Well, here's a fairly positive review of TriStar's STEPMOM (I believe that's the tentative title of the moment) starring Julia Roberts, Susan Sarandon and Ed Harris. This is the film that Chris Columbus took up instead of Fantastic Four or Daredevil... Choices really define a person, and this seems to be his most personal film yet according to reports, so congrats to him... at least he's left the cheek slapping flicks... As always this is an opinion of an individual and not the definative word. There are spoilers...
I recently saw a screening of the untitled TriStar Pictures release with Julia Roberts and Susan Sarandon.
The story is about people. It is about life. After one charcter is said to have a terminally ill disease she grooms the other one to take over. The older woman(Sarandon) is very bitter because she has lost her husband to a beautiful young woman and she thinks with time she'll lose her children to and she will be replaced. The younger woman is a career minded young woman(Roberts) who loves this man and his children and wants to succeed both professionally and personally, but she is also feeling overwhelmed. The story focuesses on these two women and how they come together and teach each other.
The picture could of easily been taken out of the headlines and made into a TV movie, but Ronald Bass has written a solid script. Many maybe put off by Christopher Colombus directing, but this is by far his most personal movie and he directs it with a style that shows he is only begining to make great movies. The acting is incredible. Both Julia Roberts and Susan Sarandon have charcter you care about, but charcters with no surprises. They make them surprising though with the slightest reaction. Sarandon has more to go with as she fights her illness and grooms Roberts to take her place, but it is Roberts who surprised me. Not being a fan, I was thinking this would be the movie that proved to everyone this actress can't act, but she can act. In a very understated role she finds her charcters passions and desires and we want to see her succeed. We want to see her become a good wife and mother. She can't rely on the joke, the smile, or the hair in this picture, but believe me from the first time she steps on screen you are truly captivated by her presence. She easily stands on equal footing with Sarandon, and sometimes rises above her as you wait anxiously to see how she will perform this next scene because each scene becomes more and more difficult for her. The kids and the ex- husband are devestated by Sarandon's death, but it is Roberts who must hold them all together.
Ed Harris does fine with his small part, and the kids have some good lines. People cried like crazy and laughed hysterically. I loved how the movie wasn't going for the one liner after one scene. It seemed natural. Like life. I would call this the Terms of Endearment of the 1990's.
