The Oprah Book Club best-seller by Janet Fitch makes it to the big screen in this adaptation from British director Peter Kosminsky . White Oleander recounts the traumatic adolescence of Astrid Magnusson ( Alison Lohman ), who finds herself an orphan after her short-fused, enigmatic artist mother Ingrid ( Michelle Pfeiffer ) is carted off to prison on murder charges. Astrid first finds herself in the care of Starr ( Robin Wright Penn ), a garish, born-again mother of two with a gruff but sensitive boyfriend ( Cole Hauser ). From there, she's shunted back to a state-run facility, where she tangles with other troubled teens and finds temporary solace in the arms of Paul ( Patrick Fugit ), a dough-faced comic book artist with dreams of moving to New York City. Astrid then lucks into a living arrangement with a successful but insecure actress ( Renee Zellweger ) who offers her unconditional love. But Ingrid's stifling influence continues to haunt her daughter, whether through the occasional prison visit or via manipulative letters to Astrid's caretakers. White Oleander received a Gala North American premiere at the 2002 Toronto Film Festival before reaching multiplexes later that fall. — Michael Hastings