example), but here she rises to the challenge as never before, with a textured portrayal of a not entirely sympathetic character.