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(More customer reviews)Ellen Foster is the story of a young girl desperately seeking to find a real family. Her real family is an abusive, drunken father and a mother in chronic ill-health. Ellen is, by default, the woman of the house and takes care of two parents. She meets disapproval from her grandmother becuase her mother married against her mother's wishes and grandmother has never forgiven her - at one point she offers the mom the chance to return to the family mansion but without her daughter. "Trash begats trash" is a powerful statement for a grandmother to make about her granddaughter.
Mom eventually dies, dad deteriorates and eventually ends up in jail. As her family disappears, Ellen is given protection by one of her school teachers. There the affection from the adults to Ellen is immediate and enduring. But it doesn't last as Ellen goes to live with her grandmother, on court order.
Life with grandmother is brutal, in it's own way. Ellen is clothed but trreated more as hired help than a granddaughter. She eats in the dining room with gradnmother on sunday afternoon. The rest of the time she eats with the servants. She works for her room and board. But it doesn't last forever as grandmother has a stroke and ultimately dies, miserable to the end towards Ellen.
Then it's off to an aunt with a child of her own and it doesn't get any better. The friction between the girls is palpable, although Ellen is not the instigator.
In the meantime, Ellen has seen a woman with several girls in church. These children vary in age from late teens to a baby. They also vary in race. Ellen is interested in this family and learns they are the "Foster" family. Ellen even rides her bike past the house but is a little confused when there is another name on the mail box. Ellen is also exploring other families. Her best friend in school is a black girl and Ellen gets along well with her family. Ellen gets a reality check when she asks about her staying with the family permanently. The father tells her that white people wouldn't like it if a white girl lived with a black family. Ellen says that it's ok now, we have integration - a truthful and innocent statement. She is aadvised that it won't work. Back to the Foster family.
A blow-up in the aunt's home with the daughter sees Ellen on the move again. This time, it is christmas day and she is wearing her best dress and walking to the Foster home. There she offers the mother her savings so that she can stay there until high school is over. The whole scene at the kitchen table is tremendously powerful and moving. Eventually Ellen gets her family but the scars of her earlier "real" family are still there.
This is a story that ultimately has a fairly happy ending but the trials of this girl within her own family group is discouraging not to say tragic. She meets people along the way who see what is happening and want to help, but the legal system gets in the way. It is a film, while set in the South of a few decades ago, is just as valid to the here and now. It should be a must see for everyone. Tears and anger are evenly mixed. It is a memorable film with excellent performances from all the cast. See it soon.
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