Somehow one can’t avoid thinking about the famous opening line of Tolstoy’s novel “Anna Karenina”: “all happy families are alike; each unhappy family is unhappy in its own way”. During the 127 minutes of THE GLASS CASTLE it is unclear whether this down-on-their-luck family is happy or completely dysfunctional.

The film adaptation of the 2005 autobiographic bestseller recapitulates Jeannette Walls (Brie Larson) exciting and difficult childhood with an alcoholic and paranoid father (Woody Harrelson), an egotistical painter mother (Naomi Watts), and three siblings. The Walls are constantly on the road, in the first 5 years of their marriage Jeannette’s parents had 27 addresses. They live in ramshackle huts, electricity is just as sparse as water, and hunger is a loyal companion. One of the most incisive scenes has little Jeannette severely burn herself while trying to cook. The mother had said she has no time to prepare something for her, because the art comes first. Harrelson, who completely loses himself in the role, plays the head of the family who is an explosive mixture of romantic free-spirit, loudmouth beatnik, lachrymose loser, the best father in the world, and the biggest asshole.

Matthias von Viereck

Translation: Elinor Lewy