Dirac saw TriStar's GOOD NIGHT MOON aka STEPMOM, a star studded film that I believe is to be a fall release, though I may be wrong. This is an early test screening and could very well change dramatically. I did get other feedback on the film, but only a line or two from each. Stuff like "I cried so hard Harry, I loved it" and "Stepmom is boring". So that leaves me with the idea that it's not a movie for all tastes, but if you have a weepy side, you'll like it. The following review was the only lengthy look at the film.
I'm a long-time reader, but a first-time spy. Call me "Dirac".
Anyway, I saw a screening of TriStar's "Good Night Moon" aka "Stepmom" last night. This is a Susan Sarandon/Julia Roberts drama that is scheduled for a Christmas release.
A quick plot summary:
Julia Roberts plays Ed Harris' girlfriend, and Susan Sarandon is his ex-wife. Harris and Sarandon have two Hollywood-adorable-moppets. In the beginning, Sarandon and Roberts hate each other --- Saradon's character is controlling and bitter, and she worries about the impact of the not-particularly-maternalistic Roberts character on the children. The children also hate Roberts, responding to the negative signals from their mother. But guess what? Yes, Roberts and Sarandon come to understand each other! (I bet you didn't see *that* one coming!) Sarandon is diagnosed with cancer and, realizing that she won't be around to watch out for her kids, comes to recognize Roberts' merits and her growing affection for the children. And the kids figure out that Julia isn't so bad after all, and everyone is happy. Or at least as happy as you can be when terminal cancer is involved.
Now some random observations:
This is really Susan Sarandon's movie; her part is larger and meatier than Julia Roberts'. If anybody doubts that Julia is a bit lacking in the talent department, just watch her next to Susan Sarandon. Sarandon takes by-the-numbers material and really elevates it. Roberts just sort of stands around and acts saintly. Sarandon brings real depth to her character, while Roberts is completely one-dimensional. If they give Julia top billing, I'll be really pissed off.
Ed Harris doesn't have much to do here. Compared to Sarandon, Roberts and the kids, he doesn't get much screen time at all.
The version that we were shown had (in my opinion) real problems with the pacing. It was too long and didn't have a strong narrative flow --- it was more like a strung-together sequence of random episodes. >{?While parts were very effective, I really felt like it spent a lot of time wandering. Certain scenes were repetitive or too long, during which the audience got noticibly restless.
The good news (for TriStar, at least), is that the audience seemed to respond very favorably to the film as a whole. The comedy bits got big laughs, and the sad parts had people audibly weeping all around me
--- it was the loudest movie audience crying I'd ever heard! Everyone around me was *very* positive about it. Now all they have to do is figure out how to market this inherently depressing subject... .
