Producer: Jen O’Brien
Editor: Mark McKay
My Sister’s Keeper footage courtesy of Warner Bros Pictures

I checked into gorgeous Casa Del Mar on the beach in Santa Monica (where the junket was being held) and headed to the screening. Most of the other attendees were television reporters from the States who attend these sorts of things together almost every weekend.

Before the movie we all grabbed popcorn and most of the ladies flocked around the napkin dispenser to stock up for what we had all heard was going to be a major tearjerker. I rarely break down in the movie theatre so I decided to forgo the napkin-stashing…that was a mistake.

This was definitely a weeper…but it’s not your typical Hollywood sob story. There’s a gritty honesty in this film – especially where Sofia Vassilieva’s character Kate’s illness is concerned. The disease is definitely not romanticized. I think that’s what I liked about this movie, but it’s also what made it hard to watch at times especially as a survivor of childhood leukemia.

I told the girls as much when I met with them the next morning. Cameron’s response was “We’re glad you’re still here.” Yeah, me too.

After we talked about the film (watch for my video interview later this week) I tried to get some beauty tips out of Cameron. When I got back from L.A. the first things my girlfriends wanted to know were (A) What was she wearing? And (B) What does she look like in person? To answer the first question I’ve attached a photo below. And I’ve got to say, Cammie D looks amazing in person. However, her beauty tips leave something to be desired. When I asked for tips she said “Love life and gratitude, those are beauty tips. Just have gratitude.” Interesting…

Anyways, here’s my tip: Get the girls together, grab a box of Kleenex and go see this movie on June 26th. I’m pretty sure you’ll love it. Within My Sister’s Keeper there’s humour, romance and pain. But I think the one thing that will resonate is its truthfulness. It shows us that no matter how hard life gets, fate will ultimately run its course and we just have to find a way to cope.

– Jen O’Brien

I’m off to L.A. tomorrow morning to attend a press junket for My Sister’s Keeper, Cameron Diaz’s new film. The movie is based on Jodi Picoult’s bestselling book of the same name about two parents whose lives are forever altered when they find out their two-year-old daughter Kate has leukemia. They decide to conceive another child, specifically intended to save her life – Anna (played by Abigail Breslin…remember her from Little Miss Sunshine?). The sisters endure various medical procedures and hospital stays…until at age 11 Anna decides she’s had enough. She decides to hire a lawyer (Alec Baldwin…possibly my favourite person on TV) and seek medical emancipation.

As I’ve mentioned in previous posts, I’m a survivor of childhood leukemia so I’m especially interested to see how this plays out.

But forget leukemia, I get to meet Cameron Diaz on Saturday! Amazing! Cammie D, most well-known for her goofy sexpot roles, is playing a mom in this movie, which look like it’s going to be a real weeper.

Watch the trailer here and let me know what you think.

Below is the poster for the film. It’s been getting some flack in the blogosophere for the laugh riot Abigail and Cammie are having in the face of cancer…but, hey, maybe this one has a happy ending.

I’ll report back when I return from L.A. next week and give you the dish on what I thought of the movie and its stars. And watch for my full interview in the coming weeks.

 – Jen O’Brien