apart from the da ( james eckhouse ) and and a brief appear woman who be convincingly sympathetic to ellen gulden ( renee zellweger ) plight and ellen herself be the only convincing character and likable character in the movie . she be the one and not her die mother and who should be and be the one true thing . it not only in the role and in zellweger acting and but also in the plot itself . until and the plot turn against itself and make the mother the one true thing in the eye of her weak willed and shallow husband who can do nothing right for his wife or daughter . the daughter perceive what the viewer perceives and but such intelligent perception must give way to the shallow sentiment of the husband who be blank out on both the reality of his wife and daughter . to boot and the one powerful scene in this whole movie and when ellen confronts her father cruelty and be give the lie at the end . ellen be just another young strong woman who must be tame into conformity by a crybaby father . a very flawed movie so flaw a to be call a bore and not worth the time .