Earlier
this year, we saw the release of One True Thing, a film that dealt with similar
issues in a much better fashion. With Stepmom, director Chris Columbus (Home Alone,
Mrs. Doubtfire) tries to give us a look at the trials and tribulations of being
a stepmother.
The
film follows Julia Roberts (who plays the title character) as she struggles to
gain the respect and love of two kids--whose affections are still tied to their
biological mother, played by Susan Sarandon. Throughout the film, Sarandon vents
her disapproval of Roberts by spouting insult after insult. Of course, there is
a tragic reason for Sarandon's actions, which I will not disclose.
Stepmom
isn't so much a memorable film as it is a showcase for some outstanding acting.
Sarandon, Roberts and Ed Harris are fantastic, but that's not much of a surprise.
The performances by the children are also quite remarkable. Columbus' screenplay
offers hits of wit; but for the most part, Stepmom is poorly executed. Like the
dreadful Patch Adams, this film suffers from excessive sappiness; however, not
necessarily to that degree. Also, many scenes seem misplaced as if the film reels
were spliced together wrong.
There
is no doubt that Stepmom will be a huge box office hit. But from my point of view,
all that I really recommend are the performances. The film itself just didn't
have much of an impact.
