White Oleander (2002)

The city of Los Angeles is part of the fabric of White Oleander. As Astrid is repeatedly relocated from one placement to another, each opens as another self-contained mini-world with its own identity and way of life that she must learn, which is similar to how the various districts within the borders of that sprawling city actually function.

Understanding this, Kosminsky did not consider filming anywhere else. "It would have been appalling," he says, "particularly for those who loved the novel, to see it set elsewhere. Besides, as a foreigner, I was intrigued by the idea of filming in this city, which is entirely unfamiliar to me. I wanted to see firsthand the places that Janet Fitch referenced in her book."

In the course of the 40-day shoot, beginning in April 2001, the company filmed on 58 locations throughout the Los Angeles area, including Hollywood, Tujunga, Sunland, Echo Park, Silverlake, Monterey Park, Santa Monica, Malibu, Castaic, Manhattan Beach and Pasadena.

Astrid’s journey begins in her mother’s Hollywood apartment, which is predominantly stark and white. It’s clearly an artist’s space, reflective of Ingrid’s personality, an aesthete’s idea of beauty. Touches of Ingrid’s well-traveled Bohemian lifestyle are evident, but the most commanding details are her own dramatic artworks. One large mixed-media photo installation dominates an entire wall of the 1920’s Hollywood locale.

In jarring contrast is Starr’s doublewide trailer in the rural and undeveloped Tujunga Wash, with its cluttered, over-the-top, gaudy décor that matches Starr’s own wardrobe of hot ‘70s colors and eclectic thrift store finds. On moonlit nights Astrid can sit by herself on the tiny porch step and look out into the vast desert landscape, an image of profound loneliness and beauty.

Astrid next finds herself in Claire Richards’ Malibu hilltop home with its spectacular view of the shimmering Pacific Ocean. The classic contemporary set, with its white-on-white and beige hues is both opulent and restrictive. It reflects the outward serenity and inner sadness of the deeply troubled Claire.

By the time she arrives at her final foster home, the crowded Silverlake apartment of Russian émigré Rena, Astrid has given up trying to blend into her ever-changing surroundings and instead carves out a personal corner for herself amid Rena’s eclectic flea market junk.

Even the weather plays a subtle part in the story, and in this way the authentic Los Angeles locations cooperated with the filmmakers. Throughout production the air often snapped with static electricity from warm Santa Ana winds that blow into town every spring – the winds that so inspired free-spirited Ingrid when her mood was upbeat and that Kosminsky was careful to capture on film. Southern California native Michelle Pfeiffer knows those winds well. "I grew up with them," she says fondly. "We lived in an area that wasn’t fully developed at that time. I have vivid memories of giant tumbleweeds rolling down my street when I was a child."

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