All the aching emotion threatens to turn this into a weepy chick flick at almost every moment ... but that never happens. Instead this is a seriously strong and involving drama about relationships--entertaining, engaging and very provocative, marked by a string of astute performances that convey real feeling. Lohman is astonishing, aging from 13 to 19 and carrying us through Astrid's anger, denial and a very tricky self-discovery that never takes the easy cinematic route despite significant physical changes. And while she's only in short scenes, Pfeiffer's prickly, mesmerising turn infuses the entire film wonderfully. Zellweger is the other standout as a woman who has it all and yet can't make sense of her life. The men do get a rather short shrift (only Hauser manages to grip the screen), but all of the performances are just right--subtle and often still, but not remotely weak. And this describes the film as a whole: it looks frilly and sweet but is actually full of fierce grit. Kosminsky's direction is classy and understated, augmented by Thomas Newman's echoing score. The screenplay cleverly leaves key plot details to our imagination, filling some gaps in flashbacks, but not everything. This approach focuses the film finely on the relationships--friends, enemies, lovers, family members--never simplified at all. And if it gets slightly sappy at the end, we're too busy sniffling to notice.