Much like other films dealing with terminally ill characters, such as 1993's "My Life" (Michael Keaton) and any other number of similar films, the story has a guaranteed lock on working on the audience's emotions. Unlike many of those movies, however, this one lets us know right from the onset that the mother is dead, and adds in the element of the daughter being questioned about that death.

While it's not a murder mystery per se, the use of flashbacks stemming from the daughter's responses to a district attorney's investigatory questions regarding the events leading up to that death allows the film to unfold efficiently. As helmed by director Carl Franklin ("Devil in a Blue Dress," "One False Move") and written by Karen Croner (who makes her feature film screenwriting debut working from Pulitzer Prize winner Anna Quindlen's 1995 novel), the film fortunately never feels manipulative in eliciting our emotions and wisely avoids such trappings.

Franklin and Croner have also smartly injected enough bits of humor -- such as Ellen trying to really cook for the first time, and the polite reactions of Kate's social club friends about that -- to offset the human tragedy and emotionally laden moments such as a nicely done rendition of "Silent Night" at an outdoor Christmas choir concert that won't leave a dry eye in the house.

As such, nothing seems forced and everything seems quite real, and the events and onscreen emotions that unfold come off as not only natural, but also very believable. Beyond the well- written screenplay -- that features some superbly crafted exchanges of dialogue between Ellen and her parents -- most of that stems from the picture's stellar cast.

Ten-time Oscar nominee Meryl Streep (with wins for "Kramer vs Kramer" and "Sophie's Choice") should easily receive her eleventh nod after this performance. Clearly one of the greatest actresses of all time, Streep effortlessly drops into her character as if she's played her for her entire life. Yet, where other performers may have overacted in the role, Streep subtly brings great and occasional gritty depth and compassion to her performance.

Equally holding her own against the seasoned Streep, Renee Zellweger ("Jerry Maguire," "The Whole Wide World") continues to grow as an actress and may just receive her first Oscar nomination for this performance. Perfectly capturing the frustration, occasional anger, and bewilderment of discovering that one's parents aren't whom they seemed while growing up with them as a child, Zellweger delivers a great take on her character who transforms as the story unfolds.

Proving that he's still one of the best -- if not underused -- actors working today, three-time Oscar nominee William Hurt (with a victory for "Kiss of the Spider Woman") likewise creates a compelling character that will definitely earn him yet another acting nomination. Hurt's often underplayed his characters and let his facial expressions do much of the work, and that's definitely the case here.

As Ellen discovers the true nature and character of her father just as we do, we see Hurt's character unfold like a damaged flower. Completely believable in the role, Hurt creates a man who's simultaneously a jerk and a decent, loving guy rolled into one, and this causes the audience to alternate their reaction and emotions toward him. It's an exceptional performance, and should complete the film's acting trifecta in this year's Oscar nominations.

On a quick side note, and although inhabiting a much smaller role, it's also nice to see Tom Everett Scott return with a decent performance. After following up his great feature film debut in "That Thing You Do" with the horrible "American Werewolf in Paris" and "Dead Man on Campus," I had nearly lost hope for this young actor, but appearing in this film should resurrect him from what was quickly becoming a "B" movie career.

Despite the film's many great aspects, it did take me a while to get into the story, perhaps because the family -- unlike many other "Hollywood" familial units -- isn't filled with eccentric or even greatly idiosyncratic characters. Instead, they're just like the family next door in any small town.

That, however, is what makes the film work, and while my built up interest and emotional stake in the story somewhat waned toward the inevitable end -- as it apparently also did for the many teary-eyed folks around me who weren't crying so much as the story drew to a close -- the overall impression is that of a well-crafted, superbly acted drama.

Kudos should not only go to the great cast, but also to screenwriter Croner (and source novelist Anna Quindlen) for some great scenes and dialogue, and to director Franklin who steps out well beyond the fare he's tackled before. While it would have been easy for him to make this in the form of yet another made-for-TV movie and to have stirred up and manipulated the emotions with a heavy-handed effort, Franklin manages to pull it all off just right.

Although not an entirely pleasant film (most dealing with terminal illnesses aren't), the film is ultimately uplifting and should be well-represented come Oscar nomination time. We give "One True Thing" an 8.5 out of 10.

Considering the plot line, the film obviously contains many tense family moments, and the overall terminal illness -- and its physical and emotional aftereffects from which the mother suffers -- may be unsettling to many viewers. Some bad attitudes abound because of this, and there are hints and rumors that the father is having an extramarital affair, but there's never definite proof of that.

Beyond such issues, and both the father and daughter being somewhat inebriated on separate occasions, the rest of the film's categories have little or no major objectionable material. Although it's doubtful many kids will want to see this film, you may want to take a look through the content listings should you or someone else in your home be interested in it.

Of special note for those concerned with bright flashing lights, a scene briefly set in a community Halloween haunted house features full screen strobe effects.