With Rena, she becomes more cold and matches her outward appearance with her inside demeanor. He asks her to join him but she coldly refuses.Īstrid passes up good foster parent candidates for Russian immigrant Rena Gruschenka, who uses kids as laborers for her flea market business. Now back at MAC, Paul tells Astrid that as he turns 18 soon he will move to New York. Blaming Ingrid for the suicide, Astrid announces she won't visit again. She begs Claire not to, she seems to recant, but ultimately commits suicide later that night, devastating Astrid.Īstrid tells Ingrid of Claire's death, and that she was returned to MAC. Later, a bad fight with Mark makes Claire consider sending Astrid back MAC. At the prison visit, Ingrid’s jealously exploits Claire's low self-esteem and suspicions over Mark's fidelity, which worsens her depression. One day, Astrid discovers Ingrid has been corresponding with Claire and insists on meeting. Fragile but affectionate, Claire bonds closely with Astrid, who finally thrives. After fighting with some girls, she befriends fellow artist, Paul Trout.Īstrid is placed with former actress, Claire Richards, and her producer husband Mark. Starr and Ray disappear the children beg her not to report her, so Astrid plays along.Īstrid recovers in a hospital before being moved to McKinney Children's Center (aka 'Mac'). In a drunken rage, she argues with Ray, then shoots Astrid in the shoulder. Believing Astrid is sleeping with Starr's live-in boyfriend Ray, she falls off the wagon. Ingrid finds out, setting Astrid against them. Initially interacting well, Astrid is baptised into her church. Starr Thomas, a former stripper, recovering alcoholic and born-again Christian is Astrid's first foster mother. Murdering him with white oleander poison, Ingrid is incarcerated, leaving Astrid under social services' control. Ingrid's relationship with a writer, Barry, ends when she discovers he is cheating. Too young to remember her father, she relies heavily upon her self-centered mother. Plot Īstrid Magnussen, 15, lives in Los Angeles with her free-spirited artist mother Ingrid. The screenplay was adapted from Janet Fitch's 1999 novel White Oleander, which was selected for Oprah's Book Club in May 1999. The film stars Alison Lohman in the central role of Astrid Magnussen and Michelle Pfeiffer as her manipulative mother, Ingrid, with Robin Wright, Noah Wyle and Renée Zellweger in supporting roles. White Oleander is a 2002 American drama film directed by Peter Kosminsky.

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