There are some movies that are based on books, and it's important to read the book first in order to "get" the movie. Hanging Up is definitely one of those movies. This problem is only made worse by hiring four great comedic performers and marketing the film as a comedy (it definitely is not). Most of the complaints about the movie could be cleared up if people had read the book first. For example, there are a lot of complaints about Diane Keaton playing Georgia, because she's just too old. If you'd read the book, you'd know that Georgia and Eve are not extremely close in age, and that Georgia has always looked old for her age. This wasn't ever intended to be an ensemble show. For those of you out there who feel like the story is supposed to be about three sisters, but it focuses it on Eve too much, I'm serious, the story is about ONE woman dealing with too much on her plate. Therefore, great actors like Walter Matthau, Diane Keaton, Lisa Kudrow and Cloris Leachman are playing supportive roles in varying degrees. Now that that's out of the way... The story really is beautifully filmed and edited. No, the script isn't all that great, but I have two sisters, and the relationship between Georgia, Eve, and Maddie is very real. I also really liked how Keaton stylized the sisters in different ways. Any of the scenes with the sisters together emphasizes a sisterly bond, but each one's individuality at the same time. For example, Georgia, the CEO, has a black limo. Eve, the practical soccer mom type, drives a family-friendly SUV. Maddie, the carefree soap opera actress, drives a black sports car. A large portion of the book's plot is lost in translation in the movie. Overall, though, it's not a bad movie, especially if you have aging parents or love/hate relationships with your siblings.
Review of Hanging Up
