It's hard to imagine that the same director who gave us "L.A. Confidential" and "Wonder Boys" is the same filmmaker who has now given us a film that makes Rob Reiner look like Ingmar Bergman. Even a silly fantasy romp like "8 Mile" had it's moments of genuine truth but here Curtis Hanson is clearly working with a story that doesn't sustain the edge that he attempts to establish early on. Story is about two sisters, one is a boozy illiterate named Maggie (Cameron Diaz) and the other an intelligent Philadelphia lawyer named Rose (Toni Collette) and the two of them were raised by their father after their mother died when they were young.
*****SPOILER ALERT***** Maggie drinks and steals and sleeps around endlessly while Rose who's a few pounds heavier attempts to be the responsible big sister and watch over her but one day Maggie finally crosses the line and is thrown out. Rose finds out that her sister not only has been stealing again but finds her in bed with a potential boyfriend and orders her to get out of her life completely. With nowhere to go Maggie heads to Florida after discovering that she has a long lost grandmother named Ella (Shirley MacLaine) and is allowed to stay with her in her retirement home. Meanwhile, Rose leaves her job and gets engaged to a former co-worker but she has incredible difficulty in telling him about the details of her relationship with her sister. Maggie finds Ella unflappable but supportive and is urged to get a job at the assisted living center and eventually it's here that Maggie starts to find herself and mature.
First off, I am recommending this film for others to see and it's primarily because of the good performances that take place despite a script that's aimed strictly for viewers of the Lifetime channel. One can't help but wonder what exactly Curtis Hanson saw in this story that would attract him to the project because the film is about as revolutionary as an episode of "The Gilmore Girls". The best moments (for me anyway) come during the first part of the film where we come to understand Rose's frustration with her immature sister and Collette in her role gives the film it's best performance. In fact, all the actors are fine with MacLaine playing her usual crusty but experienced older woman and even Diaz (whom I'm an admitted non-fan of) plays her character well but the script by Erin Brockovich's Susannah Grant dives head on into sappy predictable material like the scenes where Maggie learns how to read. I guess the reason I'm still recommending this film is because I just don't think it would be fair to all of the actors involved who really do a good job despite the lack of depth with the story. Call me a softy if you have to but I think I would be lying if I didn't say that this still offers enough scenes of emotional turmoil for it's characters to shine and to also give the film whatever heart it has.
*****SPOILER ALERT***** Maggie drinks and steals and sleeps around endlessly while Rose who's a few pounds heavier attempts to be the responsible big sister and watch over her but one day Maggie finally crosses the line and is thrown out. Rose finds out that her sister not only has been stealing again but finds her in bed with a potential boyfriend and orders her to get out of her life completely. With nowhere to go Maggie heads to Florida after discovering that she has a long lost grandmother named Ella (Shirley MacLaine) and is allowed to stay with her in her retirement home. Meanwhile, Rose leaves her job and gets engaged to a former co-worker but she has incredible difficulty in telling him about the details of her relationship with her sister. Maggie finds Ella unflappable but supportive and is urged to get a job at the assisted living center and eventually it's here that Maggie starts to find herself and mature.
First off, I am recommending this film for others to see and it's primarily because of the good performances that take place despite a script that's aimed strictly for viewers of the Lifetime channel. One can't help but wonder what exactly Curtis Hanson saw in this story that would attract him to the project because the film is about as revolutionary as an episode of "The Gilmore Girls". The best moments (for me anyway) come during the first part of the film where we come to understand Rose's frustration with her immature sister and Collette in her role gives the film it's best performance. In fact, all the actors are fine with MacLaine playing her usual crusty but experienced older woman and even Diaz (whom I'm an admitted non-fan of) plays her character well but the script by Erin Brockovich's Susannah Grant dives head on into sappy predictable material like the scenes where Maggie learns how to read. I guess the reason I'm still recommending this film is because I just don't think it would be fair to all of the actors involved who really do a good job despite the lack of depth with the story. Call me a softy if you have to but I think I would be lying if I didn't say that this still offers enough scenes of emotional turmoil for it's characters to shine and to also give the film whatever heart it has.